In 1983 a new general hospital and an accident unit were opened
on the West Cheshire Hospital site and following the visit of the Prince
and Princess of Wales on 30 May 1984, the present name, Countess of Chester
Hospital, was acquired.
Long before the Chester District hospitals were brought together as a single NHS Hospital Trust in April 1994, they had shared years of working together since the NHS was establish in 1948. The main acute hospital of Chester and surrounding area was the Chester Royal Infirmary, it grew in size and reputation until it closed in 1996 after 235 years of a chequered history on the site, all services were transferred to the Countess of Chester Hospital 2 miles away on Liverpool Road and the site was sold to Bryant Homes for residential housing.
Looking back towards the 1960s a new Hospital Management Committee was
formed to plan and built a new General Hospital for Chester and environs
to replace the old Georgian and Victorian Hospitals of the city to meet
the needs of the increasing population of Chester District, South Wirral
and part of North East Wales. Up to the end of March 1965 there were two
Hospital Management Committees in Chester - Deva Hospital Management Committee.
(Mental Health Unit) and
Chester and District Hospital Management Committee (Acute Unit). On
1st April both Management Committees were abolish to form The West Cheshire
Hospital Management Committee. This new management structure was divide
into 3 separate units of associate hospitals.
1) ACUTE UNIT -
3) RURAL UNIT
Under this new management structure the future of the new District
General Hospital was planned and given the green light to be built on the
large West Cheshire Mental Health site. The plan was that this would replace
the Chester Royal Infirmary,
Barrowmore
and Chester City Hospital and
also some but not all of the associate acute hospitals within Chester district
and rural areas.
Phase 1 Maternity Hospital and Doctor's Residential Blocks
The proposed new hospital was planned and developed on a clear site, south of the West Cheshire Hospital Psychiatric Unit by Liverpool Regional Hospital Board architects in collaboration Architects Fellowship, Chester. During the latter half of the 1960s, construction work started on the new hospital Phase 1, the Maternity Hospital (to replace old Maternity Ward at Chester City Hospital), and Medical Staff Residential Blocks and Doctors Houses, Deva Lane. It was completed in 1971 when the new £31.8 million 140 bed Maternity Unit was opened..
Due to changes in the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) polices in the early 1970s construction of the Main Hospital Building was put on hold. After a long delay and changing DHSS polices and strategic planning and therefore all future new developments were canceled until the new Nucleus Hospital was developed in the latter half of the 1970s.
In 1974 there was a large-scale re-organisation in the DHSS, and West Cheshire Hospital Management Committee was abolish, and renamed Chester Health Authority. At the same time the new Health Authority took over the management of all the Health Centres and School Clinics from Chester City Council.
Soon as the Maternity Unit was completed, there was a change of NHS strategic planning. The amount of funds available to Regional Health Authorities for the planning of new hospital developments was significantly curtailed. This was the result of a range of government economical polices and measures designed to reduce public expenditure and therefore counter the high level of inflation experienced during that period.
By the mid 1970s the DHSS planners had developed a low-cost small-phase hospital building programme based on the use of standardised designed and economical planning information.
However, it was based on amount of research information and thoughts
gained from these projects that the DHSS planners subsequently developed
a model building that became the “Nucleus”. The plan was to produce
tailor-made designs for a first phase hospital of about 300 beds capable
of growth and change up to a 600-900 beds, planned by incorporating additional
departments within the area of standard Nucleus templates for future development
projects. So Phase Two- The Main Block of the District General Hospital
was on hold and therefore, no future developments took place until plans
were revised and a new nucleus development was planned in the late 1970s.
Nucleus Hospital Development, 1979-1983
By mid- 1970s, discussions regarding the redevelopment of the long delayed District General Hospital for Chester Health Authority were now taking place and after several reviews of future plans and a move away from the option of high-rise structures. The immediate impact was mainly on the future of Chester Royal Infirmary, Chester City Hospital and Barrowmore Hospital. The planners gave the green light to construct the new hospital based on Nucleus data in collaboration with the Mersey Regional Health Authority.
