Vision for KGH rebuild could be revealed in months

It's hoped construction would start in 2023/24
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The first glimpse of how KGH would look after a total rebuild could be revealed in just months after hospital bosses outlined a timetable for the project.

The ageing Rothwell Road hospital, some parts of which date back to the 1890s, is on the Government's HIP2 hospital building programme and has already received seed funding to begin the work.

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So far it has got about £400m and a team has been set up to develop a strategic outline case and masterplan.

Kettering General Hospital's Rothwell Road home.Kettering General Hospital's Rothwell Road home.
Kettering General Hospital's Rothwell Road home.

A long list of options will be reviewed in October and a preferred way forward indicated, with a draft strategic outline case expected to be produced in January 2021. That will then be submitted to the Government by the fourth quarter of 2020/21 with an outline business case submitted by the second quarter of 2022/23 and a full business case complete by the third quarter of 2023/24.

The hospital anticipates construction works will commence in the fourth quarter of 2023/24 although trust chairman Alan Burns previously said it would be a ten to 15-year project.

KGH chief executive Simon Weldon told the Northants Telegraph: "Not every hospital got money to rebuild its A&E department.

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"We were one of about 20 who got that place on the HIP2 scheme and I think that's a fantastic opportunity that we have got for the people of Kettering.

KGH boss Simon Weldon.KGH boss Simon Weldon.
KGH boss Simon Weldon.

"It's a real statement of faith in the future of the hospital."

The hospital opened on October 30, 1897, with a £1,000 annual budget. Now the annual budget is £250m.

Last year it saw about 100,000 patients through the doors of A&E - more than double the capacity it was built for.

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In a bid to tackle overcrowding KGH has already been given £46m for a new urgent care hub - which would enable local people to access GP, mental health and A&E services under one roof - and an outline business case has been submitted.

KGH.KGH.
KGH.

Hospital bosses have now revealed that progressing with the final stage of the urgent care hub case will be dependent on the preferred option for the hospital rebuild.

There had been some speculation that the hospital might be rebuilt on another out-of-town site, but Mr Weldon said they hope to make "very good use" of the Rothwell Road base.

KGH board papers revealed early work has confirmed that the existing site could be redeveloped whilst maintaining continuity of services.

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Mr Weldon said: "We are, at the moment, looking at options and fundamentally we hope to make very good use of the Kettering site in Rothwell Road to be honest. That's the site in which we are currently based.

"We certainly have done the work to prove that we can redevelop the site and still continue to provide hospital services. I am confident that we will continue to advance those plans and hopefully come up with a really exciting solution.

"I don't want to start commenting on the details of specifics here because we are too early to do that."

The hospital is planning a series of public engagement events, led by Healthwatch, with displays and videos to keep the public informed of their plans.

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Mr Weldon said the programme offers them a chance to integrate buildings to bring them in line with modern hospitals.

He added: "If you need to come into hospital, you should come into a high quality environment and you should come into a place that makes you feel that the care that you are getting is great.

"This is an opportunity to do that."

Kettering MP Philip Hollobone has been part of a group that has campaigned for more than seven years for major improvements at KGH.

Previously he said: "It's a much-loved local hospital but it does need more improvement which is why I'm delighted about the seed funding."

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