Great Western Hospital Swindon
23/07/21
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Prime has been appointed as the commercial developer partner at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following a competitive tender process.

The partnership will foster long-term collaboration focused on delivering a sustainable future for the hospital estate, with a series of key developments set to get underway on a plot of land adjacent to the site which the trust purchased in 2021.

This collaboration exemplifies the crucial role of public-private partnerships in easing the challenges faced by the healthcare system.

Together, the partners will showcase how institutional investment can unlock significant potential for health and care providers.

Leighton Chumbley, chief executive at Prime, said: “While the NHS embodies the core principles of universal care, the challenges it faces are undeniable.

“Public-private partnerships offer a solution – not as a step toward privatisation, but as a collaborative effort to strengthen and support the NHS.

“By working together, institutional investors, and healthcare providers can create lasting, positive change that reinforces the system’s capacity to serve future generations.”

The partnership will deliver a comprehensive masterplan of future developments, shaping the trust’s future expansion with a focus on maximising the potential of the hospital’s estate.

The developments will contribute towards the best-possible built environment for the growing and ageing population in Swindon, while also encouraging staff to join the organisation.

The outline vision draws on the trust’s successes in delivering improved and expanded facilities, such as the recently-opened £34m emergency department and £20m urgent treatment centre.

By integrating commercial and development expertise with NHS priorities, Prime and Great Western Hospitals aim to further improve the hospital estate’s functionality and boost the patient and staff experience.

Initial plans centre on moving non-patient-facing activities out of the main hospital building, freeing up critical space for patient care, and integrating the expansion land with the existing hospital site.

The partnership will also seek to develop a staff and student accommodation facility to provide on-site accommodation for staff, including increased numbers of doctors and other healthcare professionals in training and staff newly joining the organisation.

And it will deliver a new sterile services unit, which will facilitate the expansion of services in the GWH main building, as well as a private healthcare facility, which will generate income back into the NHS.

In addition, the development of the expansion land has the potential to enhance the local health landscape further by providing the space and infrastructure for further healthcare developments and service expansion on the site.

Sustainability is core to the approach and the new developments will prioritise environmentally-friendly practices, incorporating renewable energy, such as solar panels, and other sustainable technologies to decarbonise the site.

Biodiversity enhancement will be supported through wildlife corridors and sustainable drainage systems, while transport connections will be designed to promote cycling, walking, and public transport use.

Stakeholder engagement will be central to the design and delivery of new facilities.

As work evolves, they will be calling upon the expertise of staff, patients, local community, and regulatory authorities.

And the partners will seek to invite local contractors to work on the project wherever possible, ensuring investment in the estate positively impacts local economy.

Julian Auckland-Lewis, director for the trust’s capital development programme, said: “We are excited to be working with Prime on the next phase of our Way Forward Programme, which seeks to create a hospital environment fit for the growing needs of residents in Swindon and the surrounding areas.

“Following the opening of our new emergency department at the end of last year, our focus now turns to three key projects that we hope to get underway this year on the 5.5-hectare site adjacent to the hospital, and we know that the expertise and resource Prime will bring will help us accelerate this work.”