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Purchase of Hardwick Manor and grounds
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is pleased to confirm that it has completed the purchase of Hardwick Manor.
The home and its surrounding grounds are among four sites currently being considered as potential future locations for a new West Suffolk Hospital.
The existing hospital buildings on Hardwick Lane were built in 1974 and have already long exceeded their intended 30-year life span.
We have invested heavily in their upkeep over recent years, but the time will soon come when they are no longer fit for purpose.
Accordingly, the trust was recently confirmed as one of 40 across the country to receive funding for new build projects from the Government’s Health Infrastructure Programme.
Trust chief executive Dr Stephen Dunn said: "It is well known that our hospital was among thousands of buildings constructed in the 1970s using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete planks.
"As a result, we have had to carry out an extensive programme of inspections and running repairs at our current site to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
"We have been open and transparent about the structural challenges our current site poses, and our desire to move to a new, purpose-built location as soon as possible.
"Hardwick Manor is one of four sites currently undergoing detailed analysis and surveys to determine their suitability as potential locations for our new hospital.
"That work is ongoing and is due to complete in November, but in advance of its completion, a unique opportunity arose to acquire Hardwick Manor.
"I must stress that this does not make it any more or less likely to be chosen as our preferred location for the new hospital.
"However, it was prudent to purchase the site when it became available in order to keep all our options fully open."
He added: "Whichever location we settle upon for our new build will be subject to the usual rigorous planning and public consultation processes.
"I want to reassure our local community that we are committed to engaging with as many of them as possible in our plans for the new hospital.
"We want to ensure that what we provide is a perfect fit for the current and future health needs of the people of west Suffolk."
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