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Author: James Cooper

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

Louis Sullivan, Darwin Group's Principal Architect, giving a presentation with a large digital screen in the background

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

Architectural render showing how the surgical centre will look from the outside, once completed.

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.

A dramatic yet thoughtful evolution for mental health treatment

Sketch and computer render of a design for a modern mental health treatment bedroom, it also shows the 'outdoor room' concept of the design.

Darwin Group Principal Architect Louis Sullivan and his team have poured a lot into a very important project. The team first unveiled ‘Bedroom Evolved’ at last year’s Design in Mental Health Conference and it will be returning for this year’s event.

Could a new way of funding healthcare estates be the shot in the arm the NHS has been looking for

A theatre nurse in full PPE, scrubbing up ready for surgery. Behind them is a large, medical grade sink and a yellow wall.

With NHS repair backlogs reaching record levels, and the future of the new hospitals programme facing an uncertain future, leading modular construction firms Darwin Group and Portakabin bosses are calling for a rethink around how healthcare estates are planned and funded.

Darwin Group and Portakabin have combined their strengths to deliver excellence in modern healthcare environments.

Pioneering mental health bedroom returns for second year running

Hand drawn artwork and a computer render showing the design of a new design for a modern mental health ward bedroom, with large window, comfortable seating and calming features.

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

Jim Pierce, the deputy CEO of Darwin Group, handing over a ceremonial ground breaking spade to the team 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.

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

A large group of people in high-vis and hard hats, having just toured the under-construction facility at King's Lynn. The Passive Purple spray coating is still visible on the ceiling and the plaster walls are newly finished.

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.

Fifteen jobs up for grabs as Darwin Group continues Telford expansion

The Darwin Group CEO, Richard Pierce, stood in front of a large display screen, giving a presentation.

Fifteen jobs are up for grabs at Telford’s Darwin Group as the healthcare construction specialist continues to expand. 

The roles, which include junior and senior positions across the architectural, design, sales, commercial and construction departments, will support the firm’s growth as it partners with the NHS to create outstanding healthcare facilities. 

Mud, sweat and tears for Darwin Group heroes

The Darwin Group team, having just finished the Tough Mudder challenge. There is a large banner behind them, the sky is blue and they are stood and sat on a grassy field.

Our muddy heroes returned to the office battered and bruised but triumphant this week after completing the gruelling 15km Tough Mudder North event on Saturday. They’ve raised more than £1,700 for Severn Hospice already, with more to come!

Why NHS winter pressures could be the worst ever this year – and how we can help

Two ambulances driving past a hospital ward at night time.

As the seasons change and we begin the march into autumn, experts are warning the NHS could be heading into its worst ever winter. With new strains of Covid already widely reported, some people are calling for mask wearing to be reintroduced in certain settings. A potential increase in infections coupled with the Government decision to reduce this winter’s Covid and flu immunisation programme has left experts concerned about capacity. But it’s not too late to think about tackling the problems on the horizon. 

Acute Medical Unit – Wye Valley Trust

A picture of the Acute Medical Unit from outside. It is night time and the lights are on. There are cars in front of the building. In the foreground is a helicopter landing pad.

Wye Valley NHS Trust instructed Darwin Group to create a fast-track 24-bed ward, complete with five four-bed bays, four single-bed rooms, nurse bases, utility rooms, clinical disposal rooms, a pharmacy and associated ancillary spaces.

Ambulance Receiving Centre – Wolverhampton

The inside of the Ambulance Receiving Centre. The room is predominantly white. Bed bays line both sides, but only the seven bays on the left hand side are clearly visible. Each bay has a blue mattress on a hospital bed, a blue curtain to act as a divider and a frosted window for light.

Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital had its winter pressures eased thanks to a new Ambulance Receiving Centre (ARC) that
was constructed by Darwin Group in just
18 days onsite.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust – ICU and general ward

External three-quarter view of the two-storey hospital building at Airedale. The external classing is white with blue and grey stripes and there are windows at regular intervals on both floors. To the left is the building entrance, with a long, gentle ramp running up to the doors. In the foreground and leading off to the right is a tarmac walkway. The sky is blue and dotted with white clouds.

The Trust approached Darwin Group with an urgent need to construct new ICU accommodation and general ward facilities due to the presence of RAAC within the existing hospital estate. The Trust had the crucial requirement of managing capital expenditure within a critical timeline, which necessitated a fast-track programme and a budget that should not be exceeded.

Mid Cheshire NHS Foundation Trust 60 bed ward

A three-quarters overhead view of the new ward building at Leighton Hospital, showing a range of plant machinery on the roof. This includes four photovoltaic solar panel arrays and a number of HVAC and air-conditioning units. Surrounding the new ward building are the older brick buildings of the hospital estate. The new ward building is finished in blue, grey and white cladding.

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.

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