Demolition starts attown’s old hospital

Heanor Memorial hospital is being bulldozed to make way for a new £2.5m care facility, set to open in 2017.

The work, which started on Septemebr 14, is expected to take about six weeks to dismantle, demolish and clear the site ready for the development of the unit facilities on the same site.

All memorabilia from the hospital site has been secured, with the majority set to be incorporated into the new building.

On September 22, previous staff were invited to visit the site.

Staff nurse Janis Watson, who worked at Heanor Memorial Hospital’s Coppice and Hanbury Wards for 12 years, was one of those who visited to see the demolition work in progress.

Janis, who now works at Heanor Ward at Ilkeston Community Hospital, said: “It made me feel quite nostalgic and it was strange to see it being demolished.

“I hadn’t been back to the hospital since we moved our services out, but for the 12 years that I worked there it was like home.

“We know we have to go for progress and the facilities were behind the times but it is also sad to see it go.”

Denise Bacon, who worked as a health care assistant at Heanor Memorial Hospital for 17 years, also returned to see the demolition work in progress.

Denise, who also transferred to Heanor Ward at Ilkeston Community Hospital, said: “I found it quite upsetting to see the building coming down. It brought back lots of memories. I have brought back a brick as a souvenir.”