Darwin Group is continuing work on a new modular operating theatre at Hereford County Hospital, with the facility expected to open in autumn 2026.
The two-storey modular building will provide a single obstetric operating theatre and will be connected to the existing hospital by a link corridor.
The project is being delivered for Wye Valley NHS Trust, with the development covered by a planning application that has subsequently been approved by Herefordshire Council.
The planning application was submitted on 23 April 2026 and validated on 18 May. Planning permission was granted with conditions on 8 July.
The application describes the development as the “installation of a two-storey Darwin Group modular building” at Hereford County Hospital on Union Walk.
The approved scheme also includes associated landscaping around the new building.
Portakabin is listed as the agent for Wye Valley NHS Trust on the planning application.
Portakabin acquired Darwin Group in 2023, bringing the specialist healthcare modular business into the Portakabin Group.
The £5.5m project comes directly from national NHS capital funding allocated to help hospitals reduce surgical wait times and handle elective surgeries like planned Caesarean sections.
What will the modular facility include?
Once completed, the new facility will provide a dedicated obstetric operating theatre, adding surgical capacity to the hospital's existing maternity facilities.
The planning submission includes a Design and Access Statement for the modular building, together with drawings showing the proposed site layout, building elevations and general arrangements.
Supporting documents submitted with the application include a Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage Strategy, ecology and biodiversity assessments, an Arboricultural Impact Assessment and a justification letter.
Darwin Group specialises in modular healthcare facilities, including operating theatres and other clinical accommodation.
In June, the company delivered a modular operating theatre complex at Doncaster Royal Infirmary using its On-Demand approach, providing additional surgical capacity while refurbishment work was carried out elsewhere at the hospital.
A representative from Darwin Group told Building Better Healthcare that the Hereford project follows the same modular theatre approach, but comprises a single obstetric operating theatre linked to the existing hospital.
Increasing surgical capacity
The new theatre will add to recent investment in surgical capacity at Hereford County Hospital, including a £16m elective surgical hub at the hospital that was completed in 2022, with two specialist operating theatres, a cataract suite and recovery facilities.
The project was delivered by Speller Metcalfe.
The additional modular theatre is intended to support the hospital's surgical capacity and help reduce waiting times for