Community hospital case approved

Health chiefs will now seek planning permission for the 19m building, which will replace Westwood Hospital on 10 acres of fields off Swinemoor Lane.

Ivan Ellul, chief executive of NHS East Riding, said: "With the approval of the full business case, we have taken a step closer to hospital becoming a reality.

"The development is critical for our plans to deliver care closer to home, allowing us to bring more services out of larger hospitals and into the community.

"Throughout the development we have involved clinicians who will be working within the hospital.

"Our public engagement events have been well attended and suggestions from these have been incorporated into the final design for the hospital," said Mr Ellul.

The area's residents were provided with a chance to discuss the proposals when the NHS board held and n extraordinary meeting last week.

Subject to planning approval and the backing of the Strategic Health Authority, the 30-bed hospital – which would cost 2.8m a year to run – could open in 2012.