Ipswich Hospital is joining forces with Suffolk County Council to develop the hospital site for the future.

Ipswich Star: Hick Hulme, Robert Whiting and Ben Gummer discuss the deal to take over the Bridge School siteHick Hulme, Robert Whiting and Ben Gummer discuss the deal to take over the Bridge School site (Image: Archant)

The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust is planning to purchase the former Bridge School on Heath Road in Ipswich. The sale will mean that the hospital can plan for the future.

Nick Hulme, Chief Executive of The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust said:” This is such a welcome opportunity to work in partnership with Suffolk County Council and look at how we can use the school site to really benefit patients and our community.

“We hope to be able to move many clinical services to the South end of the hospital so that they are very near all of the other services patients may need, such as theatres, or critical care. Bridge School will give us the flexibility to be able to move non clinical services out of the hospital.

“It will also mean that some areas of the hospital can be freed up and we can again work in partnership to look at how best this land should be used to address real needs such as housing.”

Suffolk County Council leader Colin Noble said: “I am delighted to be working with Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust to enable the consolidation and development of their site.

“By working together, we have identified this opportunity which will enable the Trust to deliver its aspirations for the hospital’s future. I hope that we can continue our close working relationship going forward to find ways to make the best of any land that may be released in the future.”

A proportion of the money generated from the sale of the Bridge School site will contribute to future specialist education provision being developed in the Ipswich area.

Ipswich MP and health minister Ben Gummer said: “We want to make the NHS the safest and most efficient healthcare system in the world, with every penny possible spent on frontline patient care.

“Today’s report by Lord Carter highlights what a good hospital should look like and this is a prime example of a hospital using its land effectively to deliver services and support the local demand for housing.

“This announcement is very welcome and timely news for the people of Ipswich. At the election I promised to help Ipswich Hospital improve its facilities and with this acquisition we can now start to do precisely that.”