Bradford hospital: Operating theatre plan a 'matter of priority'

Plans to demolish St Luke's Hospital old records building were refused in July

A "population with significant health challenges" is behind the need for new operating facilities at a hospital in West Yorkshire, a trust has said.

Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has resubmitted plans to create two new day case theatres.

It said waiting lists would not be reduced unless St Luke's Hospital had at least three theatres.

The new plan would deal with the "vulnerability" of its current facilities.

A previous application to demolish the hospital's old records building for the new development was refused by Bradford Council last month after planning officers raised concerns about the lack of detail.

The trust has now re-submitted its plan saying if the demolition work is approved any natural stone from the building will be collected and re-used.

The authority has been asked to deal with the application "as a matter of priority", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The application says the hospital "serves a population with significant health challenges, the true impacts of which have come into focus as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Capacity for inpatient, day case and preoperative admissions will not be restored without an estates solution and therefore there is an imperative to identify alternative accommodation".