PATIENTS, visitors and residents will soon be able to enjoy a tour of the new £33million Bridgwater Community Hospital.

An open day will be held on April 5 at the new building, located off Bower Lane.

Niki Giles, secretary to the divisional manager for the project, said: "The open day will include guided tours of part of the hospital and visitors will get to see the new patient areas, the clinic and get a feel for the new building.

"We're expecting thousands of people to attend and everyone is really excited and can't wait for it to open.

"The same services offered at the old hospital will still be available at the new facility, but we will also have an Endoscopy unit (for bowl screening), which will serve the whole of Somerset. This is an extension to the hospital."

The new facility is set to open on April 30, replacing the town’s existing 200-year-old hospital in Salmon Parade.

The main building of the new hospital has this month transferred into the ownership of Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

A spokesman from the Trust said: "A patients’ representative group was set up by Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group and has followed progress at each stage in order to make sure services at the new build will match patent needs.

"Somerset Partnership has also taken great care to involve staff on the design of the hospital, especially those staff who will be using the hospital every day."

Helena Fuller, project director, said: "The construction works continue to run to schedule and within budget.

"Somerset Partnership has developed two new designs that will be used for leaflets and signs to advertise the closing of the old site, opening of the new site and when services will be changing."

The new hospital is expected to deal with 62,000 patients a year and will include 30 in-patient beds, a maternity unit, a minor injuries unit and therapy and rehabilitation services.

Services, outpatients, therapies, MIU, x-ray and inpatients are being transferred on April 28.

Mary Porter, press officer for the hospital's league of friends, said: "We're all very excited about the opening. We haven't actually seen inside yet, but hopefully we will be getting a preview near the end of March.

"We have raised £66,000 towards new equipment for the hospital, including a TV for each bed.

"To continue our support, and celebrate the opening, we are also holding a concert at Bridgwater Town Hall on May 9 with the Taunton Concert Band."