A ground-breaking ceremony has been held to mark the start of construction work on the new Townlands Hospital in south Oxfordshire.
NHS Property Services and Amber Solutions for Care were joined by key members of the Henley community and local NHS partners at the event.
The new hospital forms a key element of South Oxfordshire District Council’s plan for the development of the Henley-on-Thames area.
Robin Williams, chairman of NHS Property Services, said: “Today is a proud day for everyone involved in the project as we mark the construction of this fantastic new healthcare facility. “I am very much looking forward to seeing the construction of the hospital progress and coming back when it is complete and ready to be opened.”
This is an exciting stage in the redevelopment of Townlands, which will provide the NHS with real value for money in enhancing the community’s existing healthcare facilities
Mike Leto, project director for Amber Solutions for Care, added: “This is an exciting stage in the redevelopment of Townlands, which will provide the NHS with real value for money in enhancing the community’s existing healthcare facilities. We are looking forward to managing the project in partnership with NHS Property Services and VINCI Construction UK.”
The central part of the site will be devoted to healthcare and will provide a variety of services, including inpatient, outpatient and ambulatory care, X-ray, podiatry, physiotherapy and dentistry. There will also be a specialist 12-bed hospice. On the remainder of the site, Oxfordshire County Council and its partners will develop a 64-bed care home, while the existing land and listed buildings will be adapted and extended to provide 32 assisted living apartments and 12 new keyworker residences.
NHS Property Services owns the 2.36-hectare Townlands site and Amber Solutions for Care has been appointed to design, build, fund and maintain the new health facility. Construction will take around two years.
Councillor Ian Reissmann, chairman of the Townlands Steering Group, said: “Today is an exciting day for everyone in and around Henley who relies on Townlands Hospital.
“The community has been unwavering in its support for Townlands and ensuring this redevelopment secures its long-term future in a 21st-century setting.
“It has been a long struggle since the War Memorial Hospital closed in 1983 and we would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved for their hard work and commitment in getting the project to this point with construction underway.
“We are now looking forward to seeing the build progress and the new facilities open in 2016.”