Plans tabled for £72m demolition and rebuild of Heatherwood Hospital

Heatherwood Hospital could be demolished and completely rebuilt in a bid to ‘secure its long-term future’.

On Monday, members of Slough Borough Council’s (SBC) Health Scrutiny Panel heard from Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust about its future plans for the Ascot-based hospital.

The Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals, plans to spend about £130m redeveloping both sites.

The trust is hoping to sell off land at the Heatherwood site in London Road in order to fund the project, which is expected to cost about £72m.

A spokeswoman for the trust said: “We are also looking at how we can develop a new facility at Heatherwood Hospital to ensure we continue to provide planned care services. 

“We are at early stages of planning and are looking to involve the public in shaping our ideas in the near future.”

Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospital were rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February after it merged with the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.

The acquisition took place when both hospitals were placed in ‘special measures’ by the CQC in 2014.

The spokesman added: “We want to provide a suitable building from which we can deliver modern healthcare. 

“We are looking to keep the existing services but also investigating how we can bring a broader range of services such as better cardiology diagnostics or more one-stop clinics. 

“Our aim is to secure a long-term future for the hospital.”

Plans for Wexham Park Hospital in Slough include a new £50m A&E department and a £10m new maternity unit.

Speaking at the meeting in Slough, Sir Andrew Morris, chief executive of the trust, said: “I am very upbeat about what we can achieve here.”

He also revealed the trust had received £18m from the Department of Health (DfH) in order to cover its deficit.

No start date for the works has been confirmed.