THE site chosen for a new hospital in Clevedon could be bought by NHS North Somerset by the end of the month.

THE site chosen for a new hospital in Clevedon could be bought by NHS North Somerset by the end of the month.

The health authority hopes to create a community hospital at Millcross, the former home of Kwik Save, and to do so must secure the site by March.

This is a deadline set by the South West Strategic Health Authority, which has only allocated funding for the project in this financial year.

However, in a report written for north Somerset Council's health overview and scrutiny panel it is revealed this could be completed by the end of January.

Once the site is bought, NHS North Somerset will have to hold discussions with a current tenant that runs a fish and chip shop there.

At the beginning of December, a planning application for the �19million project was submitted and a decision on this is expected in early March.

The new hospital will replace the current cottage hospital in Old Street and will include rehabilitation facilities for stroke patients, an out-of-hours GP service, a minor injuries unit and an outpatient clinic.