Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust purchased of 5.5 hectares of land next to the Great Western Hospital site from housing developers Persimmon Homes and Redrow Thames Valley., allowing it to take the next step in its strategic development plans.
The purchase of this land created a strategic opportunity for future development, to improve services and ensure the Trust can meet the demand created by Swindon and North Wiltshire's rapid population growth.
The projects will enable the relocation of non-acute services to the expansion land, which will facilitate Urgent and Emergency Care (U&EC) capacity expansion in the main hospital, and will include the development of an Integrated Rehabilitation Facility (IRF).
Kevin McNamara, Chief Executive at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This is a really exciting step forward in our plans to expand and improve our healthcare services for the people of Swindon - securing this land is an investment in Swindon. It is important not just for today but for future generations given a growing and aging population.
"We want to use this land to develop health and care facilities on the Great Western Hospital site and now that we will secure the land, our attention and our work turns to securing funds to build and expand our services onto it."
Julian Roper, Managing Director Designate of Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: "We are delighted that this parcel of land is now in the hands of GWH and that work can begin on their exciting expansion plans.
"The new and improved services at the hospital, including the construction of a Rehabilitation Centre of Excellence, will be a real asset to the community being developed at Badbury Park."
Charles Rafferty, Land Director for Redrow Thames Valley, said: "We're delighted that the land next to Great Western Hospital will be put to good use and help the Trust expand its facilities to provide services for generations to come. Here at Redrow, we strive to create thriving communities, which is why it was so important to us that the land was made available for the hospital expansion. With our Badbury Park development just a stone's throw away, the hospital is somewhere that members of our community already work and indeed, may require services from in the future."
