A £20 million plan to transform Wycombe Hospital has been given the go-ahead.

Buckinghamshire Council has approved plans for a new hospital building on car park B at the site, paving the way for the first phase of a major redevelopment.

Designed to address the poor condition of the existing tower block which houses key clinical services, the new six-storey building will begin the phased relocation of services into a modern, purpose-built facility.

Behind the redevelopment lies mounting maintenance pressure across the NHS estate. The trust has acknowledged more than £260 million in overdue maintenance, with Wycombe Hospital accounting for a large proportion of its highest-risk issues.

The initial £20 million investment, funded by NHS England, will deliver a new Endoscopy Department as part of the hospital’s wider regeneration. Construction is expected to begin in early 2026, with patients welcomed to the new facility by 2027.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust said the project was among the most ambitious hospital developments outside the Government’s New Hospital Programme, which did not include Wycombe Hospital.

The trust said the new building would provide modern, welcoming spaces for patients and staff, while allowing services to be moved out of the ageing tower block. Subject to further funding, remaining departments – including cardiology, stroke services, theatres and critical care – would also be relocated.

Charmaine Hope, chief estates and facilities officer at Buckinghamshire healthcare NHS trust, said: “Starting construction in January marks a major step towards delivering best-in-class facilities for Buckinghamshire residents and moving critical services out of the ageing tower block into a purpose-built environment.”

A image of the new block proposed by the trust (Credit: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust)

The trust confirmed the development would not include a full accident and emergency department, despite long-running calls from residents for its return.

A petition launched by Cllr Kahlil Ahmed calling for the reinstatement of A&E services has attracted nearly 6,000 signatures, as Buckinghamshire councillors backed a motion on emergency healthcare in the county.

The proposals have attracted objections from a neighbouring resident and an on-site business.

A nearby resident raised concerns about air quality, noise levels, infection control, the loss of daylight caused by the new building and the potential impact on house prices.

View from multi-storey car park to Level 2 Entrance Image: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Shelbourne Hospital also objected, arguing that the scheme should have been subject to a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

The hospital cited concerns over the loss of trees and canopy cover, reduced sunlight and daylight to neighbouring properties, noise and disturbance, air quality, highways and parking pressures, and potential impacts on designated heritage assets, including listed buildings, conservation areas and a registered park and garden.

It also raised issues relating to source protection zones and said there had been insufficient pre-application consultation.