A potential new site for the Royal Lancaster Infirmary has been revealed.
The existing hospital – and the Royal Preston Hospital – are set to be replaced as part of a programme of national investment.
The proposed site for the replacement Royal Lancaster Infirmary is Bailrigg East, north of and near Lancaster University.
The nearest residential area is next to the north of the site, the nearest motorway is the M6, with the A6 being the nearest major road for access.
Lancaster Railway Station is 3.2 miles from the site and bus routes are along the A6 and within the university campus.
Proposals for investment in Furness General Hospital’s infrastructure in Barrow are also in development and will be shared in due course, health chiefs said.
The replacements are being funded through the New Hospitals Programme.
Aaron Cummins, chief executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, said: “A new hospital on a new site in Lancaster will allow us to fully address the significant problems that we face with the current ageing buildings at Royal Lancaster Infirmary and will bring huge benefits to our communities and to the wider economy.
“We have the opportunity to create a legacy, with a hospital specifically designed for the needs of our population, improving their experience and giving them the best clinical care. We additionally have significant ambitions to create facilities that are digitally innovative, much more cost effective, and with a reduced carbon footprint.”
The local NHS wants to hear from patients, residents, colleagues and stakeholders about what a new hospital will mean for them and how the move to a new hospital site might impact them.
People will be invited to have their say through a series of public events as well as through a survey, details of which will be shared in the new year.
Kevin Lavery, chief executive of NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “A comprehensive review of sites, including plot size, location, motorway access, existing highways infrastructure, public transport, planning and environmental conditions, has been undertaken to assess sites for their suitability.
“Whilst proposals are at an early stage, we understand many people will want more information about how the travel and transport arrangements will work for the new facilities.
“We want to hear about how our proposals for the two new hospitals on new sites would affect you, your family or people you care for. Your views will help to inform the development of any plans going forward.
“While the local NHS has secured the potential new sites, no final decisions have been made. It is important to emphasise that any such decision would be subject to full public consultation at a later date.”
The NHS said it was open to other sites being suggested, which would be subject to the same comprehensive review as the proposed sites.
The existing Royal Preston Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary sites will remain in place and deliver services until new hospital facilities are opened.
Simon Douglas, development director at Savills who sold the land to the NHS on behalf of a private landowner client, said: “This is, without question, one of the most satisfying deals I have ever completed on behalf of a client.
“Some years back, we sold a neighbouring parcel of land to Lancaster University which has become a renowned health innovation centre. To now complete on this deal, which will position Royal Lancaster Infirmary right on the doorstep of this campus, is not only fantastic news for the area and the local economy, but wonderful for UK and global health innovation generally.”
Westmorland & Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has made fresh calls for radiotherapy treatment to be brought to Kendal’s Westmorland General Hospital in the wake of the announcement.
The proposed site for the replacement of Royal Preston Hospital – which is currently the nearest radiotherapy treatment centre to South Cumbria – is in Farington, an extra seven miles further south from South Cumbria, he said.
Meanwhile, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, which is the main acute hospital for patients in the South Lakes, is set to be moved to a site next to Lancaster University – a further six miles down south.
Mr Farron said: “I warmly welcome the investment going into rebuilding our hospitals in Lancaster and Preston. This is something we’ve been pushing for, for many years.
“However the decision for these hospitals to be relocated even further away from Cumbria means patients having to travel even longer journeys to access lifesaving care.
“That’s why now has to surely be the time to bring more services, in particular radiotherapy, to Westmorland General Hospital.
“Rather than shutting more wards, we should be using the space available so that people here in the South Lakes can have treatment closer to home.”
