STAFF, patients and volunteers joined together to celebrate the official opening of Bicester’s Community Hospital yesterday.

A plaque has been unveiled to mark the ceremony, which comes six months after the hospital first began treating patients.

Retired GP Dr Richard Stephenson, who worked in Bicester for 33 years, did the honours unveiling the plaque.

Bicester GP and Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) board member Dr Stephen Attwood said: “This has been a long journey and I want to thank everyone for being part of it. Working with our partner organisations on this development has been a great achievement.

“The facilities are wonderful for patients, their families and carers, and the environment is very fresh and spacious – we are truly delivering modernised healthcare.”

The new Coker Close hospital has 12 patient rooms, physiotherapy, x-ray suites and a first aid unit.