Work starts to replace Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital war wards

The hospital is spending £34m on replacing five of the oldest wards

Work has begun on a new building to replace wards dating from World War II at a hospital in Somerset.

Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton is spending £34m on replacing five wards in its Old Building.

The Old Building was meant to be a temporary hospital for American soldiers, but has remained in use.

The hospital was given a government loan to help pay for the three-storey Jubilee Building, which will have 112 en-suite single rooms.

A hospital spokeswoman said the first patients were due to be treated towards the end of 2013.