Funding confirmed for £33m transformation of Royal Alex

The funding for the development, expected to be completed in 2027, has been confirmed by the Welsh Government.

The new purpose-built facility will include a minor injuries unit capable of treating more than 20,000 people annually and is expected to ease pressure on the emergency department at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

Street view of the expanded Royal Alexandra in Rhyl (Image: Welsh Government)

A 14-bed ready-to-go-home reablement unit will be part of the new building, bringing together NHS and social care teams to provide care for people returning home after medical and surgical treatment in hospital.

Radiology services will be expanded in Rhyl and four new dental suites will improve access to NHS care. There will also be an increase in training opportunities for dental nurses.

The historic Royal Alexandra hospital is to be transformed by a major £33m investment by the Welsh Government (Image: Welsh Government)

The £33m new build is the first phase of a £60m investment in the Royal Alexandra Hospital. A business case for phase two to redevelop and improve the existing hospital will be submitted separately by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

Wales' First Minister and Health Secretary confirmed funding for the new development, ahead of the Welsh Government’s Cabinet meeting in Wrexham on February 23.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “This long-term investment in health services in Rhyl will cut the amount of time people wait in emergency department, increase the number of inpatients and result in people being able to return home faster after treatment in hospital.

“This investment is part of the Welsh Government’s action to transform healthcare in North Wales, modernising facilities and working smarter so people can be treated closer to home.”

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Jeremy Miles said: “I’m really pleased to confirm this funding for the redevelopment of the Royal Alex. Rhyl is a popular holiday destination, which means NHS services work hard to meet the needs of local residents and visitors all year round.

"This funding will provide a fantastic new minor injuries and ailments unit and a new reablement unit, bringing health and social care together under one roof, helping people recover and feel supported so they can get back home.”

In a joint statement, BCUHB's chair Dyfed Edwards and CEO Carol Shillabeer said: “We are delighted to have received the approval of our business case from Welsh Government. This means we can now progress with the preparatory work and construction of this important new facility.

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“It will not only benefit our community in Rhyl and the surrounding areas, but also provide services that will relieve some of the pressures on Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. We would like to acknowledge the support and partnership of Denbighshire County Council and other partners in the third sector, together with the overwhelming support we saw from local people in our consultations.

“This new building will be a focus for the community and signals our commitment to bringing services closer to where people live in North Wales.”

Leader of Denbighshire County Council, Jason McLellan, said: “This significant investment in the Royal Alexandra Hospital marks a major step forward for health and social care in Denbighshire. This modern health and wellbeing hub includes reablement beds and a minor injuries unit, which will improve the healthcare provision for the people of Rhyl and surrounding areas.

“I would like to thank Welsh Government and our partners for their collaboration in bringing the project to this stage. This is an important development for local residents and shows what can be achieved when partners work together to deliver sustainable health and social care for our communities.”

Plans for a new North Denbighshire Community Hospital in Rhyl were first revealed in 2013.

Proposals included community beds, a same day minor injuries and illness service, a treatment zone, outpatient therapy services, sexual health, community dental, radiology, adult psychology and mental health services.

The project was beset by delays after the estimated cost ballooned from £22m to around £80m.

Mark Drakeford, then first minister who spoke to the Journal when opening the Engineering Centre at Coleg Llandrillo’s campus in Rhyl in February 2024, said: "I'm afraid that the tooth of the matter is that the plan, that the local health board started with, is simply unaffordable. It started with one sum of money and ended up with a much much bigger investment needed but that doesn't mean that we [the Welsh Government] or BCUHB have given up on using that site for the future.

"I understand the significance of the building to the people who live locally and I very much hope by the end of the Senedd term, people will see the future."