THE CHIEF executive of Warrington Hospital has confirmed that the site could be closed in the future in order to build a new ‘state-of-the-art’ facility.

On Friday Warrington North MP Helen Jones claimed that the hospital was set to move to a site south of the Manchester Ship Canal, ‘close to rural Cheshire’.

Today, Warrington and Halton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Mel Pickup confirmed that a move was possible but that no specific location had yet been considered.

The head of the town's health and wellbeing board Steven Broomhead said he welcomed the start of a conversation on the future.

Ms Pickup said that the town’s health infrastructure was ‘struggling to cope with demand’ and pointed to ‘spiralling’ maintenance costs at Warrington Hospital and its ‘gridlocked’ car parks as reasons to look into a move.

She said: “Warrington Borough Council has just completed consultation on its local plan where intentions to build more than 5,000 new homes and add nearly 300 hectares of employment land have been shared.

“It is therefore essential to consider the impact on the town’s existing health infrastructure which includes a growing elderly population and is already struggling to cope with demand.

“Some of Warrington Hospital’s estate is now more than 100 years old which does not provide a good patient experience, and essential maintenance costs are spiralling.

“Anyone who use the hospital will recognise that the site is completely gridlocked.

“Now is the time to consider planning for a new state-of-the-art, modern hospital for the people of Warrington and Halton.

“No specific new locations have been considered at this time.”

Mrs Jones had earlier labelled the proposal as ‘outrageous’ and ‘inaccessible for most of Warrington’.

She said: “This plan is outrageous and would massively disadvantage my constituents in Warrington North.

“This would create a Warrington Hospital which would be inaccessible for most of Warrington.

“I will do everything in my power to oppose these plans – whilst a new hospital building would be welcome it would need to be at a site which is accessible to the majority of the town.

“This proposal would benefit rural Cheshire much more than Warrington.

“I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the chief executive of Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust to discuss these plans.”

Professor Steven Broomhead, chairman of the Warrington health and wellbeing board, said: “We welcome our local hospital beginning a conversation on the need to invest in state of the art  hospital and health facilities.

“We will work in partnership with the hospital to ensure we have the full range of facilities a growing town such as Warrington needs and deserves.

“This will mean the development of a business case and agreed capital funding for such a new facility either at the current hospital site or at an accessible location. We will discuss this at the next meeting of the board.”