A MULTI-million-pound project to create a new rehab centre at a Southampton hospital has reached the next phase.

A 30ft crane has been installed on the work site of the state-of-the-art rehabilitation unit at the Western Community Hospital in William Macleod Way.

It marks the next phase in the £21m project, which will see the delivery of a 50-bed centre.

Western Community Hospital cares for people with a functional mental illness and currently has two wards, Beaulieu Ward and Berrywood Ward, according to the NHS website.

The crane was delivered in separate sections on two lorries and took over 12 hours to assemble.

Mark Maffey, estates project manager for Solent NHS Trust, said: “This is an important milestone for us, because it means we have moved on from demolition and groundworks and we are now focused on building the structure of the new unit.

“Over the coming weeks and months, we will begin to see the plans come to life, and our shared ambition for this innovative new rehabilitation unit will start to become a reality.”

It's hoped that the new unit will bring together staff from two existing wards at the Royal South Hants Hospital to a new building, where teams can provide specialist rehabilitation care in a high-quality therapeutic environment.

The work began in November 2022 which saw the Tannersbrook Ward was demolished and all old materials removed.

Broken concrete and brickwork was crushed into hardcore to create a mat of hard materials to protect the soft ground from the heavy-duty vehicles required on site in this next phase.

In recent weeks the team has been busy using a 30-ton piling rig to create foundations for the new three storey building.

Mark Young, deputy director of estates and facilities at Solent NHS Trust, said: “The project has been progressing exceptionally well, which is testament to the hard work of our teams within Solent and our colleagues from Brymor.

“A lot of effort goes into demolition and ground preparation, but the next stage is particularly exciting as we begin to see the new unit rise out of the foundations with people passing by the site getting a glimpse of what the final building will look like.

“This project has been developed alongside patients and the staff who will be working in the unit, so we are confident it will deliver the best possible rehabilitation environment in and around Southampton.”

The new unit will be completed in summer 2024.