COLCHESTER Hospital has said it is looking to expand its services and land previously identified for sale will support future healthcare provision.

Work has started on the new Dame Clare Marx Building, an orthopaedic ward opening in 2024 which will hold at least six theatres and two wards.

The new ward will allow patients from across East Suffolk and North Essex to receive dedicated care reducing the risk of operations being cancelled due to emergency cases.

The expansion will bring positive impact on users' experiences, notable after Nick Hulme, Colchester Hospital's chief executive, previously told BBC Radio 4 the hospital was preparing for a busy winter.

He said:  “We’re already seeing significant numbers of delays both within the hospital and further down the line in ambulances.

"We wouldn’t normally expect that at this time of year.”

Colchester Hospital had identified land which was considered surplus to requirements under an NHS review.

However, hospital chiefs have now confirmed this land will not be sold off but will be used for further expansions in years to come.

Paul Fenton, director of estates and facilities at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital, said: “At ESNEFT we want to improve our hospital buildings and sites so we can continue to offer safe and compassionate care to our patients – that’s our top priority.

“We are happy to clarify that we have no plans to sell off any land at Colchester Hospital.

"Any suggestion that we do is misleading for the communities we serve.

 “Every year, all NHS trusts must share information about any surplus land they might have.

“This is a mandatory, national request we must respond to.

"But it does not commit our trust to a sale if the land is in use, or if the land could support future healthcare provision.

“We are actively investing in our sites right now. At Colchester Hospital, work is underway on the construction of a new elective orthopaedic centre.

“We are also making improvements in the A&E department and urgent treatment centre to better support patients needing emergency care and treatment in the coming months.”