How Kier Has Positioned Itself as a Hospital Project Leader
UK construction giant Kier is helping to drive a new government initiative that will assist in delivering the next generation of hospitals in the UK.
It has won the contract for the £500m (US$671m) redevelopment of Hinchingbrooke
Hospital in Huntingdon, which covers the next phase of development on the site.
The award follows Kier joining the Hospital 2.0 Alliance Framework, a part of the New Hospital Programme established jointly by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England.
It is the largest single investment programme targeting NHS infrastructure in recent decades.
The investment is expected to help optimise modern healthcare delivery in the hospital, offer a premium environment in which staff can work and improve patient experiences.
Stuart Togwell, Kier Group CEO says: “The NHS touches every community, and the opportunity to help deliver a new Hinchingbrooke Hospital is both a privilege and a responsibility.
“Working in partnership with North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, our focus will be on creating a modern healthcare environment that supports exceptional patient care, enhances staff wellbeing and meets the needs of local people for generations to come.”
Kier’s history in the healthcare sector
Kier has a history with Hinchingbrooke that far precedes its current project.
“Our connection to Hinchingbrooke is longstanding. Through our facilities management work at Hinchingbrooke Treatment Centre since 2005, we have become part of the hospital community and developed a deep understanding of the people, place and services that make it so important to the region,” says Stuart.
“As a construction partner, we will combine that local knowledge with the innovation and efficiency of the Hospital 2.0 Alliance.
“Through our place-based delivery approach, we will work closely with local stakeholders, businesses and communities to maximise social value, create opportunities and leave a lasting legacy, while helping to realise the Trust's vision for a new hospital that will serve the area for decades to come.”
Since 2024, the construction group has already completed 49 projects for the NHS costing a total £826m (US$110m).
This includes 100 clinical services, more than 200 healthcare projects and major investment programmes across England, Scotland and Wales.
The Hospital 2.0 Alliance Framework
The Hospital 2.0 Alliance ensures work in the healthcare sector for it and other contractors in the immediate future.
As a result, it provides construction companies with more confidence to invest in talent despite currently facing challenges such as increasing costs and supply chain disruption due to geopolitical tensions.
Other construction companies who form the alliance are: Bovis Construction (Europe), Dragados, Graham Construction, Integrated Health Projects (a joint venture between Vinci Building and Sir Robert McAlpine), Laing O'Rourke Delivery, Morgan Sindall Construction and Infrastructure, Sacyr UK, Skanska Construction UK and Willmott Dixon Construction.
The initiative also helps simplify processes for building new hospitals.
“For too long, the construction of new hospitals has been bogged down by bureaucratic procurement processes, even after full approval and funding was in place, and we're determined to change that,” said Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health in an official statement. “The changes announced today are a major step forward in streamlining the procurement process.”
