Community healthcare provider, CHEC, has announced plans to build a new hospital in Canterbury.

Founded in 2012, CHEC is one of the UK’s-leading providers of community services, working in partnership with the NHS to increase patient choice and provide access to timely care and treatment.

And it has revealed that it will be building a new hospital at The Riverside, Canterbury, with free underground parking and ‘excellent public transport links’.

CHEC says it is currently fitting out its new building into a ‘state-of-the-art clinical’ facility complete with an ophthalmology theatre.

The company says the new facility will help reduce NHS waiting times and increase patient choice by providing access to ophthalmology, ENT, and dermatology services in the community.

Working with the NHS, CHEC has more than 30 community hospitals and 90 community clinics nationwide.

And the addition of CHEC in Canterbury strengthens its existing Southern England stronghold, which already includes hospitals throughout Berkshire, London, and Hertfordshire.

Jose Bailey, chief commercial officer at CHEC, said: “Patient choice, exceptional care, and equity of access are central to our operations and ethos, which is why we’re proud to collaborate with NHS partners nationwide, helping to keep waiting times to a minimum while delivering the very best quality of care.

“For well over a decade, we’ve been trusted by the NHS to deliver healthcare services free of charge, and we can’t wait to open our doors and become part of the Canterbury community.”