THE final piece of the jigsaw for Newton Abbot's new £25 million hospital should slot into place next week. On Wednesday, board members are meeting to discuss the finer details of the contract with partner Ryhurst, after approval of the business case for the hospital by Devon Primary Care Trust (PCT) and NHS SW – the strategic health authority for the south west region. Preparatory work on the Jetty Marsh site has already begun and the new hospital, paid for through a government funding initiative, is expected to open in October next year. As well as the high-quality medical services, the community hospital will have the benefit of contemporary design features. Ward areas are to have T-shaped multi-bed bays providing each patient with a window view and natural light will filter into corridors through special 'light tubes'. A docking bay, which will lock visiting mobile diagnostic units to the hospital, is also planned. The chairman of Devon PCT Professional Executive Committee, Nick D'Arcy, a Kingskerswell GP, said the new hospital would help transform the delivery of health care in Newton Abbot and the surrounding area. 'It will enable the PCT to deliver a wide range of services to patients closer to their homes and will build on some of the excellent services already provided in the town,' said Dr D'Arcy. Project manager Helen Ireland said the hospital would be a huge asset. 'The hospital has been planned for many years and it is great to see that it is finally coming together. 'The old hospital has served us well, but the way we work today is vastly different to that of even 20 or 30 years ago, let alone in the Victorian era. 'At last, Newton Abbot will have a modern hospital with a full range of accessible services,' she said. The current hospital in East Street opened in 1898 and is a mix of Edwardian and Victorian buildings on a hillside.
