Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, has started construction work on a £42 million, 125,000 sq ft specialist lab space at an internationally significant health innovation campus. With the UK in the midst of a significant shortage of lab space to support the demand
National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning permission on behalf of London Square Developments and NHS Property Services Ltd for the development of 125 new apartments, commercial and community uses in the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The scheme will provide flexible commercial and community uses at ground
Daniel May of Consort reviews the integration of access control systems in healthcare settings, outlining the benefits and key considerations decision makers must make throughout product specification. From patient safety and traversal to the protection of sensitive data and pharmaceuticals, today’s healthcare environments are faced with several operational challenges. And
Willmott Dixon has announced the start of construction work on two new state-of-the-art specialist healthcare facilities, developed by Prime plc in partnership with University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). Situated on plot 2 of the Adanac Health and Innovation Campus in Southampton, the new multi-use facility, which is being
Work on a new state-of-the-art £105m adult mental health inpatient unit, to improve mental health care and facilities for patients, is now underway in Manchester. North View is the 150-bedroom specialist unit set to provide much-needed space and modern facilities for adults with mental health needs from across Manchester. Work
GRAHAM has been awarded the contract for the redevelopment of Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital. The redevelopment plans include the creation of a new three storey elective care hub on the site, funded by the national COVID-10 recovery programme, that will be the home for a new state-of-the art intraoperative MRI (iMRI)
EXTENDING its delivery of pan public sector services, leading multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has been appointed to NHS Shared Business Services new £1.6bn framework agreement. Operating across a four-year term, the move will see the firm deliver each of its core services and more across ten lots of the NHS
Urban Group has been awarded the £7.85 million contract for Callington Road Hospital improvement works. The 18-month project in Bristol will see Urban Group deliver improvements to four buildings on the site of the hospital. Interior works will include reconfiguration of the space, the installation of new bedrooms, wards, a
Morgan Sindall has secured a contract to deliver a new £25 million state-of-the-art diagnostic centre near to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. The company was appointed by Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH). Procured through the NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) framework, the new NNUH Diagnostic
A special breaking ground celebration was held last week to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, a new eye care, research and education centre in Camden. The integrated centre will be the new home to Oriel partners: Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, has started construction work on a £42 million, 125,000 sq ft specialist lab space at an internationally significant health innovation campus. With the UK in the midst of a significant shortage of lab space to support the demand and burgeoning growth of the life sciences sector, Citylabs 4.0, located within Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s (MFT) Oxford Road Campus, will offer world-leading, highly specialist space specifically designed to support companies working in precision medicine, including those in diagnostics, genomics, biotech, medtech and digital health. The seven-storey development incorporates infrastructure to accommodate CL2 labs and specialist equipment, including increased floor loading, enhanced cooling systems and ventilation provisions, and a large platform lift. Businesses that locate here will also benefit from 100GB superfast connectivity, shared breakout spaces, an internally secure cycle storage with showers and kit drying room, and have access to the campus’ 150-person event space, multiple meeting rooms, cafes and supermarket. The campus, created in a joint venture partnership between Bruntwood SciTech and MFT, provides innovative life science and healthcare businesses with a unique opportunity to gain direct access and collaborate with the UK’s largest NHS Trust. As part of the support provided by the joint venture, businesses receive access to R&D and funding support, as well as opportunities including joint clinical trials, sample supply, diagnostic collaborations and medtech adoption, faster than anywhere else in the UK. They can also access the world-class talent and research capabilities of MFT, the University of Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan University. Citylabs is surrounded by some of the UK’s most eminent teaching hospitals including the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary (with emergency helipad access), Saint Mary’s Hospital and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, and is located in the heart of the city’s Oxford Road Corridor innovation district, home to 50% of the city’s life science businesses and is Europe’s largest clinical academic campus, generating around £3bn GVA each year. The campus is also a