Publish date: 24 July 2025
Tameside Hospital officially marked the opening of a new maternity theatre with a ceremony on Wednesday 23 July, following its completion earlier in the summer.
The £5.5 million theatre will help Tameside Hospital to provide the best possible care for mothers and babies in the Tameside and Glossop community.
It will add valuable operating capacity to the hospital, undertaking between 8 and 10 elective caesarean sections every week. It also provides the opportunity to locate both elective and emergency caesarean sections within the same building. This allows easier access to other services provided in the maternity unit for new parents recovering from surgery.
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust worked with construction firm ModuleCo to deliver the new development. Construction began in early 2025, during which time the Trust has maintained the provision of maternity services.
The official opening provided guests with the opportunity to learn more about the new facilities from maternity unit staff, including Lead Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Alison Uku.
Guests were also invited to explore an online, interactive walk through, which takes users on a 3D journey through the new development.
Among the guests was Hollyoaks star Kirsty-Leigh Porter. Kirsty is a strong supporter of Tameside Hospital’s maternity unit, having praised the love, care and dignity she and her partner received while going through a stillbirth. In 2019, Kirsty’s family took part in the Manchester Run in memory of her daughter Penny-Leigh. They raised money to improve the maternity unit’s Harebell Suite, which is a dedicated space for bereaved parents.
In 2020, Kirsty returned to Tameside Hospital in much happier circumstances, to welcome another daughter, Nala Rai, into the world.
Hospital staff were honoured to welcome Kirsty back to the maternity unit again to celebrate the opening of the new theatre and take part in the ribbon cutting.
Also in attendance was Councillor Tafheen Sharif, former Mayor of Tameside and current health and equalities lead at Tameside Council. Cllr Sharif also has a special connection to Tameside Hospital, having given birth to three of her children there.
Chief Executive at Tameside and Glossop IC NHS FT, Karen James OBE said:
"At Tameside Hospital, we know that every birth is special. Our new maternity theatre has been designed to support these special moments, adding valuable additional operating capacity and prioritising safety, comfort and dignity.
“This huge milestone is thanks to extraordinary collaboration and a shared commitment to improving our maternity services. I'm pleased that our staff and our community can now benefit from this new facility.”
Adam Roberts, Head of Capital and lead for the new maternity theatre project, said:
“This has been a challenging but hugely rewarding project, and we couldn’t have done it without the entire team working together seamlessly.
“I would especially like to thank our construction partners, ModuleCo, for their incredible work in bringing the new development to life.”
