East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Kier have signalled the start of a new development at Burnley General Hospital with an official sod cutting ceremony.

The new building will replace the existing urgent care facilities and provide a state-of-the-art integrated Urgent Care Centre (UCC) which will include a Children’s Minor Illness Unit (CMIU) and GP out-of-hours service. The new facility will improve the environment and patient experience and means the Trust can relocate services to one building on the site.

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Representatives from the Trust were joined by Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle, the Kier project team and members of staff from UCC/CMIU and estates for the ceremony.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust chair, Hazel Harding, commented: "I am delighted that this scheme is now under way - This new development will strengthen our ability as a trust to continue to manage services in line with our estates strategy to provide excellent facilities in an improved environment that the local community can truly benefit from."

The new Urgent Care Centre is set to open in the autumn of 2013.

(CD/IT)