'Once in a generation' improvements to St Mary's Hospital on the Isle of Wight approved

Major improvements to St Mary's Hospital in Newport will go ahead after planning permission has been granted by the Isle of Wight Council.

It is all part a £48 million programme which will allow three new extensions to be built on the island's only hospital.

The projects will see the intensive care unit, fracture clinic, urgent treatment centre, emergency department and acute ward all upgraded.

The fracture clinic will move from the main hospital block to the north site, with the existing clinic converted into an outpatient area.

Interim chief executive of the IW NHS Trust, Dr Nikki Turner, said: "Approval of these ambitious plans is a welcome step forward in delivering a once in a generation investment into local NHS services.

"Our Investing in Our Future programme will deliver better NHS buildings and IT that improve the services on offer to Islanders now and in the future."

Of the £48 million given to the Isle of Wight NHS Trust by government in 2019, £10 million has been invested in hospital beds at Portsmouth Hospital University Trust.

Plans for the remainder of the money could see affordable housing built for nurses and staff, a care home and upgrades to the ambulance station, to improve turn-around times.

All improvement projects are hoped to be completed by March 2024.