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Author: James Cooper

Blog: Pioneering the ‘Third Way’ for NHS Estates

A clinician in full PPE and blue scrubs in a dark operating theatre - there is a large, circular surgical light in the background

Recent reports from the Royal College of Surgeons and national media paint a compelling picture: waiting lists now exceed 7.3 million patients, with over 170,000 waiting more than a year for treatment. The 2025 UK Surgical Workforce Census highlights burnout, limited theatre access, and rising attrition among trainees. Meanwhile, almost half of NHS surgeons are operating just once a week due to bed shortages and outdated facilities.

Case Study: James Paget Orthopaedic Outpatient Centre

James Paget Orthopaedic Outpatient Centre - exterior 3/4 view. The building is clad in dark grey paneling and features bright yellow hand rails for the ramp and stairs.

The Trust needed a same-day emergency care (SDEC) unit to bolster its urgent and emergency care offering. To provide the best patient flow through the current hospital building, the optimal location for the SDEC was next to the hospital’ emergency department (ED). The space neighbouring the ED was being used to house the Trust’s orthopaedic outpatient services.

Case Study: James Paget Orthopaedic Elective Centre

James Paget Orthopaedic Elective Centre - exterior

The JPOC and Oulton Suite are a transformative step for healthcare delivery at the JPUH in Gorleston, Norfolk.
Operating seven days a week, 50 weeks a year, it will provide a planned 1,400 extra theatre sessions annually…

Case Study: Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre

Bird's eye view of the CDC

In collaboration with NHS Property Services (NHSPS), University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, and the MP for Hinckley & Bosworth, Dr Luke Evans (who is also Shadow Health Minister),
LLR ICB approached Darwin Group for its
expertise in delivering quality healthcare facilities.

Case Study: Sutton Cottage Hospital Decant Space

Sutton Cottage decant space - consultation room interior

Sutton Cottage Hospital at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was first built in 1897. It has been developed in four stages, with the most recent addition in 1936. Issues like uneven floors and out-of-date infrastructure were limiting the accessibility of the building, which led to the Trust’s decision to undertake a significant renovation project at the site. Planned for 12 months, this project will see substantial improvements to the existing site for patients and staff.

Blog: Reframing NHS Surgical Challenges as Opportunities for Evolution

A clinician in full PPE and blue scrubs in a dark operating theatre - there is a large, circular surgical light in the background

Recent reports from the Royal College of Surgeons and national media paint a compelling picture: waiting lists now exceed 7.3 million patients, with over 170,000 waiting more than a year for treatment. The 2025 UK Surgical Workforce Census highlights burnout, limited theatre access, and rising attrition among trainees. Meanwhile, almost half of NHS surgeons are operating just once a week due to bed shortages and outdated facilities.

Blog: Flipping the Script on Value in the NHS

Clinician in blue scrubs in an operating theatre, adjusting a pendant light

The NHS was founded on a radical promise: that healthcare should be free at the point of need, funded collectively, and delivered with compassion. That promise still holds. But to protect it, we must evolve how we think about value—especially when it comes to the estate.

Case Study: Two-storey Ward Building at Leighton Hospital

Darwin Group was able to utilise the company’s innovative modular build systems to provide a new 60 bed two-storey ward building featuring a mixture of single and multi-bed bays, complemented with ancillary accommodation – utility spaces, storage and staff areas – and a specialist physiotherapy space.

Case Study: Older Adult Mental Health Ward in Surrey

New Spenser external - garden and pergola

Due to the on-going construction of a new mental health hospital on the site of the former Abraham Cowley Unit (ACU), a temporary facility was required to offer capacity for older adult mental health care for a few years. Additionally, the new construction would need to be easy to repurpose, to help the Trust adapt to the ever-changing needs of the estate.

Case Study: Airedale ICU and General Ward

Airedale ITU and general ward exterior 3/4 image, the building features white, blue and grey cladding and large windows

Prior to commencing our construction project, we conducted thorough site surveys that revealed unfavourable ground conditions in the intended construction area. Additionally, the site exhibited significant changes in elevation.

Blog: Why Static Estates Are Failing Winter Care

Outside a hospital emergency department. Ambulances are parked and there is snow on the ground.

Every winter, the NHS faces a tidal wave of demand. But while frontline staff stretch to meet it, the buildings they work in stay frozen in time. Static estates—rigid, outdated, and crumbling—are failing to support modern care. And the consequences are felt in every corridor, waiting room, and emergency department across the country. At Darwin Group, we believe infrastructure should be an enabler, not a barrier. So, let’s talk about why static estates are breaking down, and how dynamic, modular solutions can change the game.

