PLANNING CONSENT GRANTED FOR NEW CAERPHILLY HOSPITAL

Plans for the new hospital for Caerphilly have been granted outline planning consent which means that important design work can now begin.

Caerphilly County Borough Council has given the green light to proposals for the 276-bed development on the Ystrad Fawr site, subject to certain conditions being addressed.

Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust and Caerphilly Local Health Board are aiming to appoint a design team in early July so that more detailed plans on how the new hospital will look can be produced.

A Full Business Case will then be submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government in April next year before work starts on site in September 2007.

Judith Paget, chief executive of Caerphilly Local Health Board, said: “This is an important step forward in the development of a flagship hospital that will transform health services in the County Borough. We’re looking forward to getting a design team on board that will create a building that not only houses state of the art facilities but also allows us to expand the range of treatment and care available to local residents.”

Chief executive of Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, Martin Turner, added: “This decision paves the way for providing a modern health service that people in the County Borough deserve. Staff want to provide the best possible care to patients, using modern technology and appropriate facilities and this is becoming increasingly difficult in many of the local hospitals.”

Plans for the new hospital have been the subject of extensive consultation with local residents and stakeholders.