Work on delayed hospital enters next phase

Work on a delayed new hospital has entered a new phase.

The 12-month programme on the former Consett Steelworks site will get the land ready for construction of the new Shotley Bridge Hospital.

It includes creating new road infrastructure and access from the A692, bus laybys, footpaths, utilities and sustainable drainage.

The site is scheduled to be handed over to County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust in September 2027, allowing construction to begin. The hospital is expected to be completed by 2030.

The trust's acting chief operating officer Matt Graham said: "While there are still approvals to be secured, we remain on track and continue to work closely with our partners to move the project forward."

Following delays, the scheme was given the go-ahead in early 2025 as part of the revised New Hospital Programme.

The trust and NHS Property Services are now reviewing the business case and design to ensure the facility can be delivered within the funding available, with that process expected to complete in 2027.

Mike Clark, director of Project Genesis, which is doing remediation work said there was "still work to do", but it was a "significant step" towards "a modern hospital serving Consett and the wider Derwent Valley for decades to come".

Liz Twist, Labour MP for Blaydon and Consett said she would continue to "push for the completion of the business case and for the hospital construction to begin".

The remediation and enabling follow preparatory work which took place earlier this year.

Initial groundwork was carried in 2025 to preserve existing planning permission.

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