New £11m children's centre for Lister Hospital

A new children's care centre is due to be built at a hospital after health bosses secured £27m from NHS England to improve facilities.

Work on the scheme at Lister Hospital in Stevenage will begin later this year with detailed planning now under way, the East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust has said.

Martin Armstrong, deputy chief executive, said the impact of the investment could not be "understated".

The planned construction of the new children's centre, which is costing £11m, is in addition to improvements to Lister's ambulance handover area, which should be completed in the coming weeks,

Some of the funding from NHS England will also be used to refurbish wards, replace scanners and deal with a backlog in maintenance.

Back in 2020, the Lister did not get any funding when the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced 40 new hospitals would be built by 2030.

However, Armstrong said the £27m from NHS England would ensure it remained "a safe, modern hospital that is fit for the future".

The trust is also moving forward with plans to change its renal services, so more patients can benefit from care at home.

Elizabeth Franklin-Jones, divisional director of nursing and quality for children and young people at the trust, said: "This investment is an exciting and essential opportunity for us to create an environment that is purpose-built for children and their families, while also improving facilities for our staff.

"What makes this opportunity special, is that these ideas and plans have come from the team and the voices of children, young people and their families.

"We have drawn on their experiences and their shared commitment to championing what truly matters to those we care for."

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