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A new urgent and emergency care facility, aimed at transforming the experience of patients needing emergency care, has opened at Arrowe Park Hospital.
As reported by Birkenhead News, the development - which costs £40 million - includes the Emergency Department and the Urgent Treatment Centre. Reportedly, it is the biggest investment at the hospital since opening in 1982.
The adult Emergency Department, run by Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH), and the Urgent Treatment Centre, run by Wirral Community Health and Care (WCHC), have been redesigned into one space with a single point of entry to offer responsive and clinically effective care for patients.
Children requiring urgent or emergency care have access to a dedicated Children's Emergency Department through the same main entrance.
The opening also marks an important milestone in the closer integration of services provided by WUTH and WCHC as the organisations work towards becoming a single Trust in 2027.
The Urgent and Emergency Care Upgrade Programme was established by WUTH, WCHC and partners across the local health and care system.
Delivered in four phases, the project was completed while emergency and urgent care services remained fully operational.
An opening was held yesterday and attended by Sir David Henshaw, Chair of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside; Liz Bishop, Chief Executive of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside; and Kathy Cowell, Regional Chair of NHS England.
Janelle Holmes, Joint Chief Executive at WUTH and WCHC, said in a statement: "This fantastic facility will transform urgent and emergency care for the people of Wirral when they need it most. By bringing services together in one location, we will be able to provide a more seamless experience for patients and ensure people who need urgent or emergency support receive the right care, at the right time and in the right setting."
Dr Nikki Stevenson, Joint Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at WUTH and WCHC, added: "We always aim to provide the best care we can for our patients and this new development, with its vastly improved clinical facilities, will help us to achieve that for those who require urgent or emergency care. It will create a much better experience for patients, who will be assessed and directed to the healthcare professional or service that best meets their needs."
The facility is expected to benefit thousands of patients each year and provides a modern environment that supports staff to deliver safe, high-quality care for the communities of Wirral.
The hospital has also been praised for a new triage system that allowed a Bebington teacher to be out of hospital 24 hours after suffering a stroke.
Wirral University Teaching Hospital has joined a Cheshire and Merseyside-wide trial with North West Ambulance Service, running a 24-hour pre-hospital triage service for suspected stroke patients since January 2026. The system involves remote consultations between ambulance crews, hospital staff, and stroke specialists.
