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Work starts on new health village
Official launch of building work on new multi-million pound project at North Wing hospital site
Work to create a multi-million pound state-of-the-art health village on the site of Bedford Hospital North Wing officially began last Thursday.
The site, currently known as the Enhanced Services Centre, is scheduled to open at the end of 2009.
It will consist of a three-storey, 3,000 square metre building, and will include a wide range of specialist and community-based services, including eye clinics, sexual health services, outpatients, wound care and minor operations.
The previous buildings which stood on the site, including the old maternity unit, have already been demolished,MP Patrick Hall was at the official launch of the building work.
Andrew Morgan, chief executive at NHS Bedfordshire, said: "Our aim is to plan and deliver services that meet local needs, priorities and preferences. Bringing health and social care services together under one roof will make it easier and quicker for local people to access the services they need.
"We will have a fantastic building with facilities among the best in the country and with the flexibility to adapt to changing needs for years to come."
The new centre will be developed by Assemble Community Partnership and the lead building contractor is Mansell.
It is the first development as part of plans to regenerate the Bedford Health Village site, and is also the first Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) scheme in the Bedfordshire area.
Nick Gibson, chief executive officer at Sight Concern Bedfordshire, which will be based at the village, said: "We aim to improve the well-being of visually impaired people and want to provide world class services and support.
"The new centre will enable us to work much more closely with other services in ways we haven't been able to in the past."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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