Plans to give one of Somerset’s main hospitals a major upgrade have been approved by the district council.

Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton has been granted permission to build the second phase of its new surgical centre, which will include new operating theatres, endoscopy and clinical care space.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has also approved a new extension to the hospital, allowing its therapies department to continue operating while a new acute assessment hub is constructed.

This news comes as the NHS trust running the hospital successfully completed a merger with a separate trust, previously responsible for community hospitals.

The acute assessment hub and surgical centre form two parts of the wider plan to overhaul treatment at Musgrove over the next five years.

In phase one, beginning in August 2020, the existing therapies department will be moved from the ground floor of the Queen’s building to a new, three-storey extension within the neighbouring Duchess building.

The space created will be filled by a new 22-bed acute assessment hub, right next to the existing accident and emergency department.

In phase two, from April 2024, phase two of the surgical centre will be constructed to the north of the Jubilee building.

At least 140 new car parking spaces will be provided as part of the project, with the new facilities being provided to the north of the new building.

If all goes to plan, the new centre will be operational early in 2025.

The hospital’s trust was awarded nearly £91M by the Treasury in 2018, of which just over £11.5M will be spent on the new hub and the remaining £79.4M will be spent on the surgical centre.

The trust has said the new centre is essential to ensure a high standard of care for patients in the decades to come.

A spokesman said: “Our departments have been constructed in response to changing needs, and this has resulted in a piecemeal and cluttered site with poor connectivity and buildings which are increasingly costly to maintain.

“Many of the 1940s buildings remain in active use and comprise the majority component of the site. These are now unsuitable for the delivery of many modern healthcare services.”

On April 1, Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (which runs the hospital) formally merged with the Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the county’s community hospitals, minor injury units and other community services.

The new trust – simply called the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust – is the first trust on the English mainland to provide combined community, mental health and acute hospital services.

Chief executive Peter Lewis said: “This is the culmination of nearly three years’ work by colleagues within mental health, community and hospital services, who have worked hard to join up services and care for patients in our county.

“The impetus for our merger came from our colleagues across both our legacy trusts, who saw the improvements that we can make for our patients if we join up services.

“I thank them for this and pay tribute to them as they pull out all the stops, working collaboratively, to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.”