Laing O’Rourke appointed to New Hospital Programme

Laing O’Rourke has been appointed, along with nine other construction partners, to the Hospital 2.0 Alliance (H2A), working together to deliver the New Hospital Programme (NHP) - the largest hospital building programme in a generation.

The programme is transforming the way healthcare infrastructure is planned, designed, and delivered across England, through collaboration, standardisation and long-term partnerships.

Laing O’Rourke will bring the power of its experience in healthcare to the alliance, working collaboratively with NHS England, NHS Trusts, construction partners, and the wider supply chain to deliver world-class facilities to provide the best possible care for patients.

The alliance aims drive systemic change across the sector by:

• Delivering hospitals that are faster to build, safer and digitally enabled
• Unlocking additional capacity within a constrained UK construction market
• Driving value for money, quality, and consistency at scale
• Enabling industrialised delivery through Hospital 2.0 standardised designs
• Attracting new entrants and international expertise into UK healthcare infrastructure
• Investing in skills, social value and long-term capability across the construction and healthcare sectors

The H2A represents a decisive step towards building hospitals differently – together – and delivering a modern, resilient healthcare estate for generations to come.

Laing O’Rourke’s Managing Director, Peter Lyons, said: “We will bring our 15 years of experience delivering healthcare facilities in the UK to the alliance to help deliver the largest hospital programme in a generation.

“These new hospitals will provide state-of-the-art care for millions of patients, and we are proud to be a part of that journey.”

Minister of State for Health Karin Smyth said: “This Government is making the long-term investment required to rebuild and modernise our NHS, and the Hospital 2.0 Alliance is central to that commitment.

“By backing a standardised approach to hospital building, we are giving the construction sector the certainty it needs to invest in skills, capacity and innovation.

“This is about partnering with industry to deliver better hospitals faster, while driving productivity and value for the NHS and adding to the economic growth of the entire country.”

Chief Programme Officer at the New Hospital Programme, Natalie Forrest, said:  “This is a defining moment for the New Hospital Programme and for healthcare construction in England. The Hospital 2.0 Alliance is about more than building hospitals – it is about transforming how we deliver them. By bringing together DHSC, NHS England, Trusts, and industry partners under a true alliance model, we are creating the conditions for faster delivery, better value, and consistent quality at scale. The appointment of these construction partners is critical to our capacity and capability, and reflects a shared commitment to collaboration, innovation and long-term investment in skills and social value. Together, we are building a sustainable model that will support the NHS for decades to come.”