Work has begun on a multi-million pound ambulance service hub for West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) in Sandwell. Leading property developer Stoford is delivering the 76,000 sq ft purpose-built hub, the largest hub of its kind in the country, which will eventually house about 350 operational ambulance staff. Contractor McLaren Construction is now on the seven-acre site in Shidas Lane, Oldbury, and aims to complete the hub, which will also include a facility for the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), fleet maintenance and vehicle preparation areas, the Trust’s Education and Training Academy and central stores, next spring. It will be open in time for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which kicks off in July 2022, and will be used as a staging point for the Trust’s preparations for one of the world’s biggest sporting events. Tony Nash, Director at Stoford, said: “This is a significant development for West Midlands Ambulance Service and an important national infrastructure project, so we’re pleased to have made a start on delivering the scheme, just a short time after we received planning approval. “As a former quarry site that was undeveloped for 15 years, it is a technically challenging building project, so receiving financial support from the West Midlands Combined Authority to make it viable has been crucial in getting it ready for development.” Craig Cooke, WMAS Director of Strategic Operations, added: “This is an important hub for the Service not just for the Commonwealth Games but for our ongoing ability to deliver high quality care to the people of Birmingham and the Black Country. “It will also see a major upgrade in our central stores facility, which has played such a vital role during the pandemic, but also a big step forward in facilities for our Education & Training team and the Hazardous Area Response Team. “Talking to staff, they are excited to see the new building developed and we will be working with them to ensure it fully meets their needs.” The development is the first of its kind for funding partner Assura, as it continues to expand the range of local healthcare infrastructure it supports for primary care networks and NHS Trusts. Jonathan Murphy, Assura CEO, said: “This hub will provide a much-needed new base for emergency health services in the West Midlands. We are particularly proud to be playing our part in such an important piece of the health infrastructure that will sit around the Commonwealth Games, at a time when the eyes of the world will be on the region.” WMAS serves a population of 5.6 million people and covers an area of more than 5,000 square miles, comprising Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and the West Midlands. The hub will achieve the BREEAM Excellence rating and will accommodate 365 parking spaces, including ten disabled spaces and 70 ambulance spaces.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust is working on an exciting project to create a new healthcare campus as part of the government’s Health Infrastructure Plan. When opened, the campus will transform how care is delivered across the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System; to enable this transformation the trust’s board has stated that ‘it wants to be the most digitally advanced hospital in the UK’. To help form a business case to achieve its ambitions, the trust has been working with Gemserv Health. The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust serves a population of 350,000 people living around the M11 corridor just north of London. It provides general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services from three sites, including its main hospital in Harlow. Princess Alexandra Hospital is a classic ‘hospital building programme’ facility opened in phases from 1958 to 1966. In August last year, the trust confirmed exciting plans to create a new healthcare campus, supported by the government’s Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) to build or refurbish 40 hospitals. The Department of Health and Social Care’s outline for the HIP makes it clear that “it is not just about bricks and mortar” but about making sure that the “digital technologies and data sharing capabilities” are in place to provide better care to the public. Digital agency NHSX has developed a blueprint for what these might mean; and it is very ambitious. So, as Helen Davis, the deputy programme director for the new Princess Alexandra Hospital explains, it will use elements of the blueprint to make sure it is one of the most digitally enabled in the country. “We have the advantage of being one of the few hospitals in the programme to be working on a complete new build,” she says. “So, we are able to plan to transform all elements of the patient journey using digital. “That means everything from the moment people arrive at the hospital to the way they move through the building, to how their treatment is provided, to the way in which the building itself is managed. All of this will be supported by new technology and digital solutions.” Significant work has been undertaken by the trust in developing its business case and roadmap for achieving its ambitious goal, and this has been shared with the HIP’s New Hospital Programme executives, NHSE/I and NHSX, with positive feedback. As such a project is vast and complex, the trust has engaged specialist expertise from Gemserv Health to create a commercial case for the digital elements. The Gemserv team helped the trust to think through how it wanted to deliver the technology, taking account of the resources available to support different delivery options. Then, it helped the trust to work out how best to procure the preferred delivery options. One of a number of ideas that was explored in some detail was whether the trust could collaborate with national digital and procurement bodies and other HIP hospital trusts to create a specific set of framework arrangements for any of the 40 organisations in the HIP to use. Although carefully considered, the timing and a limited capacity within the organisations to bring this all together meant it was not viable for the trust to pursue this option. In the end the key issue became whether the trust should look to work with many suppliers on the different elements of the blueprint, or whether it should look to work with one or two lead contractors to secure them. “A lot of what is in the blueprint is very new technology,” Entwistle says. “Most of it is in use somewhere in the world, but no organisation is using all of it anywhere. That means the trusts in the HIP are going to need to find the right suppliers; the people who don’t just deliver the component parts but make it all work together in an integrated way. “In the end, we produced a commercial case that took account of the trust’s capacity to manage its suppliers and its appetite for risk.”