government-designated High Potential Opportunity Zone for Diagnostics and Healthy Ageing, and a named Enterprise Zone. Sitting at the heart of the city’s health and life science cluster, it is surrounded by world-class research centres including Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, The University of Manchester Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Clinical Research Facility, and the Pankhurst Institute. It is also home to the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. The development of Citylabs 4.0, the third phase in the Citylabs masterplan taking the campus from 192,000 sq ft to 327,000 sq ft, will build on and enhance the existing health innovation cluster at Citylabs, which is home to more than 20 life science and healthcare businesses including global molecular diagnostics company Qiagen who opened their Global Centre of Excellence for Precision Medicine at Citylabs 2.0 in November 2021, new generation molecular diagnostics business Apis Assay Technologies, ophthalmic instrument manufacturer Takagi, and one of Europe’s largest contract research organisations MAC Clinical Research. It will also contribute to the creation of more than 300 additional high value jobs. Citylabs 4.0 is expected to achieve net zero carbon in construction and operation in its shared spaces and will be 100% electric. As a highly energy efficient building, it is targeted to be EPC A and include 208m2 of solar panels, enough to charge an average electric car approximately 1235 times. The building’s cladding system will be made from 75% recycled end-of-life aluminium (post-consumer scrap), meaning its content will have one of the smallest carbon dioxide footprints worldwide; seven times less than the global average for aluminium production. Contractor GMI Construction Group has been appointed to build the Sheppard Robson-designed development and local teams also working on the development include Arup, Hilson Moran, Gardiner and Theobald, and Layers. It is expected to open in Spring 2025. The development of Citylabs 4.0 is supported by a £42m loan from the North West Evergreen Fund, managed by CBRE’s Investment Advisory team, which is part of CBRE Capital Advisors. Dr Kath Mackay, Director of Life Sciences at Bruntwood SciTech said: “There has never been a greater opportunity for the UK and Manchester to support the life science sector as there is currently by investing in the much needed specialist lab space and infrastructure companies need to scale and collaborate. Manchester’s life science ecosystem continues to thrive and at Citylabs through our partnership with MFT we can provide businesses with direct access into the NHS and have tests and treatments adopted at a faster pace and scale here more than anywhere else, resulting in improved healthcare for the people of Manchester and wider region.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning permission on behalf of London Square Developments and NHS Property Services Ltd for the development of 125 new apartments, commercial and community uses in the London Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The scheme will provide flexible commercial and community uses at ground floor level and 125 apartments above. The apartments will be provided in a variety of sizes including 1, 2 and 3 bedroom options and 50% will be on-site, tenure blind, affordable units. Private and communal amenity space is also included. The design of the two buildings is intended to respond to the mixed character of the surrounding area, which has low rise buildings to the north and west and emerging high-rise development to the east associated with the regeneration of the Cambridge Road Estate. The approved design is car-free with four blue badge holder spaces and London Plan compliant cycle parking facilities. The scheme is located on the site of the former Hawks Road Clinic, which had become surplus to the NHS’s requirements and was vacated in 2020. It entails the reuse of brownfield land whilst making a meaningful contribution of 63 dwellings to the Borough’s affordable housing stock. All jobs and services associated with the previous clinic use have been relocated within the Borough. Jessica McSweeney, Partner, Planning and Development, Carter Jonas commented: “We are extremely pleased to have achieved this planning permission, which follows 18 months of work alongside the Council’s planning officers, the Greater London Authority, neighbouring landowners, the community, the Design Review Panel and other statutory consultees. The scheme will bring much needed housing, including a substantial proportion of affordable housing, to the Borough.” In achieving planning success, Carter Jonas worked alongside Fuse Architects. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Daniel May of Consort reviews the integration of access control systems in healthcare settings, outlining the benefits and key considerations decision makers must make throughout product specification. From patient safety and traversal to the protection of sensitive data and pharmaceuticals, today’s healthcare environments are faced with several operational challenges. And where security remains at the forefront of decision making, modern access control systems may often hold the answers. Hospitals in particular have developed into multi-faceted spaces that house hundreds to thousands of patients, staff and visitors at any one time. In England for example, research has found in the three months leading to June 2023, an average of 44,626 people visited major hospital A&E departments each day, with