Building work starts today on new £15 million hospital

The first phase of building work on the new £15 million Cromer and District Hospital has started today with the builders Mansell moving on to the Mill Road site to start construction work.

The new hospital will replace the original Mill Road hospital which first opened in 1932 and will provide day treatment, out-patient care, minor injuries, renal dialysis and extended diagnostic services. The construction work is being phased to ensure that clinical services can continue to run on a near normal basis during the building work.

The new £15 million facilities will include an ophthalmic operating theatre plus new diagnostic services including on-site mammography (breast screening) service, and a DEXA scanner for osteoporosis diagnosis.

The first phase of construction involves refurbishing the old Barclay ward for the renal dialysis unit, and work to build a temporary car park across the road at Cromer Town Football Club.

The second phase runs from February to April next year and involves the removal of the current dialysis unit, demolition of the old boiler house, and access road enabling works. Building work on the new two-storey hospital building gets underway in February next year through to Spring 2012. 

Services will be transferred from the old hospital building to the new hospital in Spring 2012 and then the old hospital will be demolished and landscaped.

The Minor Injuries Unit on the ground floor will be named after Mrs Bernstein and the procedure unit on the first floor of the new hospital will be named after her sister Muriel Thoms. The audiology unit will be named after Phyllis Cox.

The old Davison and Barclay ward areas of the current hospital will be retained and refurbished for use as a permanent renal dialysis unit with room for expansion. The plans for the site also allow room for further expansion if required and affordable in the future.

The new hospital project is being funded by the generous Sagle Bernstein and Phyllis Cox legacies. The Hospital Arts Project is also fundraising to create a range of artworks for the new hospital. The artwork will following the theme of sky, sea and land.

For more information visit www.nnuh.nhs.uk/page/newcromer