HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Main works completed at Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Constructor GRAHAM has completed the main phase of works for a new clinical building at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The handing over of the building marks a key milestone in the transformation of the Loveday Street site. Awarded through NHS England’s
ProCure23 framework, the three- storey facility will officially open later this year. The new building will significantly improve surgical capacity and provides advanced clinical technologies, supporting improved care for children and young people from across the region and beyond. The facility accommodates a state-
of-the-art intraoperative MRI (iMRI) machine, operating theatres, and recovery facilities, alongside critical electrical and plant infrastructure. Entirely funded through charitable donations, the iMRI suite will allow surgeons to access real-time imaging during procedures, improving surgical precision and reducing the need for repeat operations.
Synopses
welcomed for new Digest
A ground-water heat plant
integrated within the building will support the hospital’s transition to more sustainable energy use across the wider site.
Delivering the building posed a significant technical challenge as the site was surrounded by live, operational clinical environments, including active theatres directly adjacent and below. Continuous monitoring and meticulous control of construction impacts throughout the programme were therefore essential. Overcoming these constraints relied
heavily on close collaboration with the Trust’s Estates Team, ensuring constant communication, shared awareness of planned works, and carefully co- ordinated decision making to maintain uninterrupted clinical operations. A further phase of works, to be
delivered by Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, includes new decarbonisation plant rooms, plus the fit-out and refurbishment of the Emergency Department and the creation of a new main entrance – both supported by the hospital’s charity.
Major upgrade for Musgrove Park Hospital nuclear medicine department
The Nuclear Medicine department at Musgrove Park Hospital in Somerset has reopened following a refurbishment and the installation of a new SPECT- CT scanner. Delivered by Ergéa UK in
partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, the redevelopment includes a purpose-built facility with dedicated patient and clinical areas. The upgrade is intended to broaden the range of scans available locally, improve patient flow, reduce waiting times, and deliver a smoother, more comfortable experience for those accessing nuclear medicine services. The new scanner combines
traditional nuclear imaging with diagnostic-quality CT to produce high-resolution 3D images, capturing both anatomical structures and functional activity. This advanced imaging allows clinicians to diagnose, monitor,
26 Health Estate Journal May 2026
and guide treatment with exceptional precision. Complex procedures – such as parathyroid and orthopaedic bone scans – can now be carried out locally.
Looking ahead, the department plans to introduce specialist scans such as DaTscan for Parkinson’s disease and neuroendocrine tumour imaging, meaning that patients no longer need to travel to Bristol, Bath, Exeter, or Salisbury for advanced nuclear medicine services. The reopening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Nuclear Medicine team. Suzie Mahon, senior clinical technologist at Musgrove Park
Hospital, said: “We are very pleased to be able to offer this level of nuclear medicine to our patients for the first time. This investment futureproofs the service and helps reduce waiting lists across Somerset, making care more accessible for our patients.” Gavin Brooksbank, head of implementation at Ergéa UK, added: “Our partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust demonstrates the power of collaboration. We are proud to have contributed to a purpose-built facility that enhances patient care, streamlines services, and benefits the wider community.”
“The IFHE 2026 Digest has now been published and you should all have access to it either by having copies sent to your main contact points or via the link at
https://content.yudu.com/ web/1u0jl/0A1urts/IFHE- Digest-2026/html/index. html?origin=reader,” writes Andy Wavell, Eng Hon FIHEEM and commissioning editor of the IFHE Digest. “In addition, the Digest link is
circulated via the IFHE Newsletter which currently reaches in excess of 3,000 engineers, architects, and facilities managers. The membership has risen to the challenge yet again and provided some very interesting articles. The printed version has sixteen articles, while the electronic version contains a further eight. “The process of selecting
articles will begin again soon and I would encourage you all to either provide an article yourself, persuade a colleague to write something, or indeed look to what is provided to your national conferences, as there is always an interesting topic that would do well broadcast to the IFHE community.” The 2027 Digest will
examine a wide range of topics covering the optimal running of international healthcare facilities. Synopses are required by mid-June – if you have an article idea that you feel will be of interest to the worldwide healthcare community, please send a synopsis to editorial@
ifhedigest.com.
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