Bicester is being offered a second new hospital after a private firm launched a consultation on proposals rivalling an NHS scheme.

Specialist medical developer Arkanum said it could invest up to £30m in a hospital at the new Kingsmere housing estate.

The scheme would be in direct competition with plans by NHS Oxfordshire to replace the town’s 12-bed community hospital in Kings End with a care home and 12-bed ward, a first-aid unit, therapy centre and x-ray unit.

Arkanum, based in Cheltenham, said it was considering building a hospital and care home with 65 beds. Of these, about 30 would be hospital beds. There could also be extra services such as MRI and ultrasound scans and a small operating theatre.

The company would then bid for contracts to treat NHS patients.

The plan comes amid the controversial changes in the NHS, with primary care trusts being abolished, and GPs taking charge of finances and decisions on where patients are treated.

Arkanum is asking residents and GPs whether they would support its project.

Spokesman John Lucken said: “The private sector will build the hospital for free and will be paid out of payments for patients’ treatments.

“What we need to do is discover whether the people of Bicester want this, whether GPs want this and whether the council wants this.

“What we offer would be based on what the community needs.

“If it can be demonstrated there is enough demand for services, then it will be worthwhile building the hospital, but if people don’t want them, it won’t be built.

“The PCT will have to take a view whether it wants to continue – if they do, we will decide whether it is still worthwhile.”

He said if the plan went ahead, work could start this autumn, with the hospital opening in 2014.

Hospital campaigner Les Sibley said: “The Kingsmere site is there waiting to be developed.

“It has already got planning permission for a health village.

“We would be foolish not to take a look at this proposal.”

Oxfordshire PCT project director Riana Relihan said: “The procurement process to replace the existing facilities in Bicester with a new hospital is reaching the final stages of evaluation and appointing our preferred bidder.

“A private company undertaking to build a private facility will not affect this process.”

For more details, email info@arkanum.co.uk