Kier wins £93m Luton hospital contract

Kier has been selected by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to design and construct 16,700 sqm of clinical buildings at Luton & Dunstable University Hospital.Kier’s £92.8m contract for two new buildings is part of a £168.6m capital investment in maternity, neonatal and critical care services at the L&D.It is one of the 20 projects that the government announced in August 2019 to receive £850m additional capital funding investment.Procured through the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) framework, Kier’s contract includes the design and construction of a new acute services block and a new ward block which will house a delivery suite, the midwifery-led birthing unit, a neonatal intensive care unit with parent accommodation, an ambulatory surgical unit to support day case surgery, theatre suites and a critical care unit.A new five-storey link building with three passenger and will connect the new acute services and ward block with the existing hospital.The new buildings will be constructed in a live hospital environment in the middle of the existing hospital estate, with neighbouring clinical blocks continuing to function throughout the build programme. Demolition and enabling work has been taking place over the past eight months to clear the hospital site in preparation for the building work.Kier said that the project will showcase sustainability and prefabrication. Low-carbon concrete will be used in the building frame and floor slabs, while a number of building components will be prefabricated off site for better logistics. These will include internal staircases with balustrades, and M&E pipework support and washroom panels.Kier will also intends to use electric-powered plant and machinery, including tower cranes and 360-degree site dumper trucks.Contractors move on site in the next month; the project is due for completion sometime in 2024.Kier recently completed a £98m programme at Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot and the new £28.5m imaging centre at Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea. It is currently on site building a new £87m surgical centre at Musgrove Park Hospital for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.