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To date 131 hospitals have been built or are under construction as part of the scheme at a cost of £12 billon. The programme is not just about replacing old buildings but is also helping to improve the patient experience, modernise services and improve access and choice.

Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson said:

‘The opening of St Helens Hospital - the 100th under our 10 year hospital building scheme - is fantastic news for patients who will now benefit from state of the art facilities and surroundings as well as first class care.

When you are poorly in hospital the environment you are treated in can play an important role in your recovery, as well as the quality of care you receive.

We launched the building programme to replace and modernise the aging NHS estate, half of which dated from before 1948 and was not fit for purpose in a modern NHS. That figure is now down to 20 percent and by the end of 2010 we will have exceeded our original target by a minimum of 25 more schemes.’

St Helens Hospital, part of the St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, is one of the top performing Acute Trusts in the country and scored a double excellent rating in the Healthcare Commission's Annual Healthcheck published last week.

The new hospital provides a full range of out-patient clinics, an enhanced and expanded day case surgery suite, with the most up to date operating theatres and a state-of-the-art diagnostic suite, (MRI/CT, Dexa scanner, Ultrasound and x-ray equipment).

The Trust has been one of the early implementers of the 18 Week Target and has low infection rates, following strict infection control policies to ensure patients are treated in a clean, safe environment. The Trust was also rated 'Better Performing' in a 2008 maternity survey and is one of the top five healthcare facilities in the country for treating patients with breast cancer.