A topping out ceremony was held to mark the highest point reached for the new acute services block and ward block at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital.
Staff from Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Kier Construction Group, and local key partners were joined by Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire to celebrate this important milestone.
Andrew Selous MP, Richard Sumray Chair of Bedfordshire Hospitals, David Carter Chief Executive of Bedfordshire Hospitals, Melanie Banks Director of Redevelopment and Strategic Planning at Bedfordshire Hospitals and Andrew Davies Chief Executive of Kier Group, signing the final piece of steel
Guests watching the final piece of steel lifted into place
Work on the acute services block and new ward block started in January 2022, with an enormous amount of progress made to reach the highest point of the five-storey buildings.
Once complete at the end of 2024, the £150m buildings will provide modern and enhanced facilities for maternity, neonatology, critical care and theatre services.
For maternity services, there will be increased theatre capacity to help support those with high risk pregnancies, as well as a dedicated and standalone bereavement suite.
As a provider of a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, there will be additional cots to care for the sickest and most premature babies, alongside rooming in facilities to allow families additional support before going home.
Critical care facilities will allow for additional beds to accommodate patients requiring an increased level of care, meaning the care they receive will be in a central location.
Eight new operating theatres will be created to provide additional capacity and allow re-purposing of older theatres. The building will also feature two hybrid theatres, capable of delivering interventional and specialist services all in one place.
Melanie Banks, Director of Redevelopment and Strategic Planning at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The topping out ceremony has allowed us to celebrate and recognise the incredible work achieved so far by the Trust’s Project Team, Design and Advisory Team, Kier, our construction partners, and the Trust’s clinical teams.
“The commitment and dedication from all involved to ensure the project stays on track and progresses has been astounding.”
Dr Glyn Harrison, Clinical Director for Theatres at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital said: “It’s incredible to see how well the acute services block and new ward block is coming along, and this highlights an exciting step in our journey to providing the very best care to patients in the very best environment.”
Stuart Togwell, Group Managing Director at Kier Construction, said: “This is an important project for Kier and we are delighted to celebrate this major milestone with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and our key project partners. This event gives us the opportunity to mark the completion of the main structure and also to celebrate the hard work and fantastic collaboration between all parties involved.”
For further information, please visit http://bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/redevelopment
Attendees of the topping out ceremony