Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust have today announced that the new Midland Metropolitan Hospital, which is being built in Smethwick to serve the people of Sandwell and West Birmingham, will open later than anticipated.
The hospital brings together maternity services, emergency care, inpatient care and surgery for people who need to stay for longer than 24 hours, onto a single, purpose-built facility on Grove Lane. Outpatient care, diagnostics, day case surgery and rehabilitation wards will be provided at the existing Sandwell, City and Rowley Regis Hospitals.
Speaking about progress of the new hospital, Chief Executive of the health Trust, Toby Lewis, said: “We can confirm, with regret, that the opening of the Midland Metropolitan Hospital will be delayed from October 2018 until early spring 2019.
“The mechanical and electrical design for the new building, which is being built by Carillion, is behind schedule and, despite everyone’s best efforts, cannot match the programme needed for our planned opening date.
“We have taken the difficult decision to delay the opening to ensure that the building performs to the very highest standards from the outset.
“We expect to be able to confirm the exact opening date later in summer 2017.”
Carillion Project Director, David Hollywood said: “Midland Met will be a state-of-the-art facility when it is completed. We have made tremendous progress since the first spade in the ground in January last year so we are disappointed with this delay.
“The mechanical and electrical (M&E) design, which covers building systems such as heating, lighting and ventilation, is behind schedule and we are working closely with the Trust and our specialist design consultant to complete the M&E design and confirm a new completion date.
“This is a complex project which is designed to support the efficient delivery of high-quality clinical services and facilities for many years to come. When it is completed it will be in the top 10 per cent of non-domestic UK buildings in terms of sustainable performance – achieving a BREEAM Excellent Rating, and every room will be individually climate controlled for greater levels of comfort. These features will help improve outcomes for patients and provide a better working environment for staff.”
Leave a Comment