Morgan Sindall Construction has commenced construction work on a new £24 million Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on behalf of Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The event saw Morgan Sindall, Alder Hey representatives and some of the hospital's on-site nursery attendees come together to view the site and take photographs to mark the occasion. The young people were presented with commemorative teddy bears.

Appointed to the project last year via the Procure Partnerships North West Framework, the tier one contactor is set to deliver a Surgical NICU with 22 family-integrated rooms, a Same Day Emergency Care Centre, and space for future development.

The state-of-the-art Surgical NICU will be the first of its kind in the country, providing family-integrated care and a safer service for babies. It will feature 22 neonatal cots and 18 individual family rooms where parents can stay alongside their poorly babies whilst they're receiving expert care.

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On the ground floor of the facility will be the Same Day Emergency Care Centre, bringing together the skills and expertise of paediatricians, emergency care clinicians, advanced clinical practitioners, primary care and family support workers. The main works will start on site in the coming months, with the project set to be completed in Autumn 2025.

The start of main works on site follows a significant enabling works package involving the diversion of a large number of buried services whilst maintaining the operation of the busy hospital environment.

In line with Morgan Sindall's commitment to providing social value, two local care leavers have gained employment as a result of the enabling works and our supply chain partner A&B Engineering have been working with Liverpool in Work and HMP Liverpool to successfully move a young man with lived-in experience into employment.

Other partners on the project include Hoare Lea, Gilling Dod Architects and WSP.

Simon Arnott, Managing Director of Morgan Sindall in the North said: "Alder Hey Hospital has been an invaluable asset to the local communities in Liverpool and the wider North West region for over 100 years. Its dedication to improving the lives of young people with health difficulties and their families is unmatched.

"It is therefore an immense privilege for us to play a part in the next stage of the hospital’s history. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the staff at Alder Hey, our partners, and service users to deliver a new facility that will help the Trust continue its vital work in improving health outcomes for children."