Awarded through the ProCure23 framework for NHS England, plans to redevelop parts of Birmingham Children’s Hospital have been approved. They include the creation of a new three storey elective care hub on the site, funded by the national COVID-10 recovery programme, that will be the home for a new state-of-the art intraoperative MRI (iMRI) machine, providing seamless patient care during surgery and reduce the need for some children to travel to other parts of the UK for treatment. It will also provide additional clinical space for services.

Ronan Hughes, Regional Director at GRAHAM commented:

“Building on our expertise in providing state-of-the-art health facilities, we’re immensely proud to be delivering this project for the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. It will undoubtedly leave a lasting legacy in the Birmingham area and hugely benefit children and families, clinical staff and the wider community.”

The proposals will see a radical transformation of the front of the hospital with the current entrance being demolished and replaced with a new striking glass façade creating more space to welcome patients and visitors.

A key benefit of the scheme is improved thermal performance and energy efficiency by expanding the use of ground source heat pump technology. Windows at the front of the hospital will be replaced with modern glass and frames in keeping with the site’s Victorian architecture.

Matt Boazman, Chief Executive for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“We are grateful to Council colleagues for their support of these plans. This is excellent news, not just for the Children’s Hospital but the thousands of children and young people across Birmingham and the West Midlands who access our services every year and those across the UK who rely on the skills and expertise of our highly specialised services.

“The developments will not only improve existing services but create opportunity for us to do more for the young people who rely on us for their care."

The plans are also being supported by the hospital’s Charity which is currently fundraising for the new iMRI machine and in discussions to support the dramatic transformation of the front of the hospital.

Vicky Casey, Architect Director at BDP said:

“Through a combination of redevelopment and refurbishment our project at Birmingham Children’s Hospital will create a modern healthcare facility that can sustain the world class provision of paediatric services in the heart of Birmingham city centre. The ambitious decarbonisation credentials alongside the theatre expansion and iMRI provide critically important facilities for the children of Birmingham and the wider region.

“The sympathetic reimagining of the historic Victorian courtyard will provide the trust with a modern main entrance re-creating a sense of arrival that celebrates the building’s origins while meeting the needs of patients and families. We are incredibly proud to be designing these projects for such an important anchor institution in Birmingham, helping it shape the future of healthcare provision for its staff and children in the West Midlands.”