The planning of the Countess of Chester Nucleus hospital was the first whole phase 1 & 1A to be completed, and thus members of the planning team were at the vanguard in the use of Nucleus data. Indeed, at the earliest planning stage no nucleus Green Package information was available to them. This phase was planned on an outline and preliminary basis by using information pamphlets and a brief operational policy were at their disposal.
Phase 1 and 1A
Construction of the first phase (Phase 1 and 1A) of the Nucleus Development started in 1979 and was completed in 1983 and the hospital was officially opened as the Countess of Chester Hospital on Wednesday 30th May 1984 by the Princess of Wales.
This Nucleus hospital was built on a clear site, was planned as additional to existing on-site accommodation of the Maternity Unit, (the first phase of the proposed Chester District General Hospital) and other hospitals within the surrounding area, Barrowmore Hospital, Chester City Hospital and Chester Royal Infirmary. Soon as the Nucleus was completed, Barrowmore Hospital was closed down and other services were transferred from Chester City Hospital to the new complex, and therefore, while the Nucleus first phase development is designed to cope with 300 beds, addition of Nucleus templates were planned for an extra 100 beds as Phase 1A.
Phase 2, 2A and 3, 1990-1996
The next phase of the Nucleus was planned as the final large-scale (Phase 2, 2A and 3) development to replace the existing services at Chester Royal Infirmary and Chester City Hospital in the latter half of the 1980s. Construction began in 1990 and was completed in 1992/6.
Chester City Hospital was the first to be transferred to the latest nucleus development and Chester Royal Infirmary finally closed its doors early in 1996 when the whole outpatients department was transferred in January.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s an overall appraisal survey and rationalisation programme of all the remaining hospitals in Chester area was carried out by Mersey Regional Health Authority for planning future developments to undertake a whole hospital evaluation of the Nucleus designed General Wing of the Countess of Chester Hospital site and planning the final stage for running down and closing all existing old hospitals in the surrounding area.
To this present day almost 40 years after the original plans were drawn up, the New Chester District General Hospital is now part of the Countess of Chester NHS Trust Nucleus Complex. Future development projects are still in progress on a continuation basis.
Since that period when the new hospital building was completed, a number of large scale redevelopments and changes have taken place as a result of various DHSS reorganisation structures. After all those years of prolonged changing DHSS polices and strategic planning and therefore all future new developments were canceled until the new Nucleus Hospital was developed in the late 1970s. Construction of the first Phase of the Nucleus Development started in 1979 and was completed in 1983.
When the final phase was completed, new small scale additions have been developed and built on a piece-meal basis that is continuing to this present day. The latest addition to be completed is the Jubilee Day Surgery Centre, opened on 27th August 2002. The opening of the Centre marks a significant development in health care services for the population of Chester, South Wirral, part of North East Wales and the surrounding areas. Another new development, the extension to the outpatients department is now under construction and is scheduled to be opened mid 2003.
John Lowe, October 2002
The Trust is now managed by a Board of executive and non-executive members, who meet in public each month. The Chair and Chief Officer of the Community Health Council are co-opted members. The Management Board comprises the Chief Executive, executive directors, clinical directors and directorate managers, chairman of the Medical Staff Committee, and GPs from local Primary Care Groups and the Local Health Group in Flintshire. It meets monthly to deal with day to day business.
Modernising and improving services
A major modernisation programme completed in 2001has significantly
improved and updated the Accident & Emergency department. Key changes
include a new major treatment area with three high dependency bays, a new
integrated resuscitation room, an improved decontamination room and a new
six-bed observation area. The Countess is also the first hospital in the
country to develop a treatment room in A&E that meets the physical
and psychological needs of young adolescent patients. In 1999 the department
opened Kids Zone a waiting and treatment area for children.
