Alder Hey Children's Hospital and construction partner Morgan Sindall are celebrating a significant milestone in the development of a new facility that promises to transform care for children and young people.

The structure of the new building, which will house a state-of-the-art surgical neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and expanded emergency care services, is now complete and on track to open in 2026.

The purpose-built facility is the latest phase in the expansion of Alder Hey’s world-class healthcare campus and reflects the hospital’s commitment to delivering leading-edge care for children today and in the future.

On the ground floor, a new Emergency Floor Expansion will bring together specialists in paediatrics, emergency medicine, advanced clinical practice, primary care, and family support. It will feature a 16-bed assessment unit, a co-located Urgent Treatment Centre, and a Same Day Emergency Care facility.

The development has been supported by £9 million in capital funding through the national Urgent and Emergency Care Scheme, awarded over the past two years based on Alder Hey’s Trust performance. Alder Hey Children's Charity has contributed an additional £1 million to the project. The investment aims to improve urgent care delivery, reduce A&E waiting times, and enhance outcomes for children.

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Above the emergency floor will sit a pioneering surgical NICU, where newborns requiring complex care will be treated by expert teams including consultant neonatologists, neonatal surgeons, specialist nurses, and advanced nurse practitioners.

This initiative is part of the Liverpool Neonatal Partnership between Alder Hey and Liverpool Women's Hospital. The NICU will eliminate the need to transfer critically ill newborns between sites, offering safer, continuous care. The unit will also be the first of its kind in the UK to provide family-integrated care through individual cot rooms with attached en-suite parent bedrooms, allowing families to stay close to their babies at every stage of care.

Alder Hey Children's Charity has raised more than £3 million for enhancements and specialist equipment to make the unit a truly world-class space.

The milestone was marked by a special celebration attended by Alder Hey and Liverpool Women’s Hospital staff, the construction team from Morgan Sindall, Alder Hey Children’s Charity, and families involved in the project. Among the guests was Betty, a Young Fundraising Ambassador for the Charity, who was born at 23 weeks and underwent life-saving neonatal surgeries. Betty and her parents, Karen and Phil, placed the first "wish" into a commemorative piece to be sealed within the building. Their message:

"For mums and dads to be right by their baby's side – fully involved in the care and making precious memories."

Steven Gregory, Area Director at Morgan Sindall, said: "We're incredibly proud to be working with Alder Hey on such a transformative project that is helping to support the local economy throughout the build programme by creating valuable jobs.

"The building being structurally complete is a significant milestone and a testament to the collaborative effort of everyone involved. This facility will have a profound and lasting impact on the lives of children, young people and their families across Liverpool and beyond, and we're honoured to be playing a part in delivering the Hospital’s vision."