Lisa Nandy has praised an 'impressive' new development at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary.

The MP for Wigan and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport was given a short tour of the four-storey building, which is still under construction, earlier this month.

The development will be home to Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s (WWL) new endoscopy services at the hospital.

It is due to be completed by summer next year.

The new building will provide quicker access to endoscopy procedures, leading to better outcomes for patients, as well as an improved environment for both patients and staff.

Welcoming Ms Nandy, WWL chair Mark Jones said: "This is an exciting time, not just for WWL, but for the whole of the Wigan Borough as we continue to invest in our services.

"With this new development and its state-of-the-art treatment facilities we will provide quicker access to endoscopy procedures, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients.

"It has been an honour to welcome Ms Nandy to tour the site and discuss how we are going to continue to deliver high-quality care for our patients.

"I am certainly looking forward to seeing how the development progresses over the coming months."

WWL Chair Mark Jones with Lisa Nandy WWL CEO Mary Fleming and WWL Director of Strategy & Planning Richard Mundon (Image: Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) Commenting during the visit, Ms Nandy said: "I would like to say thank you for everything you do for the people in our Borough.

"Every time I visit here, there is something innovative happening and I really appreciate the creativity, passion and energy you give to improve healthcare for the people of Wigan and beyond.

"There are lots of challenges throughout the healthcare system, but it is important to recognise people who work behind the scenes who allow frontline staff to do their jobs."

The development will support the expansion and reconfiguration of the endoscopy unit, which was built nearly 20 years ago, to provide facilities that meet the requirements for modern service delivery.

This will ensure that patients will be receiving the "highest possible standards of care, with improvements in privacy and dignity, increased patient choice, and more timely appointments".

It is also hoped this development will contribute to the hospital's JAG accreditation compliance, demonstrating a "high quality, safe and appropriate" endoscopy service.