THE opening of Bicester’s new community hospital could be delayed until the new year if the facility is not ready to open next week, an NHS boss said.

Yvonne Taylor said Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust would not want to move staff into the 12-bed Coker Close hospital any closer to Christmas.

The facility – to replace the old Kings End hospital – was meant to open in September but has been plagued by minor issues.

Bosses said they were working to open the hospital next week.

Our top stories

But trust chief operating officer Ms Taylor said: “There is a difference between having a completed building and one that is safe to house patients.

“We are preparing to move in during the first week of December and training our staff with a view that we will be ready.

“But there are still a number of issues and we cannot move in until we are 100 per cent sure that it is safe for patients.”

Speaking at last Thursday’s meeting of the Oxfordshire joint health overview and scrutiny committee, she said: “At the moment, I am really pushing to get us in within that first week.

“Beyond that it could push it into the new year.”

A joint statement yesterday from Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and its partners in the scheme said that it was currently expected to open next week.

The trust spokesman said: “Regular on-site meetings are continuing to take place to ensure the final commissioning is completed and a deep clean of the new hospital will be carried out prior to services transferring over.

“Staff training in readiness is underway, and all reasonable provision has been made for a safe and issue-free transfer.

“Once transfer has taken place and final decommissioning has taken place, the old site will be cleared for development.”

Bicester county councillor Les Sibley has called for both hospitals to remain open to meet demand from 10,000 new homes in the town by 2031.

The new facility should have 16 beds, he said, adding: “Twelve inpatient beds are not really enough for the town’s ever- increasing population.

“I feel the developers missed a trick by not providing the much-needed additional bed space at the early stage of construction, thereby saving on costs and being less disruptive for patients and staff at a future date.”

Mr Sibley added: “With the onset of winter pressures and the issues of bed-blocking in the Oxfordshire health service, it would be a good idea to keep the existing hospital open until spring next year.”

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.