New delay for hospital's opening

Ysbyty Alltwen in Tremadog is now expected to open in December

A new delay to the opening of a new community hospital has been called a "great disappointment" by health managers.

The £13.5m Ysbyty Alltwen in Tremadog, Gwynedd, should have been handed over to the North West Wales NHS Trust for an opening in March 2008.

But last year the opening was delayed until August before a new setback due to drainage and ventilation problems.

It is now hoped that it will open in December.

Although the building work is complete, the latest delay is "due to a number of issues with commissioning of drainage, ventilation and hot water circulation systems at the hospital."

Martin Jones, chief executive of the North West Wales NHS Trust said: "Whilst these delays are a great disappointment, we are working with the contractor to resolve the final issues."

He said they were looking forward to taking charge of a "modern and up to date hospital that will enable us to deliver the highest standards of healthcare to the community."

The trust will be holding an open day at the hospital for members of the public who would like to tour the hospital prior to its official opening.

The 30-bed unit will also have a minor injuries unit and outpatient, X-ray and rehabilitation departments.

The new hospital near Porthmadog will replace Ysbyty Bron y Garth in Penrhyndeudraeth.

The hospital was given the go-ahead in 2004 after a 15-year campaign.

There was a delay over the design of the hospital's roof in 2005.