Darlington'S newest hospital has started to take shape on a 5.4 acre site at the town's Morton Park, following a multi-million pound investment agreed by local firm Woodlands Healthcare.

The 42-bed independent Woodland's Hospital will use the latest innovations in medical technology.

The first patients are expected to be admitted sometime in summer 2001.

The £8.1m hospital will house two operating theatres, a high-dependency unit, an out patients unit, as well as MRI facilities.

The hospital has been designed by Bradford architects Michael Corbett Associates. Construction and project management is being undertaken by Totty Construction, of Manchester.

Local firms involved in the project include Darlington-based T.M. Ward, which is doing the on-site excavation; Buildroute, of Hartlepool, which is carrying out the bricklaying, and Grensmoore, of Newcastle, which is reponsible for the groundwork on the site.

More than 100 people, hired locally, will work on the project during construction. When the hospital is completed it is expected to create 128 new jobs for local people in both medical and support posts.

The architects have openly challenged the established wisdom of hospital design after consulting seasoned health professionals.

Project manager Simon Baldwin said it was a delight to work with such an innovative design.

"It is obvious from the architect's plans that a lot of thought has gone into the design of this hospital.

"It is a template which should be followed for other hospitals in the future," he said.

Howard Rutherford, medical director of Woodlands Hospital, added: "By providing a modern independent healthcare facility to local people we will be able to offer a wider choice and provide easier access to hospital consultants in a way that works in harmony with the NHS."

The hospital will be owned by local doctors and will be run in the interests of patients