It was revealed last week that a large part of Manor House, off Bierton Road, is to be knocked down and rebuilt in an ambitious plan to improve services.

A public consultation was carried out a couple of years ago by Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust (OBMH) who own the site and it was found that the preferred option would be for a new hospital.

David Bradley, Chief Operating Officer at OBMH, said: "It is absolutely necessary that the buildings are replaced. Manor House is a poor build so we plan to demolish it and build a brand new one for the future to bring all the services onto one site.

"When it's done it will provide a much better facility with single en-suite rooms and single sex wards with a better outdoor space for the hospital's users and it will be a 21st century modern building."

Under the current schedule OBMH hope to have the site vacated by autumn 2008 and they believe the building programme will take two years after that.

The Mandalay and Woodlands wings will stay where they are along with a support services building and the Sue Nicholls Centre which will be screened off once demolition work starts.

Currently OBMH have wards at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and across the road at the Tindal Centre and it is expected that patients will be placed there and in the remaining wings.

Once the hospital is rebuilt all patient services will then be located in the new building with offices at the Tindal centre.

Stuart Townsend, head of adults and older people's services at the PCT, said: "As far as I know all the services I am commissioned to supply we continue to need and we will maintain and run and operate those services.

"For the outpatients services we would prefer to have one reception so we would look at locating those services together, but with things like offices they can be located somewhere different and we are looking at sharing office space with other organisations."

Up to £32million has been earmarked for the project which is expected to come from OBMH-generated funds and some borrowing.

What do you think of the plans for Manor House?

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