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has today unveiled plans to build an iconic new Eye Hospital in the centre of Sunderland as part of the City’s ambitious Riverside Sunderland masterplan. Sunderland Eye Infirmary is one of very few specialist standalone eye hospitals in the whole country and the region’s only dedicated centre for ophthalmology care.  It is home to the Regional Cataract Treatment Centre and widely regarded across the NHS, both regionally and nationally, as a centre of excellence for eye services, caring for patients from across the North East, Cumbria and beyond. The current facilities on Queen Alexandra Road in the South East of the City are now over 75 years old with a costly and aging infrastructure that does not reflect the world class treatment and outstanding NHS care taking place inside.  Building a brand new, fit-for-purpose Eye Hospital has long been part of the Trust’s strategic ambitions and has now been made possible thanks to partnership working with Sunderland City Council. All clinical services currently provided from Sunderland Eye Infirmary will transfer to the new state-of-the-art facility to be delivered from a new modern, purpose-built environment in a much more accessible City centre location.  As part of its plans, the Trust is also keen to continue expanding its specialist ophthalmology services in the community through its satellite hubs across South Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham, including the introduction of a new clinic at Cleadon Park Primary Care Centre in South Shields. Staff at Sunderland Eye Infirmary have welcomed plans for a new hospital.  Clinical Director for Ophthalmology services and Consultant Ophthalmologist Mr Jean-Pierre Danjoux said: “Staff at the Eye Infirmary are absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a brand new hospital as there is no doubt that our current building is dated and no longer fit for purpose.  The services we offer are nothing short of world class with outstanding patient feedback and they deserve an environment to match.  Today’s news is testament to the perseverance and ingenuity of our leadership team, who, by working in partnership with the Council, are now turning our dream of a new facility into reality for patients.” Plans to build a new Eye Hospital in Sunderland have only been made possible thanks to strong collaboration between the NHS and the local authority.  Funding for the development has been provided by the local authority and will be repaid by the Trust to allow the relocation of the hospital to a much improved City centre location on the former Vaux site.  Mr Ken Bremner MBE, Chief Executive of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our ambitions for a new Eye Hospital in Sunderland have been a long time in the making.  Announcing our development plans is a historic moment for the Trust and represents a major investment into the local NHS thanks to our collaboration with Sunderland City Council. “In these uncertain times and especially as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, this is an extremely positive and welcome development and demonstrates our commitment to working with local partners to deliver the very best healthcare for the people we serve.  We now look forward to involving patients, staff and the wider public in the design process ahead and as we work together to progress plans to the next stage.”  Over the coming weeks a series of virtual engagement sessions will take place as follows and people can book onto the sessions via www.stsft.nhs.uk/neweyehospital: Friday 19 March         2pm – 3pm   Saturday 27 March     11am – 12 noon Tuesday 30 March      1pm – 2pm Thursday 15 April       2pm – 3pm Tuesday 20 April         6pm – 7pm Tuesday 27 April         10am – 11am Thursday 29 April       2pm – 3pm Tuesday 4 May           1pm – 2pm The Trust is keen to hear from as many people as possible to ensure the design of the new Eye Hospital provides the optimal experience for patients, staff and visitors.  Work is also taking place with The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to ensure the new hospital design is built around the needs of those with sight impairments. Plans for a new Eye Hospital in Sunderland have been fully supported by the region’s NHS.  Sir Liam Donaldson, Chairman of the Integrated Care System across the North East and North Cumbria said: “This exciting development builds on Sunderland’s great tradition in eye surgery. It also shows how, in the midst of the extraordinary pressures of the pandemic, the NHS is still innovating and looking to the future needs of patients. The new Sunderland Eye Infirmary will shine as a beacon of excellence in the North East’s NHS for years to come.” The announcement represents the latest boost for Riverside Sunderland, which is undergoing rapid regeneration in line with the Council’s delivery plan to transform the area into a dynamic urban quarter, where up to 2,500 people will live, 10,000 will work and thousands will visit.  