A crane lift has been completed at The Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea to install a new rooftop plant as part of works to deliver a replacement CT scanner and associated clinical facilities.
The operation took place over the weekend at the hospital's Marsden Wing, where contractor T&B is delivering a new CT2 suite on the third floor for The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
The works include new scanner, control, preparation, recovery and equipment spaces, alongside specialist radiation shielding, medical services and the infrastructure required to support the replacement scanner.
The installation required careful coordination within the live hospital environment, with access, lifting logistics and construction sequencing planned around ongoing clinical activities to maintain service continuity.
City Lifting carried out the crane operation, with Ansell + Bailey Architects, Mortimer Isaacs Consultancy, Wareham & Associates and RSP (The Richard Stephens Partnership) also involved in the project.
Ansell + Bailey Architects was also recently recognised at the 2026 Building Better Healthcare Awards, winning the Gold for the Clinician’s Choice award for its Mile End Hospital CDC.
Royal Marsden plans wider Chelsea redevelopment
The CT2 works form part of the Trust's ongoing investment in its Chelsea hospital, which is also the subject of plans for a major redevelopment.
Founded in 1851, The Royal Marsden opened its Chelsea site on Fulham Road in 1862.
The hospital has continued to invest in its specialist diagnostic facilities, including the installation of two hybrid PET-CT scanners in 2013.
The Trust now plans to modernise its Chelsea estate and increase capacity by up to 50%.
The proposed redevelopment will bring together diagnostic, research and treatment facilities, including a new Integrated Diagnostics Centre incorporating imaging, pathology and laboratory services.
The latest plans build on previous efforts to expand specialist cancer accommodation at the site.
In 2015, the Trust submitted plans for a £65m cancer centre at the adjoining Brompton Fulham Road Wing, involving the reconfiguration of an existing multi-storey hospital building.
The Trust appointed Turner & Townsend to lead delivery of its wider Chelsea Development, working alongside a design team including Stanton Williams, Hoare Lea and Ramboll.
The project aims to create an integrated environment for cancer research, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.
