HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Western delivers £25m Slough Community Diagnostic Centre
A new £25m Community Diagnostic Centre at Upton Hospital Slough – delivered by offsite manufacturer Western – has been officially opened. The 2,800m² facility was delivered
within 52 weeks using advanced off-site manufacturing and BIM 3D modelling. Modules were pre- assembled off-site and watertight within five days of installation, reducing disruption, waste, and programme risk within a live healthcare environment. Western delivered a full turnkey design-and-build solution, including internal fit-out and external works such as car parking and EV charging infrastructure. The centre will operate seven days a week, 12 hours a day, providing up to 150,000 additional diagnostic tests annually. Services include MRI, CT, and ultrasound scanning, alongside respiratory and cardiology testing – supporting earlier diagnosis of conditions such as cancer and heart disease, reducing waiting times, and relieving pressure on Wexham Park Hospital and local GP practices. Located a 10-minute walk from
New Hospital Programme announces ten construction partners
Slough railway station and close to bus routes, the centre has been designed with accessibility at its core. James Clarke, Chief Strategy Officer at FHFT, said: “This is an exciting moment for the Trust and the people of Slough. The centre will play a vital role in addressing health inequalities by ensuring that diagnostic services are accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live.” Rory McGuigan, MD of Western,
added: “The Slough Community Diagnostic Centre demonstrates the strength of modern methods of construction in delivering high-quality
Two new helipads under construction at Welsh hospital
Construction is set to begin on two helipads at Gwynedd Hospital (Ysbyty Gwynedd) in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. Designed to meet the latest
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) standards and future requirements, the dual helipads will be the first of their kind in the Wales, allowing both HM Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter and Wales Air Ambulance to land safely without delays, preventing stacking so one aircraft does not have to wait in the air while another is on the helipad. The hospital’s current helipad
was installed in 1997 and, aside from routine maintenance, has not been modernised since. The project is being funded with £1.5m from the HELP Appeal, the only charity in the country dedicated to funding hospital helipads, alongside more than £800,000 from Welsh Government. This is the first time the HELP Appeal has funded a
16 Health Estate Journal April 2026
healthcare infrastructure at pace. By combining advanced off-site manufacturing, BIM-led design and a full turnkey approach, we have been able to provide Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust with a facility that is efficient, sustainable and future-focused. Most importantly, this centre will make a real difference to the people of Slough – enabling faster diagnoses, improving patient experience and supporting better health outcomes across the community. We are proud to have partnered on a project that reflects both innovation in construction and ambition in healthcare delivery.”
The New Hospital Programme (NHP) has announced the appointment of 10 industry-leading construction partners to the Hospital 2.0 Alliance (H2A). The NHP is a government- led initiative to transform the delivery of hospital infrastructure across England. It uses standardised designs, collaborative contracting, and long-term strategic partnerships to deliver hospitals faster, safer, and with consistent quality. The programme aims to build capacity, skills, and innovation within the UK construction sector while providing modern, digitally enabled environments for NHS patients and staff. According to the NHP,
the construction partner announcement marks ‘a significant milestone in delivering the largest hospital building programme in a generation’. It continues: ‘The programme is
transforming the way healthcare infrastructure is planned, designed, and delivered across England. Through collaboration, standardisation, and long-term partnerships, NHP is reshaping the environments in which world- class care is delivered’. The construction partners are:
n Bovis Construction (Europe) Ltd n Dragados Sociedad Anonima n Integrated Health Projects (IHP) (Sir Robert McAlpine Limited; VINCI Building Limited)
hospital helipad in Wales and the first time the charity has supported a double helipad. It marks the first phase of a wider programme to improve helicopter landing facilities across all Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board sites. Once complete, the new helipad
area will include: n Two fully compliant,
simultaneous-use landing pads.
n A secure perimeter with controlled access.
n Upgraded lighting systems. n A dedicated fire station area. n Improved patient transfer routes, including a planned
electric ‘helibuggy’.
n Weather monitoring equipment. n Safe ambulance access and parking.
University Health Board, said: “A new helicopter landing site at Ysbyty Gwynedd is vital to ensuring we can provide a safe, compliant and future-proof facility for patients who require urgent air transfer. The introduction of two helipads will reduce delays, and significantly improve resilience during major incidents or periods of high demand.”
n John Graham Construction Ltd n Kier Construction Ltd n Laing O’Rourke Delivery Ltd n Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure Ltd
n Sacyr UK Ltd n Skanska Construction UK Ltd n Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd
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