A MEETING will be held to discuss the future of Heanor Memorial Hospital after asbestos was discovered in parts of the building.
The hospital has been closed to patients since last year after the potentially deadly material was discovered in a boiler room during a routine inspection by staff in September.
It means clinics and services have been moved temporarily to Ilkeston Community Hospital.
Since then, bosses at the NHS Southern Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group said they have been trying to find the "best way forward" for the hospital.
At a meeting earlier this year, options discussed for its future included replacing it with a new £1.6 million building or refurbishing the current 89-year-old premises at a cost of £850,000.
Members of the public are invited to hear the latest on progress at the site at a meeting at St Lawrence's Church, in Church Street, Heanor, on Thursday, May 29, from 7pm until 8.30pm.
Andy Layzell, chief officer for the clinical commissioning group, said: "Patients and the public can continue to be assured that we remain committed to enhancing and developing health services in Heanor – and four pledges I outlined in January's meeting still stand true.
"Finding asbestos at the hospital, combined with the age of the building, means health services cannot be provided in the hospital building as it stands and we know from speaking with local groups and individuals that people now understand that to be the case.
"We look forward to welcoming everyone to the meeting, where we will provide an update on everything we have been doing since our last meeting in January."
Mr Layzell said that since January's meeting, blood testing and services had returned to Heanor and the group was also looking to bring outpatient clinics back to town.
He said: "I would like to stress that no decisions have been made at this stage."
