PLANS to demolish 60-year-old hutted wards at Hereford County Hospital to accommodate a new £6 million development are almost complete.

Despite the complexity of the project, Hereford Hospitals Trust is optimistic that replacement modern wards to accommodate up to 75 patients will be ready for use by the target date of May next year.

The wards will go on the sites of the Monnow and Leaden hutted wards and be linked to the new hospital by a purposebuilt corridor.

After completion of the wards the trust will then turn its attention to the construction of the new Macmillan Renton cancer unit for which the public has already contributed more than £1.5 million.

This £3.5 million unit will stand next door, on the site of the soon-to-be-demolished Dore and Kenwater hutted wards.

It is a separate project to the £6 million ward replacement scheme and – because it cannot be started until the new wards are ready – is not likely to open until a year later, May 2009.

The business case for Hereford’s new hospital always included the demolition of hutted wards, built during the last world war, and the trust had planned to absorb many of the beds into the new hospital.

But, in a change of mind, it decided to replace wards on the hutted sites under a fast-build strategy.

Dr Mike Coupe, director for business development described it as a complex project, carrying on the build while caring for patients at the same time.

But he was optimistic the May 2008 finish date could be met, although it would be vital to balance speed with the best decisions in providing a high class building to last for 50 years.

Dr Coupe said the decisions were being driven by the views of doctors, nurses, therapists and other staff, as well as some members of the new Foundation and there was an exciting buzz’ about the hospital over the project.

It was planned to provide more space between patients’ beds and the new wards would have flexible use, depending on changing circumstances at the hospital.