Barnstaple hospital’s twin MRI extension approved, with specialist scans promised closer to home

Patients in North Devon who currently have to travel to other hospitals for certain MRI scans could be able to have them in Barnstaple by 2028, after plans for a twin MRI extension at North Devon District Hospital were approved.

Full planning permission was granted on October 27 for the extension and refurbishment works at the hospital in Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, along with associated infrastructure, mechanical plant and landscaping.

However, the hospital’s trust has warned that it cannot wait until 2035 for the wider investment the site needs, after the Government’s 2025 review of the New Hospital Programme pushed back construction of its major new clinical building.

The application, submitted by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, was decided by North Devon Council under delegated powers and did not go before a planning committee.

Speaking to the Gazette, the trust said North Devon District Hospital was “a lifeline for local communities”, but that much of the site was “in critical need of investment to renew, refurbish and replace ageing buildings and infrastructure that increasingly struggle to support modern NHS care”.

“We cannot wait until 2035 to address the most pressing challenges,” it said. “We are continuing to make the strongest possible case for investment in improvements that can be delivered sooner, while progressing our wider redevelopment plans and ensuring we are ready to move forward as opportunities for funding arise.”

What the extension would deliver

The extension would house two new MRI scanners. One would replace the ageing scanner in the hospital’s Radiology Department, while the second would provide additional capacity.

The newer scanner in the Atlantic Suite, which opened in December 2025, would remain. That would give the hospital three permanent MRI scanners, compared with two now.

The trust said the new scanners would allow it to offer a wider range of specialist scans locally, including cardiac MRI, bariatric scanning and scanning involving paediatric monitoring. Patients currently have to travel to other NHS sites for these.

It said the extra permanent capacity would help to reduce waiting times, meet growing demand and cut reliance on temporary mobile scanning facilities.

“Demand for MRI scans continues to increase,” the trust said. “Modelling within the business case indicates the additional permanent capacity could significantly reduce projected MRI waiting lists and support faster access to diagnosis and treatment.”

It added that North Devon District Hospital is the most remote acute hospital in mainland England, with some patients facing significant journeys to reach alternative services.

Funding and timeline

The Gazette has been told that the final cost has not yet been confirmed. The trust said the total will be set out as part of the business case, which it is currently finalising.

The project is being funded through the national New Hospital Programme, subject to approval of that business case, which is due to be submitted in early 2027.

Subject to approval and the trust securing the required capital funding, construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the facility opening to patients in 2028.

Because the extension would be built alongside the existing Radiology Department, there will be some construction activity close to current services. The trust said it has developed a phasing approach designed to minimise disruption and maintain access for patients and staff throughout.

Part of a bigger plan

The extension is also intended as a building block for the Our Future Hospital programme, the wider plan to redevelop the hospital. The Trust said it would create the infrastructure needed to physically connect the existing site with planned new clinical facilities, including operating theatres, intensive care and women’s and children’s services.

However, the Trust said construction of the major new clinical building is “now unlikely to begin before 2035.”