Wigan hospital trust gets £11.9m for two new developments to reduce patient wait times

The cash is to be spent on endoscopy – an important diagnostic procedure. Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) believes this would mean quicker access to endoscopy procedures leading to better – and crucially faster – outcomes for patients.

The the major developments are to take place at both the Wigan Infirmary in Wigan and Leigh Infirmary.

At the RAEI, the investment will support the expansion of the endoscopy unit, which was built nearly 20 years ago, to provide facilities that meet the requirements for modern service delivery. Hospital bosses say this will help patients get the highest possible standards of care, with improvements in privacy and dignity, increased patient choice, and more timely appointments.

WWL’s CEO Silas Nicholls said: “This funding will help us increase the number of endoscopy rooms at Leigh from three to six, as well as upgrading the current facilities at Wigan Infirmary, future proofing our facilities, and addressing the expected increases in population demand.

“Projects like these will ultimately play a significant role in reducing health inequalities across the Wigan borough and improving outcomes for our patients across our wide range services which is fantastic news for both us as a trust, and the wider community.”

The new unit would also bring with it the potential to offer bowel screening lists in Wigan for the first time, giving patients in and around the borough the choice of either Wigan or Leigh for this service.

The site at the RAEI is significantly constrained for space, and as a result, the extension of the endoscopy unit to support additional floors above has been proposed. The services that will occupy the upper floors is yet to be decided, but WWL have stated it depends on the clinical requirements of the borough.

These upgrades are anticipated to support improvements to the emergency department as well as developing our surgical services. At Leigh Infirmary, with the dedicated elective surgery and diagnostic site, the investment will increase the number of endoscopy rooms from three to six, within the existing Hanover building on the site.

Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director for NHS England – North West said: “This investment is great news for the people of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh, as the expansion and modernisation of endoscopy will mean more convenient access to a range of services, and will give patients the best possible chance of early diagnosis and successful treatment.”

Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS England Director for Transformation, added: “This investment will help improve patient outcomes in Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh area by ensuring earlier diagnosis of conditions and faster treatment for conditions such as cancer, in turn, delivering more tests and supporting our ambition of reducing waits for our patients.”