over 16 million attendances typically recorded over the course of a year – not to mention an additional 9 million logged at other minor units. For any building, this level of sustained footfall can invite severe security tests. With that, the need to deploy effective physical security systems in healthcare is clear. And so, as access control continues to become more readily adopted and new products enter the market, decision makers are reminded to consider the requirements of their building, ensuring they select the solutions most suited to their settings and budget. Security controlled Patient safety will always remain top priority in healthcare settings, and where matters of health and social care come into question, a diverse set of professional regulatory bodies are tasked with setting and maintaining high standards. When it comes to healthcare premises specifically, patient security and perimeter security often come hand in hand and are amongst the most pressing of challenges that decision makers must face. To help address operational planning and potential design concerns in the NHS, the Health Building Note (HBN), provides general design guidance for healthcare buildings under HBN 00-01 – citing the use of access control measures as a way of maintaining security and protecting the safety of patients, staff and visitors. Hospital buildings for example, must control varied levels of access for a number of operational and security purposes. Routine scenarios exist where vulnerable patients are under monitoring and thus refrained from exiting the premises for their own safety, while at the same time, permitted staff must be able to reach their patients and medicines when required. For this, the use of access control is key. Equally, access credentials can also help management teams keep track of those who may be entering or exiting rooms with equipment and pharmaceutical supplies, deterring any unwanted visitors and opportunists in the process. On a similar note, regulations have set a minimum standard for how personal data should be stored and managed in healthcare environments, giving decision makers an added responsibility to regulate staff-controlled areas with patient medical records. While instances of personal data breaches are rare, healthcare facilities and professionals are at legal risk should confidential data be found misused or missing. As such, the incorporation of access control systems has become essential in keeping data storage areas secure, with intuitive online systems capable of permitting access to staff with the correct credentials while simultaneously tracking who has requested clearance at digital entry points. To function effectively, healthcare facilities must always be perceived as a safe place by the people who reside within them. Besides, efficient residential management systems also play a crucial role in ensuring organized care within these specialized environments like group homes for people with developmental disabilities. Such systems integrate various features, including patient monitoring and access control, simplifying the complex web of responsibilities faced by care providers. To function effectively, healthcare facilities must always be perceived as a safe place by the people who reside within them. Besides, efficient residential management systems also play a crucial role in ensuring organized care within these specialized environments like group homes for people with developmental disabilities. Such systems integrate various features, including patient monitoring and access control, simplifying the complex web of responsibilities faced by care providers and as HBN guidance implies, a unified physical security system can help address key safety and security concerns while enhancing patient and staff experience. Opportunely, today’s access control systems are more accessible and adaptable than ever and combine several technologies such as mechanical locks and automatic doors with electronic access credentials in the form of smartphone apps, badge readers and biometric scanners. By integrating these systems into the building’s existing infrastructure, healthcare professionals are better equipped to control the sheer volume of people entering and exiting the premises without impairing the general flow of movement and coordination around the facility. Better by design Despite the clear benefits offered to healthcare facilities, there are a number of considerations to be mindful of when choosing an access control solution. Poorly implemented systems can have an adverse effect on security and functionality – quickly costing healthcare organisations time and budget to rectify and replace the inadequate products that don’t meet the building’s requirements. For that reason, decision makers and design teams are reminded that there is no single solution that fits all healthcare buildings. As such, it’s crucial for decision makers to understand the systems that are being put in place throughout each of the touchpoints in their facility. Clear collaboration is required during periods of specification, where together, teams can ensure the selected product works on all angles, from meeting fire safety and sustainability standards to aesthetics and scalability. Frequently overlooked, scalability is a key area that decision makers must review when selecting access control systems. Such is their diverse nature; healthcare facilities can often change and develop as years go by, and by selecting a system that facilitates growth – such as a cloud-based solution – security and efficiency is long-established. While modern access control products are known for seamless integration, there are some systems that may restrict the ability to use different vendors throughout the remainder of the building’s infrastructure. This, in effect, causes a monopolisation of products throughout the estate, which can have an adverse effect
