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Tag: construction

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.

Meet Adrian Eggleton – Strategic Advisor to Darwin Group

We are pleased to welcome Adrian, former NHS England Operational Lead for Estates and Facilities, who is supporting Darwin Group as a strategic advisor.

His extensive operational and leadership experience in the sector will further enhance our ability to meet the needs of health and care providers now and into the future. Adrian will be joining us on the Darwin Group stand at NHS Providers conference and exhibition in Liverpool next Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 November, so come and find us to say hello.

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.

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.

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.

A dramatic yet thoughtful evolution for mental health treatment

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

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.

Healthcare Focus: Misconceptions of modular construction

We put the spotlight on Production Director Adrian Mitchell to talk about the misconceptions of modular construction and why more and more healthcare estates are choosing it over traditional building methods.

Stick-built or traditional construction has long been the standard within the industry. However, modular buildings have gained popularity in recent years as a flexible, sustainable and cost-effective option for various applications. But according to Adrian Mitchell, there are still some common misconceptions that can cause confusion or hesitation when considering modular as an option.

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.

Bradford College students gain valuable construction site experience thanks to Darwin Group

More than 40 students from Bradford College gained an insight into the world of construction after visiting the site of a new multi-million-pound surgical day case unit at St Luke’s Hospital recently.

The construction students were shown around the site by leading healthcare construction firm, Darwin Group, which is delivering the project for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

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.