|
Laing O’Rourke, as part of the
John Laing Consortium, has reached financial close on
the £225 million Pembury Hospital scheme in Tunbridge
Wells, Kent.
The scheme will see the construction
of the new 65,000 sq/m Pembury Hospital for the Maidstone
and Tunbridge
Wells NHS Trust under a 30-year concession. The consortium
will be responsible for the design, build and finance
of the hospital, with Laing O’Rourke responsible
for construction, and Interserve FM responsible for the
provision of Hard FM services.
Glenn Douglas, Trust Chief Executive,
said: “This
agreement signals the start of something new and exciting
in NHS care and we are delighted that the people of West
Kent and East Sussex will be at the forefront of that.”
The new Pembury Hospital will provide
all inpatient accommodation in single en-suite bedrooms;
making it the first NHS
acute hospital of its kind in the UK. Construction
of the new hospital on the site of the existing general
hospital will begin in April 2008, once a programme
of
site improvement works, currently being undertaken
by Laing O'Rourke under a separate Procure21 agreement,
has been completed.
Construction will continue in two
phases, with the main hospital buildings reaching completion
before existing accommodation at the top of the site
is cleared.
Laing O’Rourke’s Neels Kriek, commented “Laing
O’Rourke is delighted to be involved in this leading
health project and looks forward to delivering a first
class hospital for the whole local community.” The Pembury Hospital is unique in
its design, incorporating features specifically for patient
safety and effective
infection control and in line with the Trust’s
objectives; the new hospital has been developed to
fit with the local rural setting.
Trust Chairman George Jenkins said: “I am delighted
to conclude the contract, which will ensure a continuous
development of excellent care for our patients into the
future. This is a beacon NHS development for the population
of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.” |
