by Graham Tutthill

Plans for a new hospital are being reviewed - after it was revealed the original site could flood.

Health chiefs are now looking at alternative sites for a planned community hospital for Dover in Maison Dieu Road.

An appraisal has revealed the scheme could be at risk of flooding - but a town centre site hasn't completely been ruled out

While it is bad news for those who have been fighting for the hospital to be sited in the town centre, it will be good news for campaigners who have maintained that the hospital - and, if possible, with full acute services - should be built at Whitfield.

In a press release issued today, health chiefs said the flood risk appraisal of the mid-town site as part of a wider study was in the final stages.

Early indications are that work will be required to deal with the risk of flooding, but the nature of the work is not yet known, nor how much this might cost or how long it might take to put in place.

It was in September last year that the site was agreed by NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent’s board. However, it was acknowledged that there was a flood risk around the site, and that the decision might need to be reviewed. In the meantime a flood risk appraisal has been carried out on behalf of Dover District Council. This is expected to be concluded in October.

Ann Sutton, chief executive of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent, and Stuart Bain, chief executive of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Both our organisations are committed to providing an improved service for local people. We are not ruling out the mid-town site, but as part of any planning application it is clear we will need to demonstrate we have considered all the options."

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