An artist’s impression of the new building

The external structure of the new £49.9m elective centre at Southmead Hospital has been completed.

More than 220 modules have been lifted into place by a crane over six weeks to create the building structure.

The centre is a joint project between North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW), supported by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) Integrated Care Board.

It will open next spring, enabling up to 6,500 additional operations to be carried out across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire every year.

The next steps for the building are to carry out the internal works. This includes installing steelwork to strengthen the building, pouring concrete to create the internal floors and stairs, and installing internal partitions to create the rooms.

Once the internal building work is completed, work will begin on installing new operating theatres and supporting clinical facilities.

NBT and UHBW joint chief executive, Maria Kane, said: “It has been amazing to see the elective centre take shape over the last couple of months.

“The additional surgical capacity the building will provide will have a significant impact on the number of patients we can treat, and we cannot wait to see it completed over the coming months.”

UHBW interim chief executive, Stuart Walker, added: “Reaching this important milestone in the construction of the new elective centre takes us a step closer to realising our shared vision of delivering seamless, high-quality, equitable, and sustainable care across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.”

The building was designed and constructed by healthcare construction specialist, Darwin Group.

The company’s deputy chief executive, Jim Pierce, said: “The projects we deliver help to transform patient and staff experiences and improve healthcare outcomes for tens of thousands of people every year.

“It’s always great to see work and to hear firsthand about the impact that the facility will have on the local community, we are very much looking forward to the opening of the centre.”