PLANS have been lodged to extend the A&E department at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

It comes after emergency attendances at the Liverpool Road site more than doubled in the past 36 years.

In 2017/18 NHS figures show there were 78,826 attendances – a rise of 10,642 over the five years since 2012/13.

The new 400 square metre extension would be tagged onto the south side of the existing building and include a new entrance, waiting area, children’s area, ambulance bay and canopy.

Existing car parks would also be expanded to provide 135 new spaces, 54 of which would replace those lost in the expansion project.

Bosses say road alterations would also be introduced to help the flow of traffic, which can often hold up blue light ambulances coming onto the site.

It is understood the extension would be funded by a £2m grant from the Department of Health and Social Care.

In documents lodged with Cheshire West and Chester Council, Richard Baird, the divisional director for diagnostics and infrastructure at the trust that runs the Countess, said: “The current A&E department was designed in 1982, since then the number of attendances has more than doubled.

“To meet existing demand and to be ‘future ready’ it is vital that the hospital extends the building, redesigns the area for ambulances and increases the number of car parking spaces.”

He added: “The most recent analysis of A&E attendances shows that 20 per cent of the cases are under 17 years old.

"To comply with modern standards for emergency departments children must have their own areas to safeguard them in public spaces.”

At 1,700, there are currently said to be too few parking spaces on the Countess site. It employs 3,700 staff and notches up 155,000 inpatient days and 350,000 outpatient attendances every year.