Willmott Dixon has announced the start of construction work on two new state-of-the-art specialist healthcare facilities, developed by Prime plc in partnership with University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS). Situated on plot 2 of the Adanac Health and Innovation Campus in Southampton, the new multi-use facility, which is being funded by Macquarie Asset Management on behalf of the retirement specialist, Just Group plc, will comprise an Aseptic Pharmacy and Sterile Services Department (SSD), with further flexible expansion space. The Aseptic Pharmacy will act as an MHRA-licensed pharmacy, with sterile medicines manufactured for UHS and other NHS providers in the region. Meanwhile, the SSD will sterilise surgical tools and equipment for use by UHS; these services will be delivered at the new location by strategic provider IHSS. UHS is one of the largest acute teaching trusts in England and experiences a very high demand on its geographically constrained site. By working with Prime, through the Southampton Commercial Estates Development Partnership (CEDP), the Trust has been able to unlock a number of complex estate challenges. These new facilities will be the latest in a series of developments designed to create more space for the Trust to expand. Previous development on the hospital site has produced a new entrance, retail space and staff car park. The partners then worked together to create Adanac Health and Innovation Campus, providing additional expansion space with good proximity to the hospital and easy access to the motorway network. To date, a multi-storey park and ride car park serving the hospital and Costa Coffee have been delivered at the new campus, and a remaining 3 plots are still to be developed. This is the latest scheme between Willmott Dixon and Prime. In 2022, the two delivered a 600+ space multi-storey car park at Dorset County Hospital, creating valuable parking provision for the Trust’s staff, patients and visitors, while also freeing up space so the Trust can extend its Emergency Department and Critical Care unit. It also further underlines Willmott Dixon’s role as one of the UK’s largest constructors of healthcare space. Notable projects include Bolton College of Medical Sciences, a ‘first of its kind’ facility that’s a blueprint for training NHS staff across the country, plus the Pears Building – Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, a world-leading research centre at the Royal Free Hospital. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work on a new state-of-the-art £105m adult mental health inpatient unit, to improve mental health care and facilities for patients, is now underway in Manchester. North View is the 150-bedroom specialist unit set to provide much-needed space and modern facilities for adults with mental health needs from across Manchester. Work on North View started in August 2022 with the new unit anticipated to be built and open in autumn 2024. The steel frame superstructure is approximately 75% constructed and is due to be 100% complete by mid-September 2023. You can view drone footage of the site from August 2023 here: The unit will help improve the region’s mental health services and ensure service users can access the care they need in an environment designed to enhance and aid therapeutic recovery. Once open, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust will provide the clinical services operating out of the new development. The building itself is part of an exciting vision for North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) to improve health and wellbeing for local people over the next 10 to 15 years. It will replace the Park House mental health unit, which currently serves as the inpatient unit for the area, but will be built in an alternative location on the hospital site. This will allow the new development to be fully constructed without disturbing current patients and the day-to-day operation of services. The new development will see significant improvements to patient experience, with spacious single bedrooms, each with a private en-suite shower room, as well as a variety of indoor activity areas, meeting rooms for family visiting, multiple gardens, spaces for therapeutic artwork and a café. North View has also been designed as an all-electric healthcare facility to support the NHS goal of becoming net zero and will utilise heat pump technology to provide heating, cooling and the generation of hot water. The building will also incorporate energy efficient materials throughout, and roof mounted solar power. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
