15 April 2011
Surveyors are on the ground at St Helier Hospital – marking the first practical step in the hospital’s landmark £219 million redevelopment.
The multi-million pound scheme includes demolishing almost a third of the current site and replacing it with a brand new, state-of-the-art building which will house the majority of the hospital's wards and clinics.
In addition, £40 million of improvements will be made to the rest of the hospital site, and it’s here that the chartered surveyors have started work first.
Over the coming weeks, they’ll be developing plans for where, when and how the money will be spent, ensuring that by the time the redevelopment is complete, each and every part of the site is up to the most modern standards.
Tim Wilkins, Project Director, said: “It’s fantastic to be taking the first practical steps towards the redevelopment of St Helier Hospital.
"The surveyors will help us understand exactly what work needs doing on the existing hospital to bring it up to today’s very best standards, including refurbishing clinical areas which are not moving into the new building, such as our operating theatres."
The team of surveyors, led by Drivers Jonas Deloitte, are currently at the hospital, drawing up detailed plans which builders will then use to carry out the significant upgrade work.
Tim added: "It's a terrific boost to our patients, visitors and staff to see surveyors in their high-vis jackets walking around the hospital. Importantly, this is only the start – in the future people can expect to see much, much more. It won’t be long before the bulldozers, JCBs and diggers arrive!"
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Key facts about the redevelopment of St Helier Hospital:
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£127 million to be spent on new hospital building;
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£40 million spent on upgrading remainder of the site;
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£17 million local care centre;
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346 beds, including 50 per cent in single rooms;
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Purpose-built outpatients department;
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New pharmacy department;
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Centralised eye clinic;
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Multi-decked car park and improvements to hospital entrances/exits.
For more information about the St Helier Hospital redevelopment, including the latest plans and designs, visit www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/sthelierredevelopment.
