South Glasgow Hospital campus design unveiled

By Ewan Fergus, The Herald

The design of the new South Glasgow Hospital campus has been unveiled by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon.

As expected the contract to the build the massive new "gold-standard" hospital to replace the Southern General has been won by Brookfield Europe.

The contract is worth a staggering £670 million - with the bill being paid from the public purse - and will take more than five years to complete.

The hospital will be the largest NHS construction project ever undertaken in Scotland, and the total cost will be in excess of £840m.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that Australian headquartered Brookfield Europe, will deliver the state of the art hospital campus, which will include a new 1109-bed adult hospital and a 256-bed children's unit.

It is expected that the whole project, which will also include a new laboratory building, will be completed by 2015.

The plans for the complex will see the creation of a new 14-floor adult hospital where every patient will have their own en-suite room with views of the Campsies, the Clyde or out towards Paisley.

Health chiefs say single room accommodation will help fight against hospital acquired superbugs and the flexible design of the whole project will, from a nursing perspective, provide unrivalled flexibility.

The new children's unit will have its own separate identity and entrance but will be linked to the adult hospital and also to a redeveloped £28m maternity wing.

With 256 beds over five storeys, the children's hospital will replace the existing Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill.

The design features a covered roof garden where young patients can play outdoors.

The new hospital will also restore the potentially lifesaving link between adult and children's units and a new underground laboratory to ensure round the clock support for medics.

The concept of linking child and adult units was a key element in the Evening Times' campaign against the closure of the Queen Mum's hospital, which had a link to Yorkhill.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Today marks a major milestone in Scotland's biggest ever hospital building project. Selecting Brookfield Europe as the preferred bidder is an important step towards creating a world-class new hospital campus."

She continued: "This is not only good news for patients but for the community as a whole.

"The existing Southern already provides world-class care. The designs I've seen today for both the new adult and children's hospitals will provide them with world-class facilities. I look forward to seeing this radical design transforming the Govan skyline."

Robert Calderwood, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted that Brookfield Europe shares our vision.

"The three companies bidding for the project offered a range of innovative and creative designs but Brookfield captured the best of all worlds in its proposal.

"A key consideration for us has always been ensuring economic benefit to the local community. Brookfield has agreed to offer jobs and training to locally recruited apprentices and people who are currently unemployed which will be of huge economic benefit.

"It has also agreed wherever possible, sub-contracting opportunities will be advertised to local small to medium businesses."

Ashley Muldoon, executive director for Brookfield Europe and managing director for Brookfield Construction, said: "We are delighted to have been chosen as the contractor for the new South Glasgow Hospital.

"We are looking forward to working with our teams hereand creating new employment opportunities for the local community."

Vital Statistics

• The area of the development will be equivalent in size to 11 football pitches.
• There will be 1,109 beds in the adult hospital, with most patients in their own single, en-suite room with a view.
• The new children's hospital will have 256 beds over five floors, with overnight accommodation for a parent or guardian at every bedside, except in the intensive care unit.
• There will be a total of around 2,000 beds, including new adult and children's hospitals, together with maternity beds, neurosciences unit beds and the Langlands building, which will provide care for older patients.

Timeline

• First quarter 2010: Construction starts on the new laboratory development.
• First quarter 2011: Construction anticipated to start on new adult and children's hospitals.
• First quarter 2012: Completion of new laboratory development.
• First quarter 2015: Construction of new adult and children's hospitals anticipated to be completed.

Reproduced with the permission of the Herald & Times Group.