Green light given for extension of Derby hospital - but it might never be builtThe new department could cut waiting times and improve the patient experienceView Image The Florence Nightingale Community Hospital off Oxford Street in DerbyA new department at a Derby hospital has been given the go-ahead, but it might never be built. ‌Plans to build a new paediatric audiology department at the Florence Nightingale Community Hospital have been approved by Derby City Council, but there is a chance they might never come to fruition. ‌This would mean most paediatric audiology services would be relocated from their current space at Royal Derby Hospital and Queen's Hospital Burton, which could transform the "quality, accessibility and sustainability of care for children across Derby and South Derbyshire", the application read. It continued to explain that the space for children's audiology services at Royal Derby Hospital was not fit for purpose due to its lack of sufficient clinical rooms. "By relocating most paediatric audiology services to Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, a more central and accessible site.

Source: Daily Mirror February 19, 2026 14:53 UTC