Expansion work begins on £1.5m Greater Lancashire Hospital site scheme

Work has started on a £1.5m extension at Greater Lancashire Hospital in Preston.The annex is located at the side of the current premises and will welcome NHS patients from across Lancashire and the North West when it opens in Ribbleton’s Millennium City Park this autumn.Fit-out work has now commenced on phase one which includes a state-of-the-art ultrasound suite, dedicated physiotherapy and gym areas, seven consulting rooms as well as a reception to the clinical suite.The original Greater Lancashire Hospital has been transforming the health of locally-based residents since it was founded by Preston-based entrepreneurs Sara and Gwam Rajiah in 2014.Working closely with some of the UK’s best-known consultants and medical practitioners, the hospital supports regional NHS trusts and private healthcare patients.Gwam Rajiah, executive chairman of Greater Lancashire Hospital, said: “This new annex will ensure that the best medical care is available for even more Lancashire and North West people.“But it’s also a really exciting development in the evolution of Greater Lancashire Hospital as we seek to cater for a constantly increasing appetite for our services.”Mr Rajiah expects the new 10,000 sq ft annex – which occupies the former Synetics building – will create at least 50 new clinical roles and an additional 20 clerical roles on completion.Complete with 30 free car parking spaces accessible via a soon-to-be created entrance on Longridge Road, the annex will operate in unison with Greater Lancashire Hospital’s original, neighbouring site.Among the Preston-based contractors currently working on the first phase of the annex are Wyder Construction and air conditioning specialists DD Cooling.The building work is being overseen by Greater Lancashire Hospital’s director of investment and development, Myles Rajiah, who said: “We’re already well ahead of schedule and that’s testament to the skill, professionalism and expertise of Wyder Construction’s team.“The state-of-the-art air filtration and extraction system, which is also fully compliant with the strictest NHS guidelines, is the most recent component to be installed.”Greater Lancashire Hospital, which is part of Preston-based Bespoke Healthcare Group, is the only hospital in the area that has currently received ‘outstanding’ for patient care by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), it said.The hospital is an approved supplier to the NHS which allows trusts to refer patients directly to its facilities for a wide range of NHS services ensuring patients can be seen by medical professionals within a suitable timeframe.