The project – led by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust with Manchester City Council and Manchester Health and Care Commissioning – recognises that over 70% of the existing estate needs to be rebuilt.

The North Manchester General Hospital is one of the first to receive funding through the Government’s £3.7bn Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) initiative to replace and upgrade ageing hospitals.

Initial £54m funding will allow for enabling works, the provision of temporary accommodation for admin staff and other site preparation activity.

Temporary office building is scheduled to be in place by January 2021 for 5 years.

By preparing the site for full development, once the blueprint and final funding for the redevelopment of the hospital site is agreed in early 2021, rebuilding work can begin shortly after that on what will be a 10-year programme.

Sheppard Robson has been appointed architect for the acute hospital buildings in collaboration with Medical Architecture, as well as the education centre and administration buildings.

The architect has already been working on the masterplan, leading a team that includes landscape designers Gillespies, transport consultant Curtins and planning consultant Turley.

The masterplan sets out a sustainable collection of new buildings set around a new “village green.”

This green space will act as a focal point for the local community to use as an extension of the local neighbourhood for their health and care needs.

Alex Solk, Partner at Sheppard Robson and the practice’s healthcare lead, said: “It’s rare to work on a project with such ambition and that will have such transformative outcomes for the local community.”