Interview: Professor Martin Elliott – On-Demand® Ultraclean Operating Theatres

The Darwin Group On-Demand® Ultraclean Twin Operating Theatre aims to address surgical backlogs and pressure on NHS estates. It offers a permanent-grade, modular facility designed to meet the most stringent clinical standards while being deployable at pace. To explore its impact and potential, we spoke with Professor Martin Elliott, renowned paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Medical Director, TED talker and healthcare lecturer, who recently previewed the new On-Demand twin theatre design, developed and in construction by Darwin Group.

Shropshire’s Darwin Group fires up fundraising for Severn Hospice

Shropshire-based Darwin Group®, the healthcare estates specialist, are firing up for this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place on 19th and 20th July 2025. The 20-strong crew of ‘Dar-Winners’ are raising funds for a much-loved local charity, Severn Hospice.

Darwin Group Supports Momentm Health with diagnostic and therapeutic services

A modular building that was delivered and installed by Darwin Group® is set to create a positive impact for a new healthcare business based in the heart of Cambridgeshire. Momentm Health is an exciting new independent healthcare provider of expert diagnostics, and therapeutic procedures and has recently achieved its Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration.

Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre Opening Ceremony

Darwin Group®, the healthcare estates specialist, has completed and fully handed over Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre for University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. The new centre will provide approximately 80,000 additional diagnostic tests every year to patients in Hinckley and the wider Leicestershire area.

Accessible and Adaptable Facilities for a Healthier Future

The Government is preparing to publish a 10-Year Plan for NHS reform, and it is expected to prioritise a plan to deliver its third vital strategic shift from treating illness to preventing it. In anticipation of this, Darwin Group reflects on the infrastructure needed to make this vision a reality. Now, six months on – and with the plan’s release imminent – our recommendations feel more relevant and urgent than ever.

Why Infrastructure and Technology Must Evolve Together

As the NHS prepares to embrace its second major strategic shift – from analogue to digital – Darwin Group reflects on the critical enablers that will determine the success of this transformation.
While digital tools and AI-powered diagnostics hold promise, their impact will be limited without the right infrastructure and workforce to support them.
Now, six months on – and with the plan’s release imminent – our recommendations feel more relevant and urgent than ever.

A Modular Future for Efficient Patient Pathways

In December 2024, Darwin Group submitted its response to the NHS 10-Year Health Plan consultation with a clear message: the future of healthcare delivery depends on agile, adaptable, and patient-centred estates.
Now, six months on – and with the plan’s release imminent – our recommendations feel more relevant and urgent than ever.

A Guide to Improving GP Premises: A New Collaborative Report

Practice managers and general practice leadership across the country face daily challenges with buildings that are not fit for purpose. Inappropriate and inaccessible accommodation for service provision poses serious challenges to care delivery, affecting both patient and staff experiences. Additionally, the increasing demand for services, evolving healthcare needs, and regulatory requirements add to the complexity of managing primary care estates.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital celebrates construction milestone – topping out ceremony with Darwin Group

Tuesday 10th June 2025 marked the last structural element being placed at the top of Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s new Coast Building, in a symbolic ‘topping out’ ceremony.

Darwin Group®, the healthcare estates specialist, has delivered and installed the highest point of Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s new Coast Building. Construction started on the site in November 2024 following a ground-breaking ceremony.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital, part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD), is also part of the NHS’s national New Hospital Programme.

The Breaking Point: So Many Patients, Too Few GPs, and Not Enough Space…

As of April 2025, general practice in England is facing unprecedented pressure. With 63.77 million patients registered and only 28,249 full-time equivalent (FTE) fully qualified GPs, each GP is now responsible for an average of 2,257 patients. This ratio is not just a number – it’s a reflection of the growing strain on a system that is struggling to meet demand.

James Paget Orthopaedic Outpatient Centre – an On-Demand Solution

Following a successful handover from healthcare construction partner Darwin Group®, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust opened the doors to its new Orthopaedic Outpatient Centre on Thursday 22nd May 2025. The healthcare estates specialist, Darwin Group, delivered and installed an On-Demand® Healthcare Facility for an Orthopaedic Outpatient Centre.

Launching the new Learning Centre at Calderdale Royal Hospital

Wednesday 16th April 2025 marked a milestone for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust as it opened the brand new healthcare facility delivered by Darwin Group.

The Trust, based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, welcomed colleagues, other health and social care organisations, local people, and team members from Darwin Group, to officially open its new Learning Centre.

First look inside Norwich’s new community health centre as spring opening approaches

Local councillors and health leaders visit Magna Medical Centre, which will transform how health and care services are delivered, by bringing services closer to where patients live and providing wider services to support healthy lives. A new £11 million health centre on the outskirts of Norwich will open this spring, providing health services to thousands of patients.

RBH breaks ground on new Coast Building

Royal Bournemouth Hospital has started the main construction phase on the Coast Building, a state-of-the-art ward and catering block, that will expand patient capacity and elevate University Hospital Dorset’s services as part of the national New Hospital Programme.

