PLANS for a permanent replacement for Bootham Park Hospital have been given the go-ahead by the NHS.

The plans for the new build hospital off Haxby Road have been formally approved by the Board of Directors at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).

The 72 bed hospital will provide two adult, single sex wards and two older people’s wards - one for people with dementia and one for people with mental health conditions such as psychosis, severe depression or anxiety.

The hospital had been due to open at the end of 2019 but will now open in April 2020.

The Trust is investing approximately £37m in the build of new development.

Preparation work has already started on site, and construction of the new hospital will begin in September.

It will be a permanent replacement for Bootham Park Hospital, which closed in 2015 following an inspection by the CQC. Some acute patients are currently being cared for in Peppermill Court off Huntington Road.

The Trust bought the land earlier this year for £3million, following planning permission on the site which was granted by City of York Council in December.

Last week The Press reported how the size of the floor plan for the hospital had been reduced but the Trust had said the reductions would not affect the clinical areas.

Ruth Hill, TEWV’s director of operations for York and Selby said: “The approval from our Board of Directors is a key milestone and demonstrates their confidence in the planning and management of this significant project. We are delighted to receive the formal backing from the Board and to begin construction on site over the coming months.

“The new hospital will provide people in the Vale of York with a modern, state-of-the-art hospital that will support 21st century care – and it’s an important part of a wider project to transform mental health care across York and Selby.

“Although we want to make sure that people can receive the care and treatment they need at home whenever possible, it’s also important that they are able to access a bed when they need one. For those people who are admitted to hospital, the quality of the environment is extremely important. The new hospital will offer modern healthcare facilities which provide a safe, comfortable and dignified environment in which to receive care, and for carers to visit.

“We have worked closely with and listened to our service users, partners and stakeholders and the local community to determine what is required for the people of York and Selby. We gave local people the opportunity to share their views and to be part of the development process and we will continue to support this level of engagement throughout the programme.”