Hospital reaches £20m fund target

Royal Manchester Children's Hospital will treat up to 35,000 children

The largest children's hospital in the UK has succeeded in reaching its £20m fundraising target.

New equipment, special beds for parents and more advanced care for patients is now available at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

Celebrities, long-standing supporters and hospital staff were told the news at a dinner on Thursday night.

Everton footballer Phil Neville, whose daughter has been treated there, said it was "a great achievement".

The former England player, whose daughter Isabella has cerebral palsy, has helped lead the campaign to raise the money for the hospital.

"Its been a hard three years... when we first set out on it we knew it was going to be a mammoth task.

I hope everyone takes great pride in the wonderful facility we have all helped to create Appeal chairman Maurice Watkins

"So much dedication has gone into this and we now have the best hospital in Europe and it will save so many more lives.

"The new hospital takes your breath away, we can all be really proud of our efforts."

Appeal chairman Maurice Watkins said: "It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our supporters - individuals, businesses and public sector partners - that we can make this announcement as the appeal comes to a close.

"I hope everyone takes great pride in the wonderful facility we have all helped to create."

The hospital, which has been developed as part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme, was commissioned by Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT), and delivered in partnership with Catalyst Healthcare.

Health bosses said it would treat up to 35,000 children from across the region every year.