New community hospital prepares to officially open

The new hospital has 24 beds

Patients have been moved into a new hospital as it prepares to officially open.

All services at the Forest of Dean Community Hospital in Cinderford are set to be up and running by the end of May, with an opening ceremony in June.

Services have been transitioned gradually from the 47-bed Dilke Memorial Hospital and Lydney and District Hospital since the end of April.

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital marked a significant milestone in modernising healthcare for the area, with a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services available.

As well as improved facilities, the 24-bed community hospital in Steam Mills is far more sustainable than the former hospitals, the trust says.

It has improved energy efficiency which will make it a net contributor of electricity to the national grid, hospital bosses said.

The hospital has been built in Steam Mills in Cinderford

The new hospital has been built on the site of Collingwood Skatepark and Lower High Street Playing Field, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The trust said there had also been consideration for surrounding wildlife, such as dormice and bats, to ensure the hospital does not encroach onto their existing habitats.

As an example, prior to construction the team was on site overnight to carry out light level surveys to understand how the design would impact on the bats’ flight path.

Dimmable night-time lighting is now being installed at the hospital entrance.

The hospital also has bat and bird boxes throughout the site and bosses say they will plant more plants and trees than were previously there, with a goal of enhancing the site's biodiversity by more than 10%.