The new Eye Hospital will stand alongside The Beam; City Hall, which is nearing completion, and two further commercial properties that are being developed as part of Legal & General’s £100m commitment to the site.  Councillor Graeme Miller, Leader of Sunderland City Council said: “We are delighted to work with the Trust on this exciting development for the City and help deliver a new world class facility for Sunderland Eye Infirmary as part of our Riverside Sunderland plans.  We look forward to working with the NHS in the weeks and months ahead as plans progress.”  Healthcare leaders will use the feedback gathered over the next few months to shape its plans for a new Eye Hospital before submitting a formal planning application at the end of May.  The Trust hopes to start building work in 2022 (subject to planning approval) and is aiming for the new Eye Hospital to open in 2024.  For more information visit: www.stsft.nhs.uk/neweyehospital or email stsft.SEI@nhs.net.

CONSTRUCTION firm Stepnell has delivered a new exclusive £12 million care facility in the West Midlands. The state-of-the-art scheme – located in Eastcote, Solihull – was completed in just over 18-months on behalf of luxury care home provider Cinnamon Care Collection, which has been recognised as a top 20 recommended care home group for the past three years. The luxury care and retirement living development, named Eastcote Park, is now ready to open its doors to residents next month, providing residential and respite care, as well as a dedicated community for those living with dementia.  The two-storey build features a 50-bedroom care home and two additional apartment blocks that house 34 two-bedroom retirement apartments, with personal and private lift access for first-floor residents.  The former garden centre and once brownfield site has been transformed with beautiful landscaped gardens, as well as outstanding facilities – such as a restaurant, bar, fitness suite, cinema room, hair and beauty salon and multiple lounges. Adrian Barnes, regional director at Stepnell, said: “We are really proud to have delivered this fantastic, advanced care facility for one of our repeat clients and one of the most highly regarded care home providers in the country. “As a former brownfield site, the land provided several practical challenges for us – such as surface water issues – as it is surrounded by countryside. We also had the added pressure of lockdown for a large chunk of the build, requiring us to adhere to government guidelines to ensure that we could stay on site to deliver the project on time and on budget. “Stepnell is continuing to increase its portfolio of high-end luxury care homes in the UK, and our care specialists pride themselves in understanding the importance of a beautifully designed living space and the impact it can have on the people living there. We are really pleased to be able to continue our successful relationship with Cinnamon on another care home in Stourbridge, due to commence on site shortly.” Albert Josephs, head of development at Cinnamon Care Collection, said: “We are excited to be opening the doors to our new, luxury retirement village for the West Midlands. Construction firm, Stepnell has done an outstanding job in completing Eastcote Park over the last 18-months – so much so that we are planning to appoint them for future Cinnamon sites. Every detail within the care home and the retirement village has been carefully planned to the highest standards, using the finest quality furnishings and fittings throughout.” The new ultra-modern care facility, designed by architects Harris Irwin, has been carefully designed with dedicated areas including sensory, reminiscence and visual stimulation to help support those living with dementia. Ian Holme, director at Harris Irwin, said: “We are delighted to have been involved in this project at Eastcote Park and seeing it through from inception to completion. Working closely with both Cinnamon and Stepnell, this outstanding development is the result of a fantastic team effort by all concerned, delivering the highest quality of accommodation and care environment for its residents. “We have no doubt that Eastcote Park will prove to be a highly successful development and we very much look forward to working with both Cinnamon and Stepnell on many more such projects in the future.” To find out more about Eastcote Park www.cinnamoncc.com/retirement-villages/eastcote-park/ To find out more about Stepnell visit: www.stepnell.co.uk. Join the conversation at @Stepnellltd.        

