Shepton Mallet Hospital is set to get a new temporary outpatient department after plans were approved to boost patient capacity.

The modular building, to be installed on a section of car park opposite the main entrance, will house a 14-chair waiting area and seven consultant rooms. It's designed to ease pressure on services and will be in place for five years.

Work is due to start in late summer 2025, with the building delivered in modules and craned into position to minimise disruption. Once its use ends, the site will be reinstated.

Hospital bosses say accessibility has been built into the design, with ramps at the entrances and high-quality finishes inside. While the development will temporarily reduce disabled parking, replacement bays and new signage will be introduced as part of wider maintenance work.

The site, previously home to a Covid testing station, was chosen to avoid impacting local residents or existing trees.

Practice Plus Group Hospital, which runs the site, said the new facility would allow more patients to be seen while keeping services close to home.