Final approval has been given for a new multi-million-pound extension at The Royal Oldham Hospital. 

The news means that work can now begin on the £28m project, which will create a four-storey extension to the main facility, housing two general surgery wards.

The unit will become the new surgical hub for major operations at the hospital, with capacity for 48 patients.

Commissioned by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, the building has been designed by DAY Architecture and will be built by IHP.

Work is expected to start on site within weeks, with completion expected in spring 2023.

Under the plans, the existing K Block and adult medicine building will be demolished and an extension built in their place.

Over four storeys, including a basement level, it will have two wards each with spacious patient day rooms, therapy spaces and staff support facilities.

Work will also be carried out to the main hospital building, including creation of a new emergency theatre, an new inpatient area and recovery area.

The building will be located to the west of the existing main hospital and has been designed to help enhance patient wellbeing.

This includes an internal void with landscaped courtyard and south and west-facing patient bedrooms.

Externally, materials for the extension have been inspired by Oldham’s rich industrial mill heritage, with feature towers, vertical lines, and framed glazing.

The landscape proposals are been designed to provide varying uses, including an informal seating area and café spillout space. 

Landscaped areas with planting and seating also provide a calming environment to promote healing and wellbeing. 

And tree planting along Steptoe Drive will visually link the extension with Fountain Gardens, an existing green space at the heart of the hospital.

David Jago, chief officer at the hospital, said: “The new surgical hub will provide much-needed expertise to the people of the north east of Greater Manchester.

"It will also enable other developments at The Royal Oldham, which will advance our ambitions to provide care and employment to the people of Oldham and beyond.”

treatment in a new facility.

Dr Nick Tierney, divisional clinical director for surgery, added: “This is fantastic news for the division of surgery and for all of the patients, staff and the population in Oldham and the surrounding areas.

"Having a new state-of-the-art theatre for emergency and colorectal surgery will allow our surgeons to perform at the highest-possible level with positive benefits in the quality of care delivered to our patients.”