THE final touches are being put to plans for the Great Western Hospital's new Diagnosis and Treatment Centre before building starts this year.

Swindon and Marlborough Primary Care Trust has been ironing out final details for the centre, which will cut waiting times and speed up emergency surgery.

Director of Modernisa-tion Ann Nash said: "This centre will have a huge effect, not only for Swindon, but for patients from the whole of North Wiltshire. We have been consulting Kennet, North Wiltshire and West Wiltshire Primary Care trusts, and at our meeting yesterday we took their views into account and presented the final draft. We are on a tight deadline, as the proposed completion date is April 2005, so hopefully the planning is over."

The £27 million centre, to be built next to the Great Western Hospital, will have 118 extra beds, and five operating theatres.