2nd April 2020

Engineering good health and quality care

After years of health underfunding, the Government has committed £1.8bn towards NHS infrastructure and equipment. £850m was designated in 2019 for an upgrade programme, which would see 20 hospital projects receiving funding.

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital was one of the projects to make the list. With an ageing estate and a £92m backlog of maintenance, the hospital is in need of modernisation and work to bring its facilities up to standard. As patient expectations grow with advancing medicine and technology, the buildings are no longer fit for purpose, negatively impacting both patient and staff satisfaction.

Perega has been appointed as civil engineering and structural engineering consultants for the programme, which is one of the largest chosen by the Government. This includes addressing backlog maintenance and improving standards in the highest risk areas, including delivery of a 12,000m2 acute services block and 4,000m2 critical care block.

A modern flexible design will help address national workforce challenges, increase capacity and improve sustainability and efficiency. At the same time, the programme aims to improve quality standards and enable advances in medicine and technology.

The Trust aspires to further redevelop the emergency department and is fundraising for a helipad to support trauma cases in the region.

Steve McSorley, Perega director and lead on the project, comments: “Given the track record of underwhelming spending on the NHS in recent years, the government’s announcement in August was, understandably, welcomed with a degree of caution. However, it’s still a considerable investment.

“We’ve been working on Luton and Dunstable Hospital since 2015. We’re excited that it’s received this boost to bring it up to modern day standards and help it meet the needs of its patients and staff.”

To read more about Perega’s work in healthcare, visit our “Healthcare Sector” page.