Willmott Dixon has reached a major construction milestone at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, topping out the £140 million emergency care building that is set to transform urgent and emergency healthcare provision across Plymouth, South Devon and Cornwall.
The project represents the first Wave 1 scheme within the Government’s New Hospital Programme to reach this stage, marking significant progress for one of the NHS’s major healthcare infrastructure investments.
Representatives from Willmott Dixon, its supply chain and the wider design team joined University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) and hospital staff to celebrate completion of the building’s structural frame.
Construction of the frame has required approximately 10,900 cubic metres of concrete and 1,900 tonnes of recycled steel reinforcement, with reducing embodied carbon forming an important part of the structural design from the outset.
Around 55% of the cement content has been replaced with ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), a by-product of iron and steel production. This approach has resulted in an estimated carbon saving of 1,625 tonnes from the concrete used on the project to date.
The sustainability strategy forms part of a wider drive to reduce the environmental impact of new NHS infrastructure. The Derriford development is one of the first New Hospital Programme schemes designed to meet the NHS Net Zero Building Standard, placing energy performance and carbon reduction at the heart of its design and construction.
Once completed in April 2029, the new building will provide four clinical floors of modern, purpose-built accommodation for urgent and emergency care.
An expanded Emergency Department will occupy the ground floor, increasing capacity and providing facilities designed specifically around modern emergency healthcare requirements. Following completion, the hospital’s existing emergency department will be reconfigured to create a dedicated Paediatric Emergency Department.
The investment will provide an important upgrade to Derriford Hospital’s healthcare estate while supporting services for patients across a wide regional catchment.
Delivery of the £140 million scheme is being undertaken through the ProCure23 framework, which is used by NHS organisations to procure healthcare construction and development projects.
With the structural frame now complete, attention will increasingly move towards the building envelope, mechanical and electrical services, internal fit-out and the extensive specialist clinical infrastructure required before the new facility can become operational.
The topping out represents an important step towards the April 2029 completion target and provides a significant early construction milestone for the wider New Hospital Programme.
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
