A hospital redevelopment in the UK is set to create an age-friendly wellness neighbourhood designed to support people as they get older and serve as a benchmark in the UK.

As well as setting out to deliver excellent healthcare, the new North Manchester General Hospital scheme intends to tackle health inequalities, drive regeneration of the area and support the population as they age. Local housing will be developed with technology, such as medical wearables and remote monitoring, which will allow people to live independently for longer.

Mark Cubbon NHS trust chief executive and Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council said in a joint statement: “North Manchester residents face some of the biggest health challenges in the country and now they will get the world-class hospital they deserve. However, this scheme is bigger than just a hospital, it is an exciting plan for how we develop civic-led healthcare regeneration.”

The proposals include a new acute hospital, a modern mental health inpatient unit and an education hub to support the training of healthcare staff.

A wellbeing hub to deliver community-based care and wellbeing services, as well as meeting spaces and a community cafe.

A range of housing, with the focus on keeping people well at home.

High-quality commercial space with a focus on health ageing.

A village green to act as a focal point.

The initiative is a collaboration between Manchester City Council, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

It is part of the New Hospital Programme initially announced by the former Conservative government in 2020 to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030. However, since no funding was allocated beyond March of this year, the Labour government has refined the plans to update the NHS’s “crumbling” estate as the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, describes it.

The Treasury has now approved the funding to restore the NHS estate. From 2030, annual investment will average £3 billion a year and be allocated in five-year waves. The Hospital 2.0 programme will use a centralised approach to building hospitals in order to share designs, leverage economies of scale and learn lessons that can be used to refine the process.

Work is expected to begin on the broad-ranging programme in 2027/8.