The Christie Charity is funding the construction of a new pathology centre at The Christie Withington site. This project involves redeveloping the area on Wilmslow Road currently occupied by 2-storey temporary cabins used for clinical purposes.

The construction will be managed by Northern Pathology Developments Limited which is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Christie Charity. This allows The Charity to continue its vital support of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, providing funding for enhanced treatment and care beyond what the NHS funds.

The logo for Northern Pathology Developments Ltd.

Subject to planning approval, we’ll replace the temporary cabins with a modern, purpose-built, 3-storey pathology centre. This new centre will house state-of-the-art laboratories, significantly improving our pathology services and be designed to complement the nearby Advanced Scanning and Imaging Centre, which already has planning permission.

The current planning permission allows for the removal of the existing temporary structures, which will take place in August 2025, and, subject to planning approval, we plan to begin construction in the winter of 2025, aiming for completion by winter 2026.

Pathology, which involves examining cells and tissue and providing testing and screening (including for clinical trials), is essential to every patient's journey at The Christie. As well as currently conducting over one million tests annually, The Christie also serves other hospitals regionally and nationally.

The Christie’s current pathology department, located in the older part of The Christie site on Wilmslow Road, is no longer suitable. The limited space and outdated layout restrict efficiency and productivity, creating a backlog of sample testing and hindering the introduction of new technology. This impacts the ability to provide timely results, which is particularly important for rapid on-site testing from theatres and other critical areas.

The new facility will mean staff can process a greater volume of samples more quickly, using advanced technology. This enhanced efficiency will lead to better patient outcomes.

While we appreciate the work may cause some inconvenience, we will do our best to keep this to a minimum. Importantly, this redevelopment will not increase staffing or patient levels at The Christie and therefore will not increase parking demand.

As part of the construction, we are proposing to use The Grange (formerly Manchester Muslim Preparatory School) on the corner of Wilmslow Road and Cotton Lane, currently vacant and owned by The Christie Charity, for site offices and construction vehicle parking.  A robust construction management plan will be implemented, incorporating lessons learned and feedback received from local residents.

We have carefully planned the building to protect existing trees to the rear of the existing site. Only a small number of trees will be affected, and we are committed to replacing these trees within The Christie estate.

The clinical services currently located in the 2-storey temporary cabins will be relocated within The Christie hospital site during construction.

If you have any queries before or during the development, please contact: the-christie.developments@nhs.net

Patients are at the heart of this project as we strive to ensure they continue to have the best possible experience and outcomes.

If you have any further comments or queries, you can also get in touch with us on the email above.

Last updated: July 2025

© 2025 The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Registered charity number: 1201654