CONSTRUCTION work has started on the Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s new Jigsaw building.

Hospital staff and Jigsaw committee members joined Brymor Contractors to break ground on the site on Friday last week, and the work is expected to take around 14 months.

Funded through donations and fundraising events from two Jigsaw appeals, as well as NHS investment, the new building will house purpose-built cancer and blood disorder units and women’s health facilities for local patients.

The site is situated between the Eye Unit and the Derwent Suite for Orthopaedics, and will bring together oncology, haematology, gynaecology, and breast care, providing more space for outpatient and day care treatments. Consultant haematologist Sally Killick said: “This state-of-the-art build is one of the biggest construction projects at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in recent years.

“The project has been a long time in the design and development stages and I am delighted that construction work is now under way.”

Work on street lighting, water drainage and relocating the patient car park got under way in October last year.

The design of the building was influenced by patient and staff consultation sessions, and includes Wi-Fi, counselling rooms and artwork in response to this feedback. Hospital trust chairman Jane Stichbury said it was a very positive way to start the new year.

“Patients and their families give us great feedback about the quality of clinical care they currently receive, and this new building will help to enhance their experience while at the hospital,” she said.

“I would like to thank everyone who has made this project possible.”