IBI Nightingale has won the £75m VITA Project, a whole service transformation to redevelop the Birmingham Women’s Hospital site and create a national centre of excellence.
Over the coming months, the practice will be working with Birmingham Women’s Hospital NHS Trust (BWHT) to deliver its outline business case to be submitted for approval.
The trust is a leading provider of healthcare services in the West Midlands, offering a range of services to around 50,000 people a year.
“The design of the VITA Project will enable BWHT to build on its excellent reputation and grow and deliver services, including maternity, neonatal, genetics, laboratory, gynaecology and fertility,” said Professor Ros Keeton, the trust’s chief executive.
“Working in partnership with IBI Nightingale we will design a hospital that delivers excellent healthcare, education, training and research, contributing to the health and wellbeing of the people of the West Midlands and beyond.”
The VITA Project will redevelop the Birmingham Women Hospital site to allow all services to adopt new clinical practices, respond to increasing projected demand and enable replacement of unsuitable accommodation with first-class healthcare facilities.
“We share the trust’s vision and fully recognise the potential to create a healthcare facility that defines Birmingham Women’s Hospital as an inspiring place to work and an exceptional facility to receive specialist care,” said Martha McSweeney of IBI Nightingale.
The trust went out to market for a full design team in September. IBI Nightingale’s response was to seamlessly combine its in-house healthcare planning service into its architectural offering.
“Our ability to provide an experienced, integrated team gave BWHT the confidence that we will build a robust business case,” said Paul Whittlestone, IBI global lead for healthcare strategy at IBI Nightingale.
“By matching the design solution to the service model we will provide a scheme they can confidently take forward.”
Work starts immediately to submit the outline business case by July.