CONSTRUCTION at a brand-new purpose-built residential care home for children has now started on site in Warwickshire, with principal contractor Stepnell putting the first spade in the ground.  The award-winning construction firm has been appointed to help bring the £5.1 million high-quality development to life, which will include four stand-alone residential care buildings as well as associated community facilities and external landscaping works, built around the existing community building and large pond on site.   The state-of-the-art build, named The Forge, has been designed to provide a safe, secure and encouraging place for up to 20 children who are experiencing emotional and behavioural disorders or recovering from early childhood trauma. Located off Plough Hill Road in Nuneaton, the therapeutic community is being developed by children’s home provider Forge Care and has been designed by architects IDP.  The ground-breaking scheme will become a flagship scheme for Forge Care, offering the highest level of care with a strong focus on quality spaces, materials and design principals.  Gavin Miller, director at Forge Care, said: “We are excited to have this flagship project underway, The Forge is a trauma-informed service that evolves as a whole system underpinned by the Sanctuary Model. Within our Therapeutic Community environment the social relationships, structure of the day and activities are all deliberately designed to facilitate learning, and develop people’s personal, social health and wellbeing.  “It has been a pleasure working with our various suppliers, and keeping those suppliers local was an important factor in selecting our team, from our designers and architects to our building contractors, working with companies based in Warwickshire was important for us and we are proud of what we have achieved as a team.”  Stepnell – a family-owned construction firm that has been operating for more than 150 years – has a wealth of experience in residential and educational facilities, and The Forge will be a welcome addition to its large portfolio of both public and private sector clients.  Adrian Barnes, regional director at Stepnell, said: “We’re delighted to be starting on site at The Forge and we are incredibly proud to be involved in a project that will have such a big impact on the local community, particularly vulnerable children looking for a safe and secure place to call home. The scheme is ground-breaking in a number of ways and we are confident that it will have the ‘wow factor’ once finished.  “We are really excited to be on site and get started on this fantastic scheme, and we will be adhering to strict COVID-19 and Public Health England Guidelines throughout the build to ensure that we are keeping everyone safe.”   Each of the four individual buildings at The Forge will incorporate a welcome space, main lounge, kitchen, quiet space, games, and an activity space as well as five en-suite bedrooms on the first floor, to replicate the traditional family home layout. The development has a strong focus on sustainability, using carefully selected materials like timber cladding and zinc, and will provide a variety of green space to promote physical activity and wellbeing.  The communal amenity space will include a games area and a stand-alone art room. Outside, children will have access to large play areas that support mental and physical health – such as yoga and meditation amenities – as well as external dining and BBQ’s for the warmer months. The external spaces will also feature sensory and nature spaces, to encourage residents to grow plants or food and encourage wildlife, while utilising the existing pond to provide a tranquil setting for residents.  Jenny Bachelor, associate architect at IDP, said: “IDP is incredibly proud to have been involved with The Forge since early concept sketches and development of the brief. As a multi-disciplinary practice experienced in quality healthcare design our involvement has embodied architectural design and services, interior design, landscaping, technical delivery and cost consultancy, and we are very much excited to see the homes built as they were intended to be. “It is such a unique and forward-thinking project in its care model and design and it is a real credit to Forge Care and the wider team that this has been made possible.  “The design encompasses a collection of four truly bespoke homes nestled within intimate gardens and individually designed to orientate outlook and maximise connectivity to the beautiful site, all in the interest of aiding recovery. Each en-suite bedroom also has its own window seat towards the main garden and a soft natural and monochrome finish has been used to offer a calming backdrop to the colourful interior design.  “The Forge seeks to provide a safe and nurturing environment very much in tune with the high level of care that will be provided there, yet its playfulness encourages a sense of adventure and intrigue.” As well as the four care homes, there will be 21 car parking spaces, including two disabled spaces and cycle parking for staff. The existing community building is to remain on site.   The development received planning approval from Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council in 2018 with funding finalised last year from Assetz Capital. The residential development is expected to be completed by Christmas 2021. To find out more about The Forge visit www.forgecare.co.uk.  To find out more about Stepnell visit: www.stepnell.co.uk. Join the conversation at @Stepnellltd.   

