ModuleCo has been appointed to build a new ophthalmic operating theatre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, as The Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community and Hospitals NHS Group expands its capacity for planned surgery.
The 240 sqm facility will include an ophthalmic operating theatre with an ultra-clean ventilation (UCV) canopy, which supplies highly filtered air over the operating table to reduce airborne contamination.
The theatre will also include a dedicated two-bed recovery area for patients following surgery.
The appointment follows a competitive tender process and builds on ModuleCo’s previous work at the hospital, where it delivered Wards 38 and 39, which opened in December 2025.
“A strong working relationship has [already] been established between ModuleCo, the Trust and the wider project team,” Jonathan Brindley, Sales and Marketing Director at ModuleCo, told Building Better Healthcare.
The project team includes Rev-A Associates as architects, Edmond Shipway as cost consultants and IHP for the enabling works.
The continuity of the team is intended to help the project progress efficiently, drawing on partners’ existing knowledge of the hospital site, stakeholders and operational requirements.
Having a team that is already familiar with the site, stakeholders and project requirements helps create a highly collaborative approach from the outset, said Brindley.
The experience gained during the previous development has also given the team insight into site logistics and the operational requirements of working in a live hospital, helping it plan the new facility while minimising disruption and maintaining quality and patient safety.
ModuleCo said around 65% of its work comes from repeat clients, which it attributed to healthcare providers’ confidence in its ability to deliver complex projects in live hospital environments.
Groundworks are underway on the site adjacent to Wards 38 and 39.
Once complete, the new theatre will connect to the two wards, supporting patient pathways between inpatient care and surgery.
The project is being delivered using modular construction, with most of the facility manufactured off-site at ModuleCo’s factory in Gloucestershire.
“Unlike a traditional construction build, where the majority of work is carried out on site over many months or a year, ModuleCo’s approach is to manufacture 90% of the new theatre facility off-site,” Brindley said.
The facility will be delivered to site largely complete, reducing the on-site construction programme to less than two months.
ModuleCo said this would reduce noise, vehicle movements and disruption for patients, visitors and staff, while allowing the Trust to expand its clinical facilities more quickly.
The remaining work will involve site connections, commissioning and testing before handover to the Trust.
According to ModuleCo, the approach will more than halve the time spent on site compared with a traditional construction programme.
“Its direct connection to Wards 38 and 39 will also support efficient patient pathways and streamline the journey from inpatient care to surgery," said Brindley.
