A significant milestone in the construction of the Countess of Chester Hospital’s new Women and Children’s Building has been marked with a special ‘topping out’ ceremony, coinciding with the launch of a new new five-year strategy for women and children’s services.

  The key event – which marks the symbolic completion of the building’s frame and is a significant stage in its construction – was attended by several staff from the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, as well as representatives of the construction partners IHP. 

  Jane Tomkinson OBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, led the pour of the final concrete, joined by Pippa Scott-Heale, Director of Women and Children’s Services, Natasha MacDonald, Director of Midwifery, and Dr Sara Brigham, Associate Medical Director for Women and Children’s Services, amongst others involved in the construction project.  

Joan Carter, Project Director for the construction works at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Topping out was an historic moment – we can physically envision now how this new building will transform our services for patients.  

“We’ll be doing lots of things over the next few months to turn the shell into a workable building, like applying the outside cladding and wiring, plastering and painting and decorating inside, so this is a really exciting time.”

The ‘topping out’ marks the beginning of the countdown to completion of the three-storey c.13,000m sq. building, which is scheduled to be ready for internal fit-out by the end of this year, and open to the public in summer 2025.  

Once complete, the new Women and Children’s Building will accommodate all nine women and children’s services, providing increased capacity and additional modern rest spaces for patients, families and staff all to enjoy.  

This symbolic moment comes as a new five-year strategy for women and children’s services is launched by the Trust, with the new building that is fit for the future identified as an integral part of ensuring plans for safe and high-quality care.

At the heart of the new strategy for these services is a pledge to provide clear information to patients, actively listen to their feedback for continuous improvement and invest in Trust staff and their development.

Macy Roberts, a paediatric nurse who features on the front cover of the new strategy, spoke of her excitement for the future of women and children’s services in Chester.

Macy said: “During my placement here as a student nurse I always felt part of the team and I fell in love with the department. There was nowhere else I felt quite so at home.”

“Staff are so supportive here and that’s why I wanted this to be my first job. It’s great that as a newly qualified nurse I feel valued, and the teaching and support from others is fantastic – I think this really demonstrates the commitment to invest in and develop staff.”

Jane Tomkinson OBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This ambitious £110m project is a hugely exciting asset for Chester, North Wales and the surrounding areas.

“Women, children and their families and carers who live in our local community will benefit from this building for years to come, as a place to receive safe and effective care that meets their individual needs.

“Our clinicians have played a key role in the design so that we can ensure people are treated in the best possible clinical environment, which supports our wider ambition to tackle health inequalities in our region.

The new building was also visited recently by 23 Year 10 students from a range of local schools for a week of work experience . This provided invaluable insights into the world of healthcare, including a unique and rare chance to watch the construction process of a new NHS building.

As well as their exclusive site tour of the multi-storey construction, the students also took part in five clinical and non-clinical work placements and attended several workshops, demonstrations and presentations about different NHS careers.

Their time spent at the Trust was an ideal opportunity to gain an insight into the 350 different types of careers available in the NHS and the routes in, to inspire our future workforce.

Molly Whelan, Vocational Development Manager at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We were thrilled to welcome local students and offer them this unique work experience. Not only will they gain practical knowledge and skills from their time with us, but they also witnessed firsthand the exciting advancements in our Women and Children’s services as the building fit for the future goes up before their very eyes. We hope the work experience week inspired them to consider a future in these essential careers.”

Students on work experience were from local schools Blacon High School, Queens Park High School, Chester Catholic High School, Upton-by-Chester High School, Ellesmere Port Catholic High School, Elfed High School, Tarporley High School, West Kirby Grammar School, Neston High School, Abbey Gate College, The Bishops Blue Coat, Wirral Grammar School for Girls, Calday Grange Grammar School, Helsby High School and Altrincham Grammar School for Boys.