New Chester Haematology Centre set to open this summer
18 June 2026
Work is underway at the Countess of Chester Hospital to create the newly named Chester Haematology Centre, providing a calmer, brighter and more appropriate environment for people attending hospital regularly for treatments for blood cancers and blood disorders.
The centre will open in late July, relocating haematology day‑case services from the main hospital building into a modern clinical space on the Countess of Chester Hospital site as part of the Trust’s wider estate plans.
Patients receiving treatments such as chemotherapy often spend many hours in hospital, week after week. The new centre has been designed to make the experience less stressful, with bigger and lighter spaces, improved privacy and quieter surroundings away from the busiest parts of the hospital.
Moving the service into a standalone building will help protect immunocompromised patients - including people receiving treatment for blood cancers, such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma – by reducing their exposure to infections in the main hospital. This supports safer care for some of the Trust’s most vulnerable patients, many of whom need frequent day‑case appointments for chemotherapy, transfusions and procedures.
Alongside haematology care, the centre will also support outpatient treatments for other medical specialties, helping more patients to return home sooner and come back for planned treatment, rather than remaining in hospital longer than necessary. This approach supports modern models of care and helps to make the best use of inpatient capacity.
The refurbishment will deliver larger consultation rooms and a dedicated procedure room for tests such as bone marrow biopsies, allowing care to be delivered in a way that feels more private, dignified and personal. The layout has been designed to support a smoother experience for patients and efficient use of space across the day.
Wellbeing has been a key focus of the design. A significantly improved indoor quiet room, with natural light and facilities for making drinks, offers patients and families a more comfortable and private space, including when receiving difficult news. Enhanced outdoor space, including a seating area and garden, gives patients and families somewhere calm to step out to afterwards – something patients consistently say makes a real difference.
These changes form part of a wider approach to refreshing the hospital’s estate, improving first impressions for patients and visitors and ensuring buildings are used in ways that best support current and future clinical needs.
Cathy Chadwick, Chief Operating Officer at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Many of our haematology patients, particularly those with blood cancer, come to hospital regularly and often spend long periods of time here. Creating a dedicated, quieter space away from the busiest parts of the site is a deliberate decision to improve patient safety and make those visits less stressful, particularly for people whose immune systems are more vulnerable.
“This move is part of a wider plan to use our buildings more sensibly and adapt the hospital to how care is delivered today and in the future. By treating more people as outpatients in the right setting, we can help patients get home sooner, make better use of our estate, and continue improving care in a planned and sustainable way.”
Dr Sean McGoldrick, Consultant and Clinical Lead for Haematology, said: “Our staff are excited about this move because they know how much it will mean to patients. The design, the extra space, the daylight and the therapeutic features will all help us deliver care in a way that feels calmer, more personal and more dignified. This is a real stride forward for the service.”
Once the move is complete, the existing haematology unit in the main hospital building, currently located behind the Same Day Emergency Care facility, will be repurposed for future clinical use.