GRAHAM has been awarded the contract for the redevelopment of Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital. The redevelopment plans include the creation of a new three storey elective care hub on the site, funded by the national COVID-10 recovery programme, that will be the home for a new state-of-the art intraoperative MRI (iMRI) machine, providing seamless patient care during surgery and reduce the need for some children to travel to other parts of the UK for treatment. It will also provide additional clinical space for services. Ronan Hughes, Regional Director at GRAHAM commented: “Building on our expertise in providing state-of-the-art health facilities, we’re immensely proud to be delivering this project for the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. It will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy in the Birmingham area and hugely benefit children and families, clinical staff and the wider community.” The proposals will see a radical transformation of the front of the hospital with the current entrance being demolished and replaced with a new striking glass façade creating more space to welcome patients and visitors. A key benefit of the scheme is improved thermal performance and energy efficiency by expanding the use of ground source heat pump technology. Windows at the front of the hospital will be replaced with modern glass and frames in keeping with the site’s Victorian architecture. Matt Boazman, Chief Executive for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are grateful to Council colleagues for their support of these plans. This is excellent news, not just for the Children’s Hospital but the thousands of children and young people across Birmingham and the West Midlands who access our services every year and those across the UK who rely on the skills and expertise of our highly specialised services. “The developments will not only improve existing services but create opportunity for us to do more for the young people who rely on us for their care.” The plans are also being supported by the hospital’s Charity which is currently fundraising for the new iMRI machine and in discussions to support the dramatic transformation of the front of the hospital. Vicky Casey, Architect Director at BDP said: “Through a combination of redevelopment and refurbishment our project at Birmingham Children’s Hospital will create a modern healthcare facility that can sustain the world class provision of paediatric services in the heart of Birmingham city centre. The ambitious decarbonisation credentials alongside the theatre expansion and iMRI provide critically important facilities for the children of Birmingham and the wider region. “The sympathetic reimagining of the historic Victorian courtyard will provide the trust with a modern main entrance re-creating a sense of arrival that celebrates the building’s origins while meeting the needs of patients and families. We are incredibly proud to be designing these projects for such an important anchor institution in Birmingham, helping it shape the future of healthcare provision for its staff and children in the West Midlands.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
EXTENDING its delivery of pan public sector services, leading multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has been appointed to NHS Shared Business Services new £1.6bn framework agreement. Operating across a four-year term, the move will see the firm deliver each of its core services and more across ten lots of the NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Healthcare Planning, Construction Consultancy & Ancillary Services Framework Agreement, spanning architectural and project management services to net zero environmental consultancy. Open to local authorities, emergency services, higher education, NHS and the wider public sector, the new agreement builds on the previous NHS SBS Framework Agreement and a nine-year working relationship Pick Everard has held with the organisation on the NHS SBS framework agreement. Alex Hamilton-Jordan, associate director at Pick Everard, said: “This agreement provides an efficient route to market to procure our services, and offers flexibility for organisations to adapt to meet their requirements. “Collaboratively, we aim to deliver better, together. Nothing can be achieved in isolation, and key to our continued success on this framework will be to engage and work with a full range of partners throughout the supply chain, including local SMEs that can offer valued, local insight. “We’re excited and open to the opportunities this will bring to appoint our professional services, engaging public bodies through the framework agreement.” Pick Everard has successfully delivered a wide range of projects through the existing NHS SBS framework agreement, including the relocation of congenital heart services for the Leicester Children’s Hospital in 2021 – which had been threatened with closure until campaigning efforts ensured the centre received part of a £450m pot of government funding. The firm also designed and managed a £250m+ schools expansion programme for the London Borough of Hounslow, which delivered more than 1,000 new school places. Alastair Hamilton, partner at Pick Everard, said: “Our strength as a business is being able to create a positive impact for local communities, that scale regionally and nationally. We’ve made huge strides in growing our operation over the past five years, and part of this owes to our framework appointments, which have a real focus on quality, a broad range of service delivery and technical excellence. “We’re hugely proud to be able to continue our journey with NHS SBS and the success the framework agreement delivers – ensuring the best possible outcomes for clients and end-users.” Melissa King, senior category manager – construction and infrastructure at NHS SBS, said: “We’re excited to launch our Healthcare Planning, Construction Consultancy and Ancillary Services framework agreement, which replaces our successful Construction Consultancy Services 2 framework agreement. “It is designed to support the NHS and wider public sector by providing high-quality, innovative and cost-effective solutions through UK-wide coverage, a unique depth of expertise and a broad range of suppliers.” For more information on Pick Everard and its services, visit: https://www.pickeverard.co.uk/ Further details on NHS SBS can be found at: https://www.sbs.nhs.