GRAHAM-BAM Healthcare Partnership (GBHP) has been awarded the contract to deliver a new state-of-the-art children’s hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital site in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The announcement follows confirmation from Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, that the project has received formal approval, with construction set to begin imminently.

The 10-storey, 52,000sq m facility will provide 155 beds, 11 theatres, an emergency department, imaging suite, and full outpatient department designed to treat up to 45,000 children a year.

The hospital, which will take five years to complete, will set a new benchmark for paediatric healthcare in Northern Ireland, with 80% of beds located in private ensuite rooms with social and play spaces, parent facilities, and separate staff areas.

With a total projected investment of £671m, the hospital represents a major milestone for the region’s healthcare infrastructure.

The construction cost, valued at £389m, will be met through the Department of Health’s capital budget.

Jonathan Hall, managing director at GRAHAM, said: “This project is a major step forward for healthcare in Northern Ireland and we are honoured to be delivering such a critical facility for future generations.

“The new hospital will provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, ensuring the best-possible care for children and their families.”

The announcement that the project will move forward comes after a difficult history of significant delays and cost increases.

Nesbitt carefully reviewed the value-for-money grounds for continuing with the development, with axing the project a carefully-considered option.

However, he ruled there were substantial future benefits for sick children and their families in pressing ahead with the project.

The deal will include the use of a new engineering contract (NEC), which is a new form of construction contract that contains contractual requirements demanding timely decision-making with collaborative, agreed outcomes.