G F Tomlinson has been successfully selected as an approved partner for the NHS Shared Business Services PS-Works: Public Sector Construction Works Framework, which launched on 17 December 2020. The framework will provide a compliant procurement route to market for all NHS and wider public sector construction works requirements across the UK, and G F Tomlinson has been appointed to deliver projects up to the value of £5million across the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire regions. Bidding for the framework, which lines up trusted construction partners for the next seven years, started in February 2020, with 82 UK contractors vying for limited places of up to 10 for each regional lot. 41 contractors in total have been selected to work on projects up to the value of £5million across the UK including G F Tomlinson, and projects to be delivered will include healthcare, education, housing, social care, leisure, libraries, blue light, transport, recycling and waste, industrial and commercial facilities, as well as mixed use regeneration projects. As part of the complex bidding process, G F Tomlinson was required to prove innovation and sustainability in its delivery, as well as consistency of engagement with stakeholders. Following its successful appointment to the framework, the contractor must embrace and commit to eight core framework objectives when delivering projects, which include: value for money, collaboration, approved organisation satisfaction, quality, sustainable procurement, social value, modern methods of construction and an integrated supply chain. Additionally, contractors must provide the NHS and wider public sector authorities with pre-approved supply chains with suitable levels of training, experience and compliance for master planning, integrated design and construction works. Providing social value to local communities is a key framework driver, which includes the use of local supply chains to focus on SME impacts and sustainable local outputs, whilst being actively managed to ensure efficiencies and innovation are being delivered. G F Tomlinson has a strong focus on social value, and its policy and processes focus on four key investment areas including: 1. Employment, training and skills 2. Sustainable procurement 3. Environmental protection and enhancement and 4. Community support. In the last three years, the contractor has generated £22.5million of social value, investing £1million in terms of corporate time, expertise and funding to local community projects and charities. 59% of local labour is sourced within a 20-mile radius of recent projects and 89% within 40 miles of sites. The contractor also diverts 97% of all waste from its projects away from landfill. Chris Flint, director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are very pleased to have been appointed to this major NHS Public Sector Construction Works Framework, which is streamlining the procurement route to market of all NHS and wider public sector construction work requirements across the country. We look forward to delivering significant healthcare and public sector projects for the next seven years. “G F Tomlinson has already delivered in excess of £640million projects through public sector frameworks to date and as a hardworking and tenacious team, we fully embrace the opportunities this provides in extending our reach across the UK, leaving a positive legacy in the regions in which we operate. “With our experienced management team, commitment to high-quality project delivery, collaborative working, together with the provision of social, economic, environmental and sustainable benefits for local communities, we are ideally positioned to deliver projects up to the value of £5million, as part of this NHS Framework.”

