A STATE-OF-THE-ART operating theatre costing £1 million is to be built at private Beardwood Hospital, Blackburn, to cope with rising demand for private treatment.

A dozen new medical and administrative staff will be taken on to man the extra facilities when they open next year and the business hopes to carry out twice as many operations within five years.

Executive director Mark Almond said: "We are very pleased that the company has decided to invest this level of capital in the hospital. We are sure Beardwood has a very bright future and will continue to grow."

At present, Beardwood's theatre deals with about 2,000 surgical cases a year and the extension, to be funded by their parent company General Healthcare Group, will double the capacity of the hospital.

As well as the 12 new jobs created immediately, Mr Almond, a former nurse, expects to employ more support staff as business increases.

He said: "Most people come here because they have health insurance, but the number of people prepared to pay for their own operations has increased five-fold in the last five years.

"A lot of people are deciding that, although a private operation might cost the price of a holiday, they would rather have it done immediately than wait a long time on an NHS list with a poor quality of life."

Mr Almond hopes the new facilities will attract patients and consultants from further afield as well as offering more services to East Lancashire people.

The theatre will include equipment for joint replacement operations as well as orthopaedic, cosmetic, gynaecological and ear, nose and throat surgery.

As patients' hospital stays are becoming shorter, the hospital is unlikely to need more beds but some extra rooms may be created within the building.

Work will begin on the new theatre this summer and will be completed by next spring.

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