UNEXPECTED delays have pushed back the completion of Thornbury’s hospital project to 2015.

Although the scheme is on track, obstacles have got in the way of its grand opening scheduled for 2014.

With two different bodies each owning half of the land the new complex is due to be built on, NHS North Bristol (NBT) for the hospital side and South Gloucestershire's Primary Care Trust for the health centre section, the future ownership of the site remains undecided.

The project’s managers are hoping for NBT to offer to buy the PCT's land, which would simplify matters when the new health campus is completed.

Yet their negotiations with the body are still ongoing and could continue for a while yet, leaving a question mark over the exact start of the next phase of the development.

Ben Bennett, programme director for NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire said the issue of ownership had to be resolved before the scheme could move forward.

He said: "For lots of reasons we want a single ownership. We have been in talks with North Bristol Trust about that and we want to make sure they take over the health centre site. This pushes the end date to 2015. In terms of the longer picture we will have the benefit of this extra time."

But things will need to move fast if NBT is to take over the whole site as all PCT assets across the country will be transferred to the NHS Property Service in December, as part of a move to phase out care trusts.

Thornbury Hospital steering group member Cllr Maggie Tyrrell said: "It does seem that the project is making progress although it’s not going at the speed we would like. The land issue has held the process up a little and now we are talking about 2015 instead of 2014. We still think that given all the work that still need to be done it’s an optimistic date."

The state-of-the-art complex, which will replace the current Henderson Ward and health centre, is set to include a nursing home with six NHS-funded beds and extra care housing. A new health centre will also be created with a greater range of outpatient and diagnostic services, as well as a minor injury unit.

Yet, the question of where the NHS beds would be provided is still up in the air at the moment, which could incur further delays.

Councillors called for reassurance from the NHS that the beds would be kept in the nursing home part of the complex but were not able to get the definite answer they were hoping for.

Cllr Tyrrell added: "We have sought reassurance and are hoping that they continue to hold to the original plan. We are still keeping a close watch on the progress to make sure that the promises on these beds remain."