A NEW design team has been appointed for a £1.5 million project at a North Yorkshire hospital.

The design is for the refurbishment of Fitzwilliam Ward at Malton Hospital and will be prepared by a team of architects, designers, engineers and quantity surveyors from Leeds and Harrogate, headed by Ian Anderson, of HMA Architects. The team has previously designed buildings for several other health trusts in the North of England.

Kevin Pulford, director of primary and community care for the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust (PCT), said: "We are pleased that the PCT is now able to get this project under way, as these improvements can only mean better health care for everyone throughout Ryedale."

Fitzwilliam Ward provides 27 beds for acute GP-led medical admissions.

These are for day case surgery, and also transfers from general hospitals.

Updated: 10:57 Wednesday, July 09, 2003