Health leaders have welcomed news that the £11.9million Whitby Hospital redevelopment can move to its next phase after a commitment to funding.
NHS Property Services (NHSPS), as the owner of the site, has now confirmed it can commit to funding the project with next stages being the design, development and submitting the planning application.
The project, led by NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), aims to deliver significant benefits to patient care by creating a more modern and sustainable hospital facility for the people of Whitby and the surrounding area.
Earlier this year, the CCG confirmed that NHSPS was in the process of agreeing its capital budget for 2018/19 with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). This week, NHSPS confirmed that further to a review of its investment plans with the DHSC, it can commit to funding the construction phase.
Janet Probert, CCG Chief Officer, said:
“This news is extremely welcome and we’re very grateful for all the support from our partners, the community, our local MP and councillors
It’s a very positive step forward and we’re excited to work on and share details of other next steps.”
Robert Goodwill MP, said: This is a great news for Whitby and it delivers on a promise I made at the election.
A construction partner has now been formally appointed by NHSPS to carry out the full detailed technical design phase while comprehensive work will also start on how the newly developed hospital would operate.
Peter Todd, Principal Construction Manager for NHSPS in the North East, said:
“This is an important stage in the project. There is still a long way to go and we will be working closely with our construction partner on the complex technical phase to develop the final operational strategy for the building.”
These processes, which will continue throughout this year, will support the development of the CCG’s full business case. This must then be approved by the CCG’s Governing Body to allow the project to further move forward.
Whitby Gazette