Coventry Health Authority will decide before the end of this month which site it will recommend to the Government for the city’s new super hospital.

But the decision will not be taken before 16 March when there will be a public meeting so that the CHA can receive feedback from the various consultations that have been taking place throughout the city and county.

Eamonn Kelly, Director of Primary Care and Commissioning at CHA, said:

"There are a number of issues which we need to clarify. There have been claims and counter-claims by the factions supporting either the city centre site or the site at Walsgrave.

"The CHA needs to be clear about the facts relating to the two sites and to be sure that there is no dispute about the facts. We want definitive answers to all questions raised during the consultation period."

When the consultation period began the Coventry Health Authority indicated that it preferred the Coventry & Warwickshire Hospital site, but said that the Walsgrave site was the more practical option. Mr Kelly stressed however that the CHA had not decided finally.

"There are still a lot of issues to work through and we are sifting through them during the next two weeks leading up to the public meeting."

Among those issues are questions raised about the flood plain, which might affect the Walsgrave site and the effect of transferring patients and services to Walsgrave during construction work, if the city centre site is chosen.

After the public meeting the CHA will decide which site is to go forward and the Walsgrave Trust will prepare an outline business case to be sent to the Department of Health and then to the Treasury. A final Government decision would be expected between early April and June.