ANDOVER War Mem-orial Community Hosp-ital is to benefit from a £5 million re-build, part of a £26 million package planned by Winchester and Eastleigh Health-care Trust in line with the Government's NHS Plan initiative.

The major part of the finance, £21 million, to be found between government cash and business commitments from local health authorities and primary care groups/trusts, will go tow-ards an ambitious programme for the Royal Hamp-shire County Hospital in Winchester.

Discussions are still taking place on the exact form of re-development for the third hospital in the trust's care, The Mount at Eastleigh.

At Andover the intention is to develop the hospital into a modern centre of excellence in intermediate care and to enable the staff to build on the hospital's current stren-gths.

The long-term aim is to provide Andover with a modern out-patients department, me-dical records facility and new health centre.

Radiology, day surgery and maternity departments will be re-located.

The re-organisation and new build will result in spare land at the front of the hospital.

Future development of the site would be hammered out in discussions between Test Valley Borough Council, the proposed Mid and Hamp-shire Primary Care Trust and partner organisations.

It is possible a smaller but similar model of the health park proposed by Alan Jones, council chief executive, could be built.

He mooted a positive model of health care where the emphasis was on preventing illness.

David Livermore, chairman of the Winchester NHS trust, described the strategy as 'exciting'.

The plans for Andover would take the hospital into the 21st century.

And he hoped the news would re-assure local residents that the hospital's future was safe.

"I think it is the best news from a health point of view for a long time," he added.

The plans for the RHCH, where many Andover people are treated, were described as ambitious.

Hospital services and its organisation were involved. Four new, key developments were proposed:

An ambulatory care zone containing a new generation diagnostic and treatment centre with 20 new beds for day or short term care.

A cancer unit designed in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Relief to be funded through charitable donations.

A coronary care unit and an extended education and training facility for 60 extra medical students.

This is the first estate strategy initiative by the Winch-ester trust.

It provides a comprehensive assessment of its current estate and the proposed changes and improvements required for the next 10 years.