A third consultant in A&E is currently being recruited.
A project to reconfigure and refurbish existing wards, plus the creation of a new surgical ward, has increased capacity enabling us to treat 2,000 more patients each year.
Following a construction and refurbishment project in 2001, the opening
of the new Westminster Eye Centre has upgraded and expanded the area where
patients are assessed for cataract removal and other eye surgery, and has
improved patient and clinic facilities.
The £4.7m Jubilee Day Surgery Unit, a separate purpose-built
unit dedicated to daycase operations, is due to open in September 2002.
Patients will be reviewed for their fitness and suitability for surgery
in the pre-assessment suite. The theatre complex will include three theatres
and anaesthetic rooms, a local anaesthetic theatre, a three-room endoscopy
suite, and recovery rooms. After surgery patients will be taken to the
main ward and recovery area, then on to the two recovery “recliner” lounges,
all of which have designated male and female areas. The Unit will also
be equipped with consulting, examination and meeting rooms. The new unit
will also free up facilities in the general wing for future development,
which will ease capacity constraints.
Construction is also underway on a new £3m Breast Care and Outpatient unit to improve and expand outpatient facilities, including Diabetes services and dental surgery under general anaesthetic. This major multi-trust development will provide improved facilities for both patients and staff. The top floor of the extension will house the new integrated specialist Breast Care Unit which is being funded by the £1m Countess Breast Care Appeal.
We appointed a second Breast surgeon in 2001 and purchased new mammography equipment with digital imaging. The Trust’s current £1m charitable appeal will fund a new fully-integrated Breast Care Unit.
Our state-of-the-art Coronary Care Unit became operational in July 1999 following a successful fundraising appeal and our third cardiologist was appointed at the end of 2000.
Obstetric Services received funding to improve facilities on the maternity wards and Central Labour Suite and create a modern, attractive and home-like environment for mothers, partners and babies. The Antenatal Unit's redevelopment and refurbishment programme has upgraded facilities and totally integrated antenatal outpatient services.
The Meditech computerised integrated patient care system was implemented and “went live” in 1999.
Improving our staff's working lives
In summer 2001 the Trust’s Improving Working Lives group put in a successful
application to the DTI Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund and we were the
only acute hospital in the country to be awarded £50,000 of consultancy
time on projects to improve our staff’s working lives. The Trust has publicly
committed to delivering the Improving Working Lives Standard. We have a
full-time IWL co-ordinator focusing on childcare support, promoting flexible
working, personal development, counselling and advice services.
The Trust, together with partners Frontis, have submitted plans to Chester
City Council to develop residential and on-call accommodation for hospital
staff which will meet the Department of Health's top quality standards
rating. Involving the demolition of the existing buildings, the new £5
million residences scheme has been designed and landscaped to minimise
its visual impact on the local community and maximise the green areas.
Four new buildings will provide shared apartments for medical and other
health care professionals on a short or medium-term basis. They will be
complete with en suite bathrooms, modern fitted kitchens and study facilities,
including Internet points. The fourth building will provide 40 dedicated
on-call rooms. A Two Ticks employer, the Trust will also provide amenities
for disabled residents within the new development.
Awards and accreditations
The Trust achieved a three-star performance rating from the Department
of Health in September 2001, and in May we received the 2002 40 Top Hospitals
award for the second year. In addition, the Trust became one of only 22
to gain accreditation to CNST Level 2 - Risk Management Standards in November
2001. At the beginning of 2001 we were awarded Green Light status for hospital
cleanliness, which we have retained in 2002.
In 2000 the Eye Service (Ophthalmology) was presented with the Trust’s first Charter Mark award and three departments – Pharmacy Services, Security Services and the Finance & Information directorate – have now achieved the national Investors in People standard.
School Health Nurse, Chris Mayers, was awarded “Community Nurse of the
Year 2001” – national recognition for his work to develop a sex education
programme for schools.