NORTHUMBRIA Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s £200million investment includes a new hospital for Haltwhistle.

The Trust is working with Northumberland County Council on an integrated health and social care scheme. This will replace Haltwhistle War Memorial Hospital with a new purpose-built facility and provide extra care services to replace the residential care service previously delivered at Greenholme.

The two organisations asked the public’s views on the plans during the summer and people are again being encouraged to comment on the proposals next week.

The pre-planning application public consultation exhibitions take place at Haltwhistle Library on Tuesday, November 15, from 10am to noon, Wednesday, November 16, from 2pm to 4pm and Thursday, November 17, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

The public’s views from the sessions will help shape the planning application, which is expected to be submitted to Northumberland County Council later this year.

Residents who attended the engagement sessions in June and July said they were strongly in favour of the plans.

Coun Ian Lindley, Executive Member Adult Care and Wellbeing at Northumberland County Council, said: “I would first of all like to thank everyone who took the time to come along to the sessions and gave us their views. We are delighted that everybody was in favour of rebuilding the hospital and understand the benefits a new hospital will bring.

“Residents’ views from those sessions have helped us to develop the plans and we would encourage people to come along to these exhibitions to see how the plans have progressed. Your comments from the exhibitions will help shape the planning application.

“The proposals will greatly improve health and social care services in Haltwhistle. The new hospital will give us first-rate facilities for us to deliver high-quality care and the extra care flats will help us to provide support to enable people to live independently.”

The scheme aims to promote the welfare and independence of people with a long-term health condition or disability, particularly older people.

The proposed development will have 15 hospital beds providing rehabilitation, minor injuries unit and physiotherapy and occupational therapy facilities. There will be 12 extra care flats with 24-hour support for tenants.

During construction, inpatient services currently provided at Haltwhistle War Memorial Hospital will transfer to Hexham General Hospital.

To find out more, contact the team on 0191 203 1296 or visit www.buildingacaringfuture.co.uk