WORK could soon start on a diagnostic treatment centre adjoining Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

The new facility, which will cost about £27 million to build, could be up an running by 2005 and be able to treat an extra 6,000 cases per year.

Plans for the five-floor centre, which will boast five new operating theatres and 128 beds, have been submitted to Swindon Borough Council's planning department. The planning committee will make a decisiontomorow nght. Council officers have given it their approval.

Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust's human resources director, Paul Bentley said the centre would concentrate on routine short stay surgery, allowing the £170m Great Western Hospital to concentrate on acute and emergency cases.

He added: "This new facility will help us meet some of the targets set out in the NHS plan, which say that by the end of 2005 outpatients will have to wait no more than three months for treatment and people waiting for planned operations should wait no longer than six months.

"To achieve this, we will need additional operating facilities and staff to reduce the length of time that the people of Swindon have to wait for their health care."

The unit is one of 19 such centres planned across the country as part of a Government scheme to fast-track certain surgical procedures.

It will concentrate on carrying out surgery on some of the specialities with the highest waiting times such as knee, hip and cataract surgery.

Patients referred to the new centre will be able to choose the time and date of their initial appointment, usually within six weeks.

The building will be built adjoining the elbow of the existing L shaped GWH and will be joined at many levels to the main building.

Plans show that it will have an area of 10,000sqm and will be five metres lower than the existing roofline of the GWH.

An additional 303 car parking spaces are proposed as part of the overall plan, although some of these are to replace spaces being built on.