The Coast Building will feature 110 new beds across four levels, a larger kitchen and catering facility, and modular, adaptable spaces designed to meet evolving healthcare needs. Spanning 10,800 square meters, the facility also reflects a commitment to sustainability, with renewable energy supported by photovoltaic panels.

Mind the Gap: Rethinking Resilience in NHS Estates

As healthcare professionals, suppliers, and—most importantly—patients, we witness the daily strain on the NHS. Alarmingly, four out of six key NHS performance indicators are declining, jeopardising patient safety and risk management, despite the dedicated efforts of the workforce who continue to provide care with limited resources.

Darwin Group Introduces On-Demand Healthcare Infrastructure Solutions to Support the NHS Through Winter Pressures and Beyond

Darwin Group, the UK’s leading healthcare construction specialist, today announced the introduction of a new product set, On-Demand Healthcare Infrastructure Solutions. The solutions are designed to assist the NHS, private, and independent sectors in managing the anticipated winter surge in hospital admissions and primary care visits, addressing evolving future demands and preventing service disruption during estate maintenance and repair.

Place-making with a social conscience

Sheni Ravji-Smith, Assistant Director of Organisational Development & Good Employment at NHS Greater Manchester, shares her insights on how the pandemic offered the opportunity to do things differently and the importance of place-making with a social conscience.

Spaces are vital in fostering a ‘one culture approach’

Sheni Ravji-Smith, Assistant Director of Organisational Development & Good Employment at NHS Greater Manchester, discusses the positive impact that placemaking can have on staff wellbeing and why often, it’s the simplest considerations that can make the biggest difference.

New-look modular mental health bedroom earns praise at industry conference

Industry experts and service users have welcomed changes to Bedroom Evolved; a pioneering modular mental health bedroom built by healthcare construction firm Darwin Group. The firm recently showcased its new-look project at the Design in Mental Health Conference for a second year running and said feedback from visitors was very positive.

New surgical centre at Southmead Hospital takes shape

The external structure of the new Elective Centre at Southmead Hospital has now been completed. More than 200 modules have been lifted into place by a crane over six weeks to create the building structure. The centre is a joint project between North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW), supported by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Integrated Care Board.

In Conversation with Amber Jabbal

‘Building a responsive and effective NHS that is fit for the future and gives patients, and staff, safe, secure and fit for purpose environments in which to receive their care and to work,’ Head of Policy for NHS Providers tells Darwin Group.

‘Spaces are powerful’ – Creating spaces for greater staff and patient experiences

Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving the wellbeing of your workforce, the evidence base on the most effective initiatives and approaches is constantly evolving. This can provide a useful basis for reviewing the approach and making decisions as we know how important it is to retain our valued NHS workforce.

‘Working environments and break out spaces are key,’ says Raffaela Goodby, Chief People Officer at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Reimagining Estates Funding: In Partnership with NHS Confederation

Capital is a scarce resource in the NHS, yet high in demand. Existing estates are deteriorating, creating a potentially unsafe and uninviting environment for patients and staff.

But with limits on funding and an ever-changing landscape for providing care, how will the NHS meet current demands, accommodate changing needs and continue to reduce backlogs in care, all while providing outstanding patient care? Darwin Group recently partnered with the NHS Confederation to deliver a webinar on these issues.

Spotlight: Interview with Stephanie Hassanali, General Practice Nurse

As a general practice nurse in a Primary Care Network (PCN) Stephanie Hassanali has a rare insight into the challenges facing GPs.

She has been a nurse for 12 years and in general practice for the last eight of those, working across 11 practices as part of two PCNs in London.

Pioneering mental health bedroom returns for second year running

A pioneering modular mental health bedroom built by Darwin Group is returning to the Design in Mental Health Conference for a second year running. Bedroom Evolved drew in the crowds at last year’s conference when it was launched. Created by leading offsite healthcare construction firm Darwin Group, in collaboration with Safehinge Primera and Tough Furniture, it set a new bar for acceptable standards in mental health bedroom design. This year, the team behind the bedroom has made several improvements based on visitor feedback, including changes to the furniture, lighting, flooring and colour palette.

Work starts on new £49 million Elective Centre at Southmead Hospital

The Elective Centre is a joint project between North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) supported by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and NHS England. It will enable an additional 6,500 operations to be carried out across the area every year.

Darwin Group becomes Corporate Partner with HFMA

Darwin Group is proud to announce its partnership with the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), the professional body for finance staff working in healthcare.

Operating as a Corporate Partner with HFMA, Darwin Group will connect with healthcare leaders and network colleagues across a variety of activities to discuss timely estates and construction discussions, approached through a finance-focused lens.

First look behind the scenes of the new health hub in King’s Lynn

Leading healthcare construction firm Darwin Group led an exclusive progress tour around a new £11.5m health hub in King’s Lynn that is currently under construction. Over 25 guests braved the January weather to have a ‘first look’ tour of the King’s Lynn Health Hub site on Nar Ouse Way, King’s Lynn.