Beverley's new £19m community hospital opens its doors

Beverley's new community hospital has opened to patients

A new £19m community hospital in an East Yorkshire town has opened its doors to its first patients.

The East Riding Community Hospital in Beverley was built to replace the ageing 12-bed Westwood Hospital, which will now be closed.

The 30-bed facility, on Swinemoor Lane, includes a minor injuries unit and a GP out-of-hours service.

It will serve the communities of Driffield, West Wolds, Beverley and Hornsea.

'Fantastic facility'

The new hospital also includes a diagnostic services with ultrasound and MRI scanning, outpatient facilities and palliative care beds, as well as community allotments.

Karen Knapton, chairman of NHS East Riding, said the new hospital had been "a long time coming".

"With this fantastic new facility we'll be able to serve a much bigger population base and bring more services locally, whether it's minor injuries, outpatients or diagnostics," she said.

The hospital's interior has a pasture and meadow theme to reflect the surroundings of the Swine Moor.

Local residents have produced art for the building.

David Snowdon, chief executive of Humber NHS Foundation Trust, said the new hospital offered "much better" facilities and amenities for patients and staff alike.

"The facilities really are state-of-the-art, really modern and environmentally friendly," he said.