Plans for Castellón’s new General University Hospital now specify 765 beds, 31 operating theatres and 26 interventional treatment rooms. That would add 261 beds, 16 theatres and 18 treatment rooms to the current hospital’s capacity. The figures presented this week provide the first detailed measure of the planned clinical expansion, although the construction contract has yet to be put out to tender.
The regional Health Department says the design phase is complete and expects building work to begin after the start of 2027. That remains a forecast: the next verifiable step is publication of the tender, followed by the award of the contract. The announced 60-month construction period has not begun.
A larger hospital while the existing building stays open
The new building will provide more than 140,000 square metres of floor space on an adjoining 31,614-square-metre plot. The existing hospital covers 67,436 square metres, taking the combined complex to about 210,000 once both buildings are included. Those numbers describe physical space; on their own, they do not confirm staffing levels or guarantee a particular reduction in waiting times.
The clinical comparison gives a clearer indication of scale. The planned 765 beds would be a 51.8% increase on the current 504. Operating theatres would rise from 15 to 31, while rooms for less invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures would increase from eight to 26.
The existing General Hospital is due to remain open during construction. Once the new building is finished, the regional government plans a phased refurbishment of the old hospital and nearby facilities. It has not yet explained how access, service transfers or day-to-day movement of patients and staff will be managed alongside the building work.
The remaining land has now been secured
The final plot needed for the project was acquired on 18 September, Radio Castellón reported. That resolves the outstanding land issue identified when the regional cabinet authorised a construction tender with a base budget of more than €474 million on 11 September.
The latest presentation refers to an investment of about €500 million. These are not two separate contracts: €474 million is the approved base tender budget, while the latter is a rounded estimate for the project. The final cost will depend on procurement and delivery.
The tender will show whether the forecast 2027 start remains achievable. A staffing master plan cited by Castellón City Council is also outstanding and will be needed to explain how the extra capacity will be supported. A contract award, a formal start-of-work record or publication of that staffing plan would be the next milestones that turn the forecast into an effective timetable.
Existing site and planned additional plot for Castellón’s new General Hospital. Original graphic based on regional government data; it is not a site plan and does not measure clinical capacity. © València Informada, 2026.