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Work set to start on new outpatients clinic
Work on a controversial new outpatients clinic will be launched tomorrow with a turf cutting ceremony.
In July, Kettering General Hospital won permission to create the new centre near Rushden & Diamonds Football Club in Irthlingborough. It will replace the current outpatients facility at Rushden Memorial Clinic.
The move was opposed by thousands of people in Rushden but won the support of people in Irthlingborough and the approval of East Northamptonshire Council's planning committee.
Hospital chief executive Dr Mark Newbold believes the new centre will allow the hospital to increase its outpatient appointments in East Northamptonshire from 8,000 to 40,000 a year.
He said: "We're very pleased to announce we have now signed contracts, finalised a development schedule and are in a position to start work on our new outpatients centre immediately.
"The finished centre will be a major service improvement and means many people will no longer need to travel to Kettering for their outpatient appointment, or for some other services such as X-ray, ultrasound and blood tests.
"The hospital site is quite congested and so by providing more services off site we're not only benefiting people in East Northamptonshire but also patients accessing services at Kettering General Hospital."
Preparatory work on the Nene Park site will start Monday and the building work will begin on February 1.
The centre is expected to open before the end of next year.
James Wilson, managing director of Davidsons Developments which is developing the new centre and an associated business park, said: "Our contractors are mobilising their workforce to site so that immediately after the turf cutting ceremony we can start the infrastructure works in earnest.
"Our aim is to provide a 13-acre business park which will provide a modern, well-located and purpose-designed environment for both the NHS and for other local and national businesses."
The hospital will lease the property from the developer for 20 years.
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Weather for Kettering
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