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Urban Group has been awarded the £7.85 million contract for Callington Road Hospital improvement works. The 18-month project in Bristol will see Urban Group deliver improvements to four buildings on the site of the hospital. Interior works will include reconfiguration of the space, the installation of new bedrooms, wards, a kitchen and multi-purpose rooms for meetings, consulting and supervision, as well as a therapy suite, workshops and a de-escalation centre. To help meet sustainability targets and contribute significantly to the care and recovery environment, energy efficient LED lighting will be installed, with appropriate dimming and automatic switching. Building temperature control and heat emitters will be enhanced and the design incorporates the most recent standards in insulation, lighting, low-carbon heating. The Bristol Hospital is for people experiencing serious mental health conditions. Working on behalf of the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, the project forms part of the successful Healthier Together bid to NHS England for the consolidation of inpatient services. Jimmy Crowe, Commercial Director, said: “The reconfiguration and improvements to Callington Road hospital will bring together inpatient facilities, creating a centre of excellence offering a wide range of specialist therapies in a supportive environment. “This co-location of services will enable the Trust to share specialist skills and resources on the one site, as well as achieving economies of scale. “Working within a live environment is always a challenge and one which we have a lot of experience in successfully delivering. We will work closely with the client’s team to manage the sequencing and project timetable to fit in with the ongoing clinical needs of this operational site.” Charlotte Scully, from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, said: “Urban Group has extensive experience and a dedicated hands-on approach. We look forward to working with them to achieve our vision of integrated health and social care and sustainable provision of mental health inpatient services across the Bristol area. “Supporting our community based services, the investment into Callington Road hospital will provide enhanced in-patient support bringing together a range of skills, specialisms and therapies.” Callington Road Hospital opened in 2006, providing psychiatric inpatient and community services for Bristol and the surrounding region. The landscaped grounds include paths, water features and gardens. The re-design has been led by AHR Architects, which has experience in Mental Health design. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Morgan Sindall has secured a contract to deliver a new £25 million state-of-the-art diagnostic centre near to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. The company was appointed by Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH). Procured through the NHS Shared Business Services (SBS) framework, the new NNUH Diagnostic Centre will include five MRI machines, four CT scanners, two Ultrasound rooms and two X-Ray machines, bringing essential health services closer to the local community. The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is a large NHS academic teaching hospital in the Norwich Research Park on the western outskirts of Norwich. The Norwich Research Park brings together four independently renowned research institutes; John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute, Earlham Institute and The Sainsbury Laboratory with the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH). The new 40,000 sq. ft structure will be situated next to the Quadram Institute on the Norwich Research Park, connecting the pre-existing infrastructure at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital to the new services. A steel frame will be installed with brick façade in keeping with the rest of the University Hospital estate. As part of Morgan Sindall’s Intelligent Solutions approach to supporting its customers to decarbonise, the Eastern Counties business will implement carbon reduction measures throughout the design and construction process. The team will utilise Morgan Sindall’s carbon reduction tool CarboniCa, which will ensure that potential carbon outputs are managed and reduced across the entire building lifecycle. The new diagnostic centre will benefit from an air source heat pump system and is aiming for a BREEAM Excellent rating. The Eastern Counties business has a strong track record in delivering high-end healthcare facilities across the region, having recently celebrated a topping out ceremony at the charity-funded Priscilla Bacon Lodge Hospice and completing a number of vital upgrades at James Paget University Hospital during the last decade with live further works being delivered. Alister Broadberry, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Eastern Counties, said: “Bringing essential, specialist services closer to local communities is paramount in serving the area in which we operate, as new facilities such as Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital’s diagnostic centre will play a key role in supporting patients and healthcare staff in the rapid diagnosis of disease, relieving pressure on waiting times and hospital workloads. “Our open and collaborative approach means that we have been able to deliver sustainable healthcare facilities locally, regionally and nationally that are adapting to the changing needs of the community. The diagnostic centre is set to become a prime example of great design and the team’s forward-thinking approach, further enhancing Morgan Sindall’s reputation in the region.