INVESTMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
investment in modern healthcare estates can support new models of care while improving accessibility for local communities.
Case study: The Eden project provides green space in communities that need it most Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the first project being delivered through our new partnership with the Eden Project. The collaboration demonstrates how healthcare developments can create space for nature in the very communities that need it most. Plans are underway to transform part of the former
The former Royal Liverpool University Hospital site will be transformed into a nature- diverse public space.
tools to deliver better care. By investing in decarbonisation and modernisation, Trusts can reduce costs, improve resilience, and unlock funding that can be reinvested directly into patient care. With thoughtful planning, industry support, and integrated decarbonisation, they can switch from being a source of frustration into a foundation for transformation.
Case study:
Expanding diagnostic capacity through community-based care In Plymouth, BAM is delivering a new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, designed to bring essential diagnostic services closer to the communities that need them most. Located in the heart of the city, the three-storey facility
Tim Chell
Tim Chell is health sector and regional director at BAM UK & Ireland, leading the company’s western business and playing a key role in the company’s healthcare sector – one of its core areas of expertise. Tim began his career as an engineer in the late 1980s, following his studies in Pembrokeshire. He joined BAM UK & Ireland in 2004.
will provide around 91,000 diagnostic tests each year, including CT, MRI, X-ray, echocardiography, ECG, EEG, and audiology services. Each floor is organised around specific diagnostic functions, with dedicated reception and waiting areas designed to improve patient flow and the overall experience. The centre forms part of the Trust’s wider Future Hospital
Programme, which aims to decentralise services and reduce pressure on acute hospital sites by delivering care closer to where people live. By locating diagnostic services in a highly accessible city-centre location, the centre will make it easier for patients to attend appointments, particularly those who may face barriers travelling to larger hospital campuses. CDCs are designed to allow patients to receive multiple tests in a single visit, helping to accelerate diagnosis and treatment. Increasing diagnostic capacity in this way supports earlier detection of conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease while helping the NHS reduce waiting times and improve patient outcomes. Projects like the Plymouth CDC demonstrate how
hospital site into a nature-diverse garden and public space, replacing demolished buildings with landscaped green areas to support wellbeing for patients, staff, and local residents. The scheme will introduce native planting to support pollinators and biodiversity, alongside quiet spaces for reflection and relaxation within the hospital campus. Safe pedestrian and cycle routes will also play a key part in improving connectivity across the site, creating a welcoming green environment in the heart of the city. Located within an inner-city area where communities face significant health inequalities, the project demonstrates how investment in healthcare estates can deliver wider social value. By turning part of the hospital campus into accessible green space, the development shows how modern healthcare infrastructure can support both clinical outcomes and community wellbeing, bringing nature back into urban environments where it can have the greatest impact.
Case study: Upgrading ageing hospital infrastructure at Royal Cornwall Hospital At Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, we are working with the Trust to deliver a phased programme of fire safety and estate upgrades within parts of the hospital that date back to the 1960s and 1970s. The works are focused on bringing critical infrastructure up to modern safety standards while allowing the hospital to continue operating around the clock. The programme includes the installation of new fire walls, fire doors, fire dampers, and upgraded alarm systems across a series of wards and key hospital corridors. Flexibility and close collaboration between the Trust, BAM, and clinical teams is essential on the scheme. Wherever budget allows, additional improvements are carried out when wards are decanted, including new flooring, upgraded utilities, new clinical sinks, and redecoration. The programme is being delivered in ten phases, with one ward upgraded at a time. Again, flexibility and collaboration are key – when the next ward in the programme is not available due to shifting clinical priorities, an alternative area is upgraded, such as a bed store. Delivering these important works in a live hospital
The focus is shifting from reactive, piecemeal interventions to strategic, outcome-driven planning. Multi-year funding allocations, combined with a clearer link between performance and investment, are allowing Trusts to plan with confidence.
70 Health Estate Journal August 2026
environment presents significant logistical challenges. Construction is taking place alongside operating theatres, cancer services, and immuno-suppressed wards, requiring strict infection control procedures and carefully managed construction sequencing. Each work area is sealed behind positively pressurised lobbies, with dedicated hygiene operatives and cleaning teams maintaining clinical standards. Projects like Royal Cornwall highlight the complexity of modernising the NHS’s existing estate. Through close collaboration with the Trust and a largely local supply chain, upgrades can be delivered safely and flexibly while hospitals continue to provide essential care.
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