Celebrations to mark milestone in new £47m Urgent and Emergency Care Centre at Scarborough Hospital

26 May 2023

Pictured: Freya Oliver, Ed Smith, Simon Morritt, David Thomas

Scarborough Hospital has marked a significant milestone in the building of its £47million scheme to build a new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre at Scarborough Hospital.

The ‘watertight’ event is a tradition in the building industry and marks the next phase where work can begin on the interior of the new development.  It was celebrated by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive, Simon Morritt, and Scarborough staff, who were given a tour of the interior space.

The project includes a two-storey new build combining and expanding the current emergency department, same day emergency care and the acute medical unit.  As well as improving outcomes for the frail elderly, it will also ensure some of the most critically ill patients in the hospital are cared for in one integrated clinical ward environment rather than being moved to other wards.  The second floor will house critical care services and will increase bed capacity, which will help relieve the pressure on beds elsewhere in the Trust.

The scheme also includes work to address essential site-wide engineering infrastructure which will see huge improvements to the electrical system, ventilation, and drainage.

Simon said: “This is an exciting landmark in the project to expand our urgent and emergency care facilities at Scarborough Hospital.  This multi-million-pound investment will significantly increase capacity and improve care for patients.

“Just a year since construction works began, we are now really starting to see it take shape.  It was fantastic to walk around and begin to visualise the enormous difference this will make for both staff and patients.”

Andrew Bennett, Head of Capital Projects, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, explained: “The watertight ceremony is a significant event for the Trust and highlights how well work is progressing with the development.  Completing the roof means the building is confirmed as watertight, allowing for internal works to commence in earnest.”

Dr Ed Smith, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Deputy Medical Director at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “The building is taking shape rapidly and we are less than a year from our move-in date.  The construction has been an incredible team effort, from the clinical colleagues inputting into the design phase, to the Trust capital projects team that have coordinated the planning phase and the engineering and building teams that are making the dream a reality.

“I am hugely grateful to everyone that has contributed to the project, and I am incredibly excited to envisage working in such an incredible new clinical space.  The patients of Scarborough and North East Yorkshire really deserve these fantastic new facilities, and we will use this opportunity to continue to develop our clinical services to ensure that our patients have access to the highest standards of care, as close to home as possible.”

The landmark moment was celebrated by Trust staff, contractors, as well as representatives from Integrated Health Projects (IHP) the Joint Venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, the construction company behind the new build.

Chris Winspear, IHP’s Regional Director said: “We are delighted to have reached this significant construction milestone.  It’s always an honour and a privilege to be selected to deliver important facilities like this.  In collaboration with the Trust, and our specialist supply chain partners, we’re continuing to work hard to deliver a fantastic new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, for the community of Scarborough.

“It’s occasions like this that allow us to reflect on how well the project is progressing and look ahead to the next exciting stage of beginning the internal works.”

The new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, the largest capital scheme ever undertaken by the Trust, is planned to open in the Spring of 2024.