A new ‘world class’ £200m hospital has this week been given the go-ahead to be built in Milton Keynes.

The government announced yesterday (Monday) that funding had been allocated for building work to begin as early as next year.

To be constucted alongside the existing hospital, it will be completed by 2030.

The state-of-the-art facility will cater for women and children, guiding women through pregnancy and birth and then looking after the health of their children as they grow.

It will ease the pressure on the main hospital and generate more much-needed space and clinical capacity, helping it keep up with the needs of the city’s rapidly-growing population.

Yesterday’s announcement followed a review of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting.

It caused a massive sigh of relief for health officials, who feared the project could be in jeopardy following the change of goverment last year.

Conservatives had announced in May 2023 that the funding for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital had been firmly secured and promised the facilty would be open before 2030.

But last autumn the new Labour government claimed this pledge was a “work of fiction” and the funding was about to to run out before a single brick had been laid.

Hospital boss Joe Harrison CBE said this week: “We are thrilled to receive confirmation that, as part of the Government’s New Hospital Programme, a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be delivered as planned for the people of [Milton Keynes][5].

“This addition to our hospital estate is a key strand of our future strategy which has been built around the needs of this fast-growing city. MKUH is now in a position to re-imagine how it sees and treats patients, and to deliver improved patient experience across the board. We are excited to move forward with our plans and would like to thank everyone in Milton Keynes for their ideas and support over recent years.”

He said the NHP-funded work at MKUH will also enable the introduction of new technology that will create ‘smarter’ hospital facilities.

"With the population of the city expected to double by 2050, the Milton Keynes community and those in surrounding areas are set to benefit significantly from this development. It will enable MKUH to progress with its ongoing expansion plans to deliver additional capacity and technology enhancements, allowing the Trust to meet the future acute care needs of the rapidly growing local population.”

To prepare for the construction of the new hospital, the trust will need to carry out several enabling projects, which including a new Imaging Centre and a new multi-story car park.

For more details, visit [www.mkuh.nhs.uk/mkview]

MKUH currently has 550 beds and employs over 4,000 staff who care for over half a million patients every year.

Milton Keynes is recognised as one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK and, as a result, demand on MKUH is continually increasing.

In recent years, MKUH has invested significantly in its hospital facilities and has launched new services and pathways designed to improve patient outcomes and experiences. Further developments are planned in the coming years to meet the growing health needs of local people.