HOSPITAL bosses have agreed to sell off 10 acres of land at the Churchill Hospital in a bid to improve treatment and research facilities.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has struck a deal with Oxford University for the land on the east side of the site.

The sale will enable the trust to relocate the Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre, laboratories, stores and Radio Cherwell from their current home to more modern environments.

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The deal will see OUH lease back the land and buildings for three years to enable it to prepare new quarters for these services.

Patients and staff will therefore not see any changes of location until their new premises are ready.

The hospital has said the planned development of the site would be sympathetic to the neighbouring Lye Valley Nature Reserve.

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The cost of the land has not yet been revealed however hospital bosses say the money raised from the sale will also go towards funding other future capital developments across the trust which will benefit patients and staff.

Chief Finance Officer, Jason Dorsett, said: “As patients may have noticed, the buildings on the east side of the Churchill site are in poor condition and the use of the land on this part of the site has not been very well designed.

"The trust has already moved a number of services to improved locations - for example, the John Warin Ward moved from this area to a specially commissioned ward in the John Radcliffe Hospital.

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“Both the University of Oxford and the trust are acutely aware that this land abuts the Lye Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest and the needs of this rare and popular nature reserve will be integral to any future plans.

“We look forward to working with patients and staff on designing better service areas for the future.”