CONTRACTS for the new Sedgefield Community Hospital were signed yesterday and work is expected to start soon on the £8m project.
Contractor Clugston will move on to the site in the next few weeks. The work is expected to take a year.
The 42-bed hospital to be built on the outskirts of the village will replace a 50-year-old building.
It will include an extended x-ray department with an ultrasound service.
As well as 26 elderly care beds and 16 elderly mental health beds, there will be two day hospitals for elderly patients.
Outpatient and other services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietetics and foot health, will also move into the new building.
The one-storey hospital will be surrounded by gardens and secluded courtyards for patients and visitors to enjoy.
Yesterday, Paul Trippett, chairman of the South Durham Health Care NHS Trust, said: "This is a memorable day for the people of Sedgefield and the surrounding villages.
"The new hospital will make a real difference to both patients and staff, and I am delighted to have been part of making this happen."
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