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A special breaking ground celebration was held last week to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, a new eye care, research and education centre in Camden. The integrated centre will be the new home to Oriel partners: Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. Bouygues UK is the leading contractor who will build the centre which is due to open in 2027. The new centre – part of the New Hospital Programme, the biggest hospital building programme in a generation – will harness the expertise of the partners under one roof to enable closer collaborative working between clinicians and researchers. This will speed up delivery of the highest quality treatments and therapies for patients in the UK and globally. Breaking ground is an important construction milestone which publicly marks the start of building work on site. Guests at the event included Lord Markham CBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, key staff involved in the development and design of Oriel, NHS leaders and leadership donors who are supporting the project. Dr Martin Kuper, Moorfields Eye Hospital chief executive, said: “We have been looking forward to this breaking ground event for a long time. It signifies we are now in the construction stage of the project to build the new home for Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this stage. This centre will support our global reputation for excellence and help us deliver outstanding care for all our patients.” Professor Alan Thompson, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, said: “Being part of breaking ground really brought home that construction of our new centre is about to start. This is a hugely exciting milestone for Oriel and a great opportunity to celebrate all the work it has taken to get to this point. Oriel will allow us to drive forward innovation to support our work in the long-term and strengthen our partnership with Moorfields to deliver real benefits for patients.” Robert Dufton, Moorfields Eye Charity chief executive, said: “We were delighted to invite our generous leadership donors to this exciting event. It gave us an opportunity to thank them for their support. Philanthropy is a key part of the Oriel funding mix and has a vital role to secure the future of eye health on a global scale. We look forward to talking to more interested donors.” Fabienne Viala, chair of Bouygues Construction in the United Kingdom, said: “In our construction industry, breaking ground is always a very exciting moment. It signifies a huge step forward to start building and is a real opportunity to celebrate. We are so proud to be the leading contractor for this innovative building which will be an exemplar for accessibility, tailored to the needs of patients, and designed flexibly to meet future needs.” Health Minister Lord Markham said: “It was an honour to attend the breaking ground event to mark the start of construction to build Oriel, which is part of the biggest hospital building in a generation. The new centre will advance eye care, research and education to deliver innovative new ways of working, with closer collaboration between clinicians and researchers, enabling quicker delivery of new treatments and therapies for patients. We continue to work closely with the NHS to improve services and Oriel is part of our commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030, which is now expected to be backed by over £20 billion of investment.” Natalie Forrest, senior responsible owner of the New Hospital Programme, said: “This exciting event, which marks the start of construction for the new eye care, research and education hospital is such a momentous milestone. I am delighted to see the project move forward as part of the New Hospital Programme, which marks a step change in how we design and build new hospital facilities. This incredible state-of-the-art facility will transform eye care and health for people across the country.” The Oriel site was previously owned by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. In February 2023, Moorfields acquired the site through an NHS-to-NHS transaction approved by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and a £300 million contract was awarded to Bouygues UK to build Oriel. Demolition of six buildings on the Oriel site started in late February and construction of the 10- storey, 47,000 sq. m, centre has now begun on site. To see our timelapse video of demolition on the site please visit Demolition – Oriel (oriel-london.org.uk). The new centre will be located in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, an internationally renowned hub for science and innovation. It is close to several NHS, commercial and charity partners as well as UCL’s Bloomsbury campus. For the second year running, UCL was named second in the world for the strength of its international research network, which is central to their mission as London’s global university. For more information about Oriel, the construction programme and upcoming milestones please visit www.oriel-london.org.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
