A MAJOR £60m overhaul of wards at a leading Merseyside hospital was unveiled last night.

The project at University Hospital Aintree’s Fazakerley site could see three or four-storey blocks with 32-bed wards on each floor built to replace existing accommodation in the hospital’s ageing tower.

A feasibility study is now being carried out into the plan, looking at the potential options for a phased series of new facilities, which could be built between 2011 and around 2025.

Existing wards in the tower could then be improved.

Hospital chief executive James Birrell said: “The trust has long had a vision of upgrading ward accommodation at University Hospital Aintree.

“This formed part of the strategy of the North Mersey Future Healthcare Programme, the long-standing plan which aims to improve health services for residents across north Merseyside.

“The tower block at University Hospital Aintree is now showing its age, and we need to ensure our facilities support the vision of the trust as a provider of high-quality clinical care.

“Our clinical and quality strategies will be supported by this future development, which will also help address privacy and dignity issues for patients by creating wards which are fit for modern-day healthcare.

“The trust board has agreed to commission initial work to consider the feasibility of a proposed design for the new ward accommodation.”