Work to start on Orthopaedic centre (From Barry And District News)

Work to start on Orthopaedic centre

WORK will start next month on a new £8 million Orthopaedic Treatment Centre at Llandough Hospital.

The investment on the new state-of-the-art facility will be in addition to £6 million already spent on the brand new Mental Health Unit at the hospital.

A spokesperson for the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust said: "As contractors make the finishing external touches to allow internal work to proceed on the brand new Mental Health Unit, scheduled to open next June, other contractors prepare to start work on a new Orthopaedic Treatment Centre.

"The contract for that work has been let to Laing O'Rourke who have has just successfully completed building Phase 1 of the new Children's Hospital for Wales."

The Trust expects building to begin on the latest addition to the facilities at Llandough next month. Completion is scheduled by Christmas of 2005. The new Orthopaedic Treatment Centre will have two new operating theatres, 13 overnight stay beds and a major outpatients clinic and facilities including the latest X-Ray equipment.

The contractors will also install capacity for a future MRI Scanner. Simon Jones, Chair of the Trust said, "The development work is part of a £25 million three year programme at Llandough Hospital and signals the importance of the hospital for future provision and development of patient services provided on site by Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust."

Hugh Ross, the Trust Chief Executive said, "I am delighted that work on the new Orthopaedic Centre will shortly commence. Llandough Hospital is central to our plans to improve healthcare and this major investment programme is evidence of that commitment."

A new High Dependency Unit was opened last year, to provide facilities to back up the additional operating theatres at Llandough; the Children's Centre has seen a major expansion with a new assessment centre and day facility; and possible future developments include the building of a Cancer Surgical Treatment Unit.