A NEW £15 million accident and emergency department at Leighton Hospital has been designed to cope with a surge in admissions.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid officially opened the two-storey building, which forms a large extension to the Crewe medical complex's existing emergency department.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages Leighton, secured government funding last year to reconfigure and expand its emergency care services and says the new build will enable clinicians to treat significantly more patients, with a 50 per cent increase in the number of beds and cubicles.

The new modular building, covering 4,000 sq.metres, includes a dedicated paediatric unit specially decorated by a local artist, mental health assessment rooms and a bereavement suite.

It houses additional treatment rooms and there will also be offices and staff facilities on the first floor.

James Sumner, Chief Executive of the Mid Cheshire Trust, said: "The purpose-built A&E ensures a bigger, better and safer environment for both patients and staff. "A&E attendance has increased across the country in recent years, so this provides an excellent opportunity to meet the needs of our growing population of 300,000." The trust chief has previously spoken about how Leighton's A&E could be dealing with up to 100,000 people a year with a surge in demand fuelled by an increase in "post-pandemic illness" and an increasing population. Dr David Matthews, Clinical Director of Emergency Care, added: 'The NHS has been tested to the maximum by a combination of higher patient attendances, the coronavirus pandemic and the annual winter pressures. "This facility is really exciting for the trust. It has been carefully designed to allow for the clear separation of children and adults in a modern, welcoming environment that will greatly improve the patient experience." As well as the new A&E department, the trust has also recently invested in increased capacity for the Critical Care Unit at Leighton, with the number of beds rising from 14 to 18.