The detail

Based on a 202-week programme, the construction of the new Maternity Hospital represents the future of maternity care for Belfast. Built adjacent to the existing Maternity Hospital, it will provide a welcoming and uplifting environment that will ensure the safety of mothers and babies - from those without complications to those who require additional services and support.

The first phase of the project, over a three-period, will involve the construction of the new Maternity Hospital. A six-month decantation period will then facilitate the seamless transition from the old building into the new, state-of-the-art complex before a six-month programme will enable the demolition of the old building and the construction of a two-storey elevated link to the main Hospital.

The £57m project will support the creation of a new Midwife Led Unit, which will have en-suite rooms, each with birthing pools. Delivery suites, obstetric theatres and a neonatal intensive care unit, all based on one floor to allow easy access between one another, are additional facets of this ambitious scheme.