Maternity theatre approved for Tameside hospital

The construction of a maternity operating theatre building to the northwest of Tameside General Hospital will allow for improvements to elective surgeries at the main theatre, as well as increasing the amount of recovery space, support facilities, and staff preparation areas.

The Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust put forward the application, with Berrys UK as the planning consultant for the 4,100 sq ft two-storey building. Darwin Group is charged with developing and delivering the project for the trust.

Tameside Council formally approved the application on 20 November.

The government awarded £5m to the NHS trust for the project.

The total budget for the scheme is £5.8m, with the trust contributing £.8m of its own annual capital allocations.

According to plans, the extension will enhance capacity and reduce pressures on other departments within the wider hospital area.

A linkway from the existing maternity department to the first floor of the extension will be implemented. The second storey will be used as a plant and will provide service access.

The facility is expected to be operational by March 2025 and to employ more than five workers.

To view the application, use the reference 24/00859/FUL on Tameside Council’s planning portal. Members of the project team include Mabbett, Noise.co.uk, TTC Transportation Consultancy, and Richter.