Healthy refurbishments: celebrating success with UHSussex

Published: 5-Feb-2025

Work is progressing on an £11 million project at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, aimed at modernising and expanding the hospital's Emergency Department

The refurbishment of the Millennium Wing marks the latest milestone in a long-standing partnership between Willmott Dixon Interiors and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSussex).

This collaboration is helping to create safer, more efficient healthcare environments for patients, as well as healthier, more rewarding places to work.

About the project, Willmott Dixon Interiors shares:

Improving standards for NHS patients and staff

"The Millennium Wing project will enhance the hospital’s ability to deliver timely emergency care, ensuring patients can access vital services as quickly as possible.

It is part of a broader commitment by UHSussex to improve facilities and standards across its estate. Together, we have delivered modern healthcare environments in active hospital settings, including Royal Sussex County Hospital, Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, and Princess Royal Hospital.

Our collaborative efforts have resulted in a range of improvements, including:

● Significant increases in patient capacity
● Streamlined working practices
● Consistent, high-quality patient service and experience
● Enhanced clinical safety
● Measurable operational efficiencies

Healthy refurbishments: celebrating success with UHSussex

Maximising value for our customers

One of the key factors behind the success of our partnership with UHSussex is our ‘programme over project’ approach.

This strategy enables us to plan and align project timelines, budgets, and objectives across the Trust’s entire estate, ensuring maximum value from each investment.

By adopting this approach, we’ve been able to support UHSussex in effectively planning its capital delivery programmes too.

A prime example is the creation of a single-site compound at Royal Sussex County Hospital, which has supported the delivery of multiple projects.

It has allowed for continuity in staffing and enabled closer collaboration with our supply chain partners, delivering significant on-site experience of operating in confined spaces within live hospital environments.

The result? Reduced waste, lower mobilisation costs, and the realisation of economies of scale throughout the programme.

Adding value through framework agreements

Long-term planning is made possible through construction framework agreements, which are designed to streamline delivery, mitigate risk, and provide assurance that projects are in safe hands.

Willmott Dixon Interiors is proud to be a trusted partner on several of these frameworks. Our recent refurbishment of the Millennium Ward is the latest project delivered at Royal Sussex County Hospital through SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement providers.

It follows our earlier delivery of a multi-million-pound extension of the hospital’s Urgent Treatment Centre.

A strong example of the frameworks' success, this project was completed in a live hospital setting using modern methods of construction, maximising efficiency and ensuring minimal disruption.

Healthy refurbishments: celebrating success with UHSussex

A responsible approach to healthcare refurbishment

Framework agreements also highlight the importance of social and environmental responsibility, a core focus in all our projects.

For example, at Royal Sussex County Hospital, our projects have diverted as much as 99% of waste from landfill, and dedicated over 92% of spending to local SMEs, supporting the regional economy. We also generated full-time jobs, work placements, and site visits for local students.

Our partnership also extends beyond construction. On the Millennium Wing refurbishment, we are continuing this commitment with a range of social value activities benefiting both the hospital and the local community.

With our supply chain partners, we recently raised over £1,500 for My University Hospitals Sussex during the Brighton Marathon Weekend, marking our third year supporting this important charity."

James Howard, senior operations manager at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: "Through our ongoing partnership with UHSussex, we've played a key role in enhancing healthcare spaces across the region and are excited to continue this journey at Royal Sussex County Hospital. Alongside these improvements, we're committed to delivering lasting social value, providing tangible benefits to the local community through job creation, training opportunities, and community-focused initiatives."

James Millar, deputy director of capital development and property at UHSussex, said: “We’re pleased to progress to the next stage of a project that will greatly enhance the Emergency Department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The Trust’s investment in the Millennium Wing is part of a much broader commitment to improve standards and deliver a better hospital environment for patients and staff. It will enable patients to access emergency care as quickly as possible.”

Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “The refurbishment works at the Royal Sussex County Hospital will prove invaluable in supporting the need for greater capacity in the A&E department, while also enabling better patient outcomes.

“We are, therefore, pleased to be working on such an important and significant project with our partner, Willmott Dixon Interiors helping to accelerate this project forward, and provide improved NHS services for the community.”

 

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