A hospital's new £28 million outpatients building has been officially opened.

The facility at Haywood Hospital in Burslem replaces the previous outpatients wing that was demolished in 2023.

Its roof contained reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), an outdated building material that is prone to deteriorating over time.

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) was allocated £17.4 million of NHS funding to replace the RAAC as part of a national programme.

But the trust decided instead to replace the building with a modern, state-of-the-art facility, which would be better for patients and staff, using £11 million of local capital allocations.

The new outpatients building opened its doors last month, with staff and services moving back from their temporary base at Bradwell Hospital, and on Friday it was formally opened by Lord Mayor Joan Bell and Stoke-on-Trent North MP David Williams.

Lord Mayor Joan Bell and Stoke-on-Trent North MP David Williams officially open the new outpatients building at Haywood Hospital (image via Phil Corrigan - LDR)

MPFT chair Jackie Small told an audience of NHS staff and partner organisations that the 'impressive' new building was the result of close collaborative working.

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She said: "When we tasked with responding to the challenge of RAAC being found in the roof of the old outpatients building, the MPFT board, instead of choosing to just replace the roof, took a bold decision to replace the entire building.

"My thanks go to our estate and facilities department for their hard work in securing the funding and oveseeing the scheme.

"When I've visited the building previously I've been struck by how much space and natural light there is. I thank all of our outpatients services for the work they do to improve the lives of our patients.

"Projects such as this cannot happen without the involvement of many people. I'd like to thank everyone who played a part in making this happen. This modern, fit-for-the-future facility will support the best delivery of patient care for years to come. With developments like this we are making life better for our communities."

The outpatients building accommodates a range of services including rheumatology, rehabilitation medicine and the community stroke team. In addition to larger, multi-use clinical rooms, it also includes a gym to support physiotherapy, patient group rooms, a spirituality room and improved staff facilities.

Emma Pinto-Lima, head of operations at MPFT, said: "Patients have been particularly impressed by the new waiting rooms, saying how bright and airy they are.

"We wanted the new outpatients building to be a one-stop shop, so patients don't have to drive around to get to different services. The clinical rooms here are much larger, which was one of the issues with the old building, and they can be used by different services in order to meet demand."

Mr Williams was full of praise for the new building. He said: "It's a top class facility. It's really great for the people of Stoke-on-Trent and wider and it's wonderful to see it open."

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