A nationally-renowned hospital has been given the go-ahead to complete the next phase of a major redevelopment.

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) and the NHS Trust Development Authority have confirmed that the outline business case for the next major phase of the rebuilding of the Stanmore hospital has been unconditionally approved.

A board meeting approved the business case yesterday, giving the RNOH the go-ahead to select a final bidder for the work.

RNOH chief executive Rob Hurd said: “This is excellent news for our patients. We can now take our plans to a final stage for a hospital in which we continue to deliver high quality clinical care in wards and buildings that are fit for purpose.

“I am also very pleased and grateful to our staff who have maintained standards and continued to transform our patients’ lives, despite the condition of our buildings.

“After many years of uncertainty, we can finally progress to the final stage of building the new hospital at Stanmore.”