The Trust chooses Balfour Beatty as construction partner for new Women and Children’s Unit
18 January 2012
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has chosen Balfour Beatty to build the new Women and Children’s Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital, which is planned for summer 2014.
The appointment followed a rigorous selection process which attracted several leading construction companies.
Chris Needham, Associate Director of Estates and Facilities Management at the Trust, and technical lead for the reconfiguration project, said:
“We were impressed with Balfour Beatty and what they could bring to the project. We have already started working with them on what promises to be a first class Women and Children’s Unit for the people of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and mid Wales.”
Ian Ford, Director for Balfour Beatty Construction, said:
“We are delighted to be working with The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and look forward to using our experience in managing complex projects to deliver real value to the NHS.”
The new Women and Children’s Unit will be for children who need to stay in hospital overnight and will include a new children’s cancer and haematology unit. It will also be for women who need a consultant-led delivery and gynaecological and head and neck services which require an overnight stay.
The new unit is subject to approval of both a planning application, which will be submitted to the local planning authority in the coming weeks, and the Full Business Case (detailed plans) for the wider reconfiguration project, which will be submitted to the relevant health boards in spring 2012. If both are approved, work will start on the new Women and Children’s Unit in spring 2012, with an expected opening date of summer 2014.
Other projects which Balfour Beatty have recently completed include a £588m project for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, a £20m project for Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and a £7m project for St Mary’s Hospital in Kettering.
Balfour Beatty has extensive experience of constructing maternity facilities as part of larger hospital developments with recent projects in Fife, Wakefield, Birmingham and Northampton. They are a market leader in the healthcare sector, having worked with several NHS Trusts to provide world class hospital and research facilities which enable healthcare professionals to concentrate on delivering high quality patient care.