Three contractors have been selected to bid for a project to construct the new £353M Midland Metropolitan Hospital in Smethwick by Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.
Carillion, Balfour Beatty and a Laing O’Rourke/Interserve joint venture have all been invited to participate in dialogue to secure the project, the first hospital to proceed under the new Private Finance 2 (PF2) model. The Trust is expected to select a preferred construction partner for the hospital by early Autumn 2015, with work on site to begin in 2016 and complete by 2018/19.
The tender process began in July after Government announced its approval for the scheme, which is being funded by both the public and private sector through the PF2 arrangement.
The Midlands Metropolitan Hospital will be a purpose built acute hospital for adults and children, substantially replacing emergency services currently provided at both City and Sandwell Hospitals.
The building is likely to be seven storeys high and provide around 80,600m2 of hospital space. It will house around 670 beds providing capacity for around 107,000 inpatients and 120,000 outpatients each year. Facilities are expected to include a 30 bed high-tech critical care unit, 13 operating theatres, 12 maternity delivery suites and six birthing centres.
Initial design plans will be submitted by the three selected contractors in December, before the Trust shortlists two bidders in January.
Final bids will then be submitted in August 2015 ahead of a preferred bidder being announced.
Announcing funding for the scheme in July this year, Chancellor George Osborne said: “This ambitious package will ensure that patients across the West Midlands continue to benefit from access to world-class acute treatment and cutting edge facilities.”
