Revised community hospital plans receive goahead from NHS board

REVISED plans for a new 15 million hospital in Clevedon have been given the green light by health chiefs

The board of the NHS Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Cluster approved the revised business case for a new community hospital in the seaside town

The plans will now have to go before the Board of NHS South of England in May for final approval and if agreed the long awaited new hospital will open in January 2014

Building work on the new community hospital on the former Kwik Save supermarket site at Millcross was put on hold in December following a review of the initial business case

The review came at the same time as the Government announced changes to the NHS looking at how it could best deliver services as a result of funding pressures

A spokesman for NHS North Somerset said The Board of the NHS Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Cluster has approved the revised business case for Clevedon Community Hospital

This means that the project remains on track with the business case now due to be considered by the board of NHS South of England at its next meeting in May

The business case was revised to take into account changes in the NHS locally which meant that more work was needed to ensure the longterm viability of the hospital This work has now been completed and has been endorsed by the cluster board

If the business case goes on to be endorsed by the board of NHS South of England then the projected opening of the new community hospital will be in January 2014

Previous plans for the new hospital which was due to open next year have already been given the green light by North Somerset Council planners

Plans include a 24bed inpatient unit on the first floor a counselling suite administration block and a therapy unit and garden There will also be an imaging unit an outpatients wing and a pedestrian piazza at the entrance to the building

It will also have a minor injuries department which will open 8am to 8pm seven days a week and provide accommodation for the outofhours GP service

The current hospital employs around 90 staff but the new development will create extra jobs with 125 people expected to work at the medical base

There are also plans to improve services at the new hospital including outpatients clinics therapeutic and community services and diagnostic testing

Space will also be allocated on the site for a mobile breast scanning unit and mobile MRI scanner

A community room would also be provided within the hospital which could be used for meetings training and drop in surgeries

It is not known if the current plans for the hospital will change as a result of the revised business case

Once the new hospital is open the former Cottage Hospital site will be partially demolished and 14 new homes built on the site

Date : 10 Apr, 2012
Reference : http://www.clevedonpeople.co.uk/Revised-community-hospital-plans-receive-ahead/story-15770468-detail

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