Beard has increased its presence in the care home construction sector, after being awarded contracts worth a combined £25million with Signature Senior Lifestyle, to build two of its new developments in the south east. The sites in Caversham Berkshire and Farnham Common Buckinghamshire, are both expected to be completed in 2022, providing luxury care homes and assisted living communities for seniors in need of nursing, respite or dementia care. Beard was chosen to carry out the work due to its track record for innovation, excellence and quality in all stages of the building process. Added to that is the commitment to prompt and faultless delivery on all projects, prompt payment of all of its suppliers and creating a safe, Covid-secure working environment on site. Caversham will comprise 86 apartments, including a number of deluxe units, built over four floors, split across a sloping site with views across to the Caversham lakes. Communal facilities will include a café, restaurant, cinema, lounge areas, activity room, a pub, spa bathrooms, hair salon and therapy room. Farnham Common will also offer luxury assisted living and nursing in 74 studio-style bedrooms with private wet rooms, with the same range of facilities on hand to residents. Pat Hughes, director of Beard, said: “It’s a real privilege to be able to work with Signature Care Homes on these two developments, and to be able to deliver on their vision for the highest quality living spaces for their residents. The excellence in design of the buildings and their positioning in their surroundings at both sites makes these homes particularly attractive. “In terms of the care sector it’s an important market for Beard, as we understand there is increasing demand for the kind of high-quality home and care that Signature provides. “We’re confident we can help to meet that demand, bringing the quality of construction honed over more than 120 years that Beard is renowned for. “While we’re all living and working during this Covid-19 period which is likely to be with us some time to come, we will continue to operate to the highest possible standards. We will ensure both sites are run in line with best practice and government guidance on how to keep all who work there safe and well.” Wayne Pryce, Group Development Director for Signature said: “We are looking forward to working closely with Beard to deliver two exceptional care homes that will serve the people of Caversham and Farnham Common. “Beard was selected because we have shared values and they can deliver the high quality environment that Signature residents expect. I look forward to successfully completing the project together and welcoming Signatures’ residents to their new home.”

Midlands contractor G F Tomlinson has commenced works on the new Greenwood House Medical Centre in Burntwood, Staffordshire. Due for completion in September 2021, the new £3.4 million medical facility, located on Lichfield Road, will bring first class healthcare facilities to the community, relieving the pressure of local hospitals. The new single storey centre will consist of 12 consulting rooms, five treatment rooms, a healthcare and phlebotomy room, and a health education space with an adjoining pharmacy unit, and will be built on a site previously occupied by a residential care home, which has been vacant since 2008. “The importance of good quality healthcare is important, now more than ever, and the new medical centre will provide optimised and accessible facilities for the local community which are currently inadequate, meeting the demands of the ageing population in Burntwood. We’re pleased to be partnering with Staffordshire County Council once again to provide vital public service buildings for the wider community, instilling confidence that they have access to good healthcare whenever they need it,” said Chris Flint, director of G F Tomlinson. Providing a much-needed upgrade to the current healthcare facilities, the centre will be replacing services provided by the Darwin Medical Practice – located on Hudson Drive approximately 300 metres away from Greenwood House, ensuring improved and accessible facilities for the area. There will also be 61 onsite parking spaces created and surroundings will be landscaped, with the centre using the existing road entrance for the former care home. The scheme has been funded by NHS England’s Estates and Technology Transformation Fund, which aims to improve healthcare services for patients across the country with modernised facilities and technology. Procured through the Staffordshire County Council framework, G F Tomlinson has been selected to provide construction works for the site, and this is the fifth project the contractor has procured through the framework since 2016. Recent projects for the framework have included the £3.7 million renovation of King Edward VI Primary School in Lichfield, and the £5 million build of Anker Valley Primary School in Tamworth. “Part of the strategy for reducing demand on our hospitals from ageing communities is to provide more facilities and services close to residents. This development, reusing a dormant plot of land that has long been earmarked for the purpose, will provide additional capacity for the local GP practice and means people in Burntwood can look forward to a new, state-of-the-art facility that meets the community’s needs,” added Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council and former cabinet member for health, care and wellbeing. Staffordshire County Council is leading this project, with project management from ENTRUST, G F Tomlinson acting as main contractor, CPMG as architect and Jackson Purdue as structural engineer.