A topping-out ceremony was held to mark a construction milestone at the site of the new acute services block and ward block at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital.
The traditional ceremony marked construction of the highest point of the main building structure and was attended by staff from Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Kier Construction Group, and Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire.
Work on the acute services block and new ward block started in January 2022, with an enormous amount of progress made to reach the highest point of the five-storey building.
Once complete at the end of 2024, the £150m development will provide modern and enhanced facilities for maternity, neonatology, critical care, and theatre services.
For maternity services, there will be increased theatre capacity to help support those with high-risk pregnancies, as well as a dedicated and standalone bereavement suite.
As a provider of a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit, there will also be additional cots to care for the sickest and most-premature babies, alongside rooming-in facilities to allow families additional support before going home.
Guests watched the final piece of steel lifted into place
Critical care facilities will allow for additional beds to accommodate patients requiring an increased level of care, meaning the care they receive will be in a central location.
And eight new operating theatres will be created to provide additional capacity and allow repurposing of older theatres.
The building will also feature two hybrid theatres, capable of delivering interventional and specialist services all in one place.
Melanie Banks, director of redevelopment and strategic planning at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The topping-out ceremony has allowed us to celebrate and recognise the incredible work achieved so far by the trust’s project team, design and advisory team, Kier, our construction partner, and the trust’s clinical teams.
“The commitment and dedication from all involved to ensure the project stays on track and progresses has been astounding.”
Dr Glyn Harrison, clinical director for theatres at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, added: “It’s incredible to see how well the acute services block and new ward block is coming along, and this highlights an exciting step in our journey to providing the very-best care to patients in the very-best environment.”
