Ten contractors have been paired with NHS trusts to deliver the first phase of the Government’s £14bn Wave 1 programme under the New Hospital Programme.
Skanska was the only contractor to secure two projects, having been selected for the rebuild of James Paget University Hospital and the redevelopment of Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn.
The first wave of projects includes seven hospitals affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), which were prioritised within the wider £60bn programme after assessments concluded the buildings could not safely remain operational beyond 2030.
All seven hospitals are scheduled for complete replacement using the Government’s standardised Hospital 2.0 design model, which is intended to streamline procurement, accelerate delivery and improve consistency across major healthcare projects. Current plans target completion of the schemes by 2030.
The Department of Health and Social Care said formal contracts are expected to be signed during the summer, with construction activity anticipated to begin during 2027 and 2028.
First Wave Hospital Schemes
Skanska: Queen Elizabeth Hospital (King’s Lynn) & James Paget Hospital (Great Yarmouth)
Graham: Airedale General Hospital (Keighley)
Willmott Dixon: Women and Children’s Hospital (Royal Cornwall)
Sacyr UK: Frimley Park Hospital (Surrey)
Kier: Hinchingbrooke Hospital (Cambridgeshire)
Laing O’Rourke: Hillingdon Hospital (London)
Integrated Health Projects: Leighton Hospital (Mid-Cheshire)
Morgan Sindall: Milton Keynes University Hospital
Bovis: North Manchester General Hospital
Dragados: West Suffolk Hospital (Bury St Edmunds)
