HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Groundbreaking National Rehabilitation Centre now open
The country’s first NHS National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), based in Nottinghamshire, has welcomed its first patients, launching a new chapter for rehabilitation in England. The NRC is a 70-bed, state-of-the-
art specialist rehabilitation centre for NHS patients who have experienced a life-changing illness or injury. It is run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).
NUH has developed a
transformative clinical model to be able to deliver more intensive treatments and rehabilitation earlier in a patient’s journey, and has created a bespoke workforce and relevant training to support this. Capital funding was provided by
the New Hospital Programme, and the building is the NHS’s first single-site operationally carbon neutral building, featuring solar panels on the roof and four air source heat pumps in the adjacent energy centre. Patients will benefit from:
n Earlier access to rehabilitation to enable better outcomes.
n Bespoke intensive rehabilitation programmes for each patient.
New walkway installed at Frimley Park Hospital
n The most comprehensive robotics suite in the NHS, featuring cutting- edge technology from across Europe.
n The first 360-degree partial body weight support system Zero G (similar to a hoist) in the UK.
The NRC will primarily receive patients from across the East Midlands, many of them anticipated to come through the East Midland’s Major Trauma Centre – the busiest in the UK. Anthony May, chief executive of
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The difference the NRC will make to patients and families cannot be underestimated. We are standing on the precipice of something unique and groundbreaking. “The NRC has been 15 years in
Morgan Sindall Construction to build Thornbury Health Centre
Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed to deliver the new Thornbury Health Centre.
Appointed by South
Gloucestershire Council through the Southern Construction Framework, the £16.9m facility on the former Thornbury hospital site will provide a new home for Severn View Family Practice and Streamside Surgery. The development – due to complete by the end of summer 2027 – will provide 24 consulting rooms, three treatment rooms, two phlebotomy rooms for the two
surgeries and a joint reception and waiting area for both GP practices. The project has been funded
through £14.4m from the Department of Health and Social Care, with a further £2.5m in capital funding from the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System. Robert Williams, area director at
Morgan Sindall Construction in the South West and Wales, said: “We are thrilled to have been appointed to deliver the new Thornbury Health Centre and look forward to working with South Gloucestershire Council
and its partners to bring the plans forward. The new centre will provide purpose-built facilities for local healthcare services, creating a modern environment for staff and patients and supporting the needs of the local community.” Shane Devlin, chief executive
of NHS Gloucestershire ICB and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB cluster, said: “The development of a brand- new Thornbury Health Centre has been many years in the making, involving multiple partners and significant work between the NHS and South Gloucestershire Council. “Receiving full to begin building the health centre represents a significant milestone in strengthening local healthcare infrastructure, enhancing access to strengthening essential healthcare services, and supporting the wellbeing of the community for years to come.”
26 Health Estate Journal October 2026
the making. I should like to thank all those who have been involved for their perseverance, dedication, and determination to make it a reality. I should like to pay a particular tribute to the Black Stork Charity, and both the late and present Dukes of Westminster, for their considerable and unwavering support since the vision for the Centre was first conceived. “This is a significant moment for NUH, for rehabilitation medicine in this country, and for the many NHS patients whose lives will be changed and restored in this pioneering facility, set in a unique location. “Moreover, the innovation,
research, and knowledge generated from the NRC will help develop rehabilitation nationally and internationally.”
Specialist contractor Pilbeam Construction has installed a lightweight walkway to access a RAAC affected roof at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. Pilbeam worked with Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust to design, manufacture, and install the new designated load-bearing platform for the £796k project. The contractor also removed and adapted the existing walkway, adjusted building services, and completed a phased installation of new walkway sections across multiple roof zones at the hospital. Working in partnership with Johnson Design Partnership, Mott MacDonald, and SMP Consulting Engineers – Building Services, Pilbeam used a Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) system to decrease the weight of the new walkway beams, platforms, and handrails to cause the least amount of impact on the existing roof structure. There was
only one access route for the length of the project, but with lighter-weight materials in the FRP system, Pilbeam was able to move items efficiently through a single point of access. Around 65 per cent of Frimley
Park Hospital is affected by RAAC, including areas such as wards and theatres. The RAAC planks have significantly exceeded their original 30-year design life. While plans for a replacement
hospital progress, extensive monitoring, maintenance and remedial works continue across the existing site, with the new walkway forming part of the work to maintain safe access to RAAC- affected areas.
Pilbeam Construction MD Alan
Corbett said: “This has been a complex but rewarding project which has not only created safer access for maintenance teams, but has helped minimise unnecessary loading on the RAAC-affected roof.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188
