Redland's hospital is having an extension added

A £10.5 million extension is being added to Spire Bristol Hospital, Redland.

It is already the largest private hospital in the South West but the number of rooms and theatres will be increased by the extension.In 2006, while run by Bupa, Top Gear star Richard Hammond was treated at the hospital following a high-speed crash, because it was the only private site with an intensive care unit in the region.The work at The Glen in Redland will involve reconstruction of the hospital's intensive care unit and add a new cardiology unit to diagnose problems, as well as more surgical and diagnostic equipment.A state-of-the-art operating theatre will be added to the site bringing the total to five.The theatre recovery area will be expanded along with the outpatients department, taking the number of consulting rooms from 16 to 21.There will be an additional 13 bedrooms and 29 extra car parking spaces.Spire Bristol Hospital is already a national centre of excellence for cardiac, brain and spinal surgery, with about 280 consultants already practising at The Glen.Hospital director Rob Anderson said: "This is an important step forward in the improvement of healthcare facilities in Bristol and the South West, and will cement and enhance our position as a national centre of excellence."In just a couple of months' time, the region will have a new flagship hospital and I believe it speaks volumes that we are making such a major financial commitment in the depths of a recession."The extension will allow us to make more efficient use of our space, improving the general environment for both patients and staff."A recent audit at the private hospital showed that there have been no cases of the superbugs MRSA and clostridium difficile at the site since records began.