Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales

History

The first phase of the hospital was financed by from funds raised by the Noah's Ark Appeal, which had been founded in May 2000, together with some support from the Welsh Assembly Government. The appeal patrons included Dame Shirley Bassey, who was born in Cardiff, Charlotte Church and Catherine Zeta-Jones. was officially opened by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas in June 2006.

In November 2007 Edwina Hart AM, the Health Minister of Wales, announced that the Welsh Assembly Government would fund that part of the capital costs for the second phase of the hospital which was not already being financed by the three local health boards and Health Commission Wales.

In June 2010 the playrooms at the hospital were restocked with new toys by city department store John Lewis after the South Wales Echo reported that the theft of toys threatened a playroom with closure.

Zeta-Jones and Douglas returned to the hospital to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the fundraising campaign in July 2010. Zeta-Jones announced in November 2012 that the hospital would become known as the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales.

The second phase of the hospital, which was designed by Boyes Rees and built by Interserve at a cost of £64 million, was opened by First Minister Carwyn Jones in May 2015. New facilities included five operating theatres, the new paediatric intensive care unit, a new hydrotherapy pool, and an "open" MRI scanner. In 2017, a play garden also opened in the second phase building.

References

References

1. (8 June 2015). "Dame Shirley Bassey road sign is misspelt (in Welsh)". The Telegraph.
2. "Children's Hospital for Wales". Hospital Management.
3. (3 June 2006). "Zeta brings glamour to hospital opening". Wales Online.
4. (6 November 2007). "Children's Hospital's new phase hope". Wales Online.
5. (23 June 2010). "Sick children can play again after city store's toys gift". Wales Online.
6. (23 July 2010). "Zeta-Jones visits Wales' children's hospital". Wales Online.
7. (9 November 2012). "Catherine Zeta Jones renames Children's Hospital for Wales". BBC.
8. (1 November 2015). "Design and construction post project evaluation of the Children's Hospital for Wales Phase 2". Designed for Life.
9. (15 May 2015). "£64m children's hospital of Wales expansion opens in Cardiff". BBC.
10. WalesOnline. (2015-05-15). "How the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital is now a 'world class centre' for Wales".
11. Clarke, Owain. (2017-03-17). "Children's hospital play garden opens". BBC News.