A £20 million plan has been unveiled to transform Wycombe Hospital, but the redevelopment will not include a new A&E department.

The initial £20 million investment has been funded by NHS England and will cover the cost of constructing a new Endoscopy Department as part of the hospital’s major redevelopment.

The hospital trust has revealed plans for a new six-storey building aimed at moving key services out of the site’s ageing tower block.

The Trust says the scheme is one of the most ambitious hospital developments outside the Government’s New Hospital Programme, which did not include Wycombe Hospital.

Construction is expected to start in early 2026, and by spring 2027, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which submitted the plans, hopes to begin welcoming patients to a new Endoscopy Department.

The new building will be constructed on an existing car park and will replace that car park once complete.

The Trust says the building will provide modern, welcoming spaces for patients and staff.

As and when additional funding is secured, the Trust will relocate the remaining services from the tower block, including cardiology, stroke, theatres and critical care.

The Trust confirmed the new development would not include a full accident and emergency department, a service many residents have long called for to return to the town.

The trust said the hospital already has a specialist emergency department that provides outstanding care for cardiac and stroke patients, with an intensive care unit on site.

In addition to treating people with life-threatening conditions, the hospital also has an urgent treatment centre for minor illnesses and injuries, but admitted the site will not include a full accident and emergency department.

Incoming CEO Raghuv Bhasin said the hospital had been in need of redevelopment as he announced the Trust’s plans for the site.

“We are thrilled to be able to announce these plans,” he said. “The Wycombe Hospital site has been in dire need of redevelopment. This will enable us to move critical services out of the tower block and into a purpose-built environment to provide Buckinghamshire residents with best in-class facilities.”

The Trust said it is working closely with Buckinghamshire Council to ensure that the new development meets the needs of people in the county.

It will be holding an in-person public engagement session about the plans.

It comes as the Trust said it was exploring alternative ways to deliver the desperately needed improvements.

The current tower block, on Queen Alexandra Road, is a concrete and steel-framed building varying from one to three storeys in height, including some levels below ground.

In 2024, the NHS Trust was reported as having a £100 million repairs backlog, more than 80 per cent of which related to Wycombe Hospital.

The Trust said the huge figure related to the age of its buildings and the cost of maintaining Wycombe Hospital’s tower, which is in a poor condition.