DEMOLITION has begun to make room for a new, £21m rehab centre.
The "state-of-the-art" project will bring a 50-bed rehabilitation centre to Western Community Hospital in Millbrook.
The unit will relocate two existing rehabilitation wards currently at the Royal South Hants Hospital in Southampton – increasing beds from 43 to 50, as well as doubling the number of single, en-suite rooms.
It is hoped the extra beds will mean more people can be treated closer to home.
READ MORE: Community hospital set for £21m revamp
The centre will also help reduce the amount of time people stay in hospital, freeing up beds and cutting the backlog of patients waiting for treatment.
Solent NHS Trust’s chief executive, Andrew Strevens, and chief finance officer, Nikki Burnett, joined the construction team on site as the building was stripped out ready for demolition.
The project was given the green light in September and will be built on the site of the old Tannersbrook Ward, while the rest of the hospital continues to operate as normal.
READ MORE: New rehab centre in Southampton 'will be one of most advanced in the south'
Mr Stevens said: "This is an exciting time for us all, to see all the years of planning and hard work come to fruition with the start of demolition work on site.
"The Western Community Hospital provides a range of services to local people and the new rehabilitation unit will be a focal point for delivering specialist care.
"We are creating a state-of-the-art facility that will benefit patients and staff in Southampton for many years to come. I’m looking forward to watching the new building take shape.”
Work to clear the ground and prepare for demolition and construction started in November, with a plan to open the finished unit in summer 2024.
Ms Burnett added: "This is the biggest building project in Solent’s history and represents a significant investment in improving rehabilitation services.
"We are excited to get involved and see first-hand how the team is getting ready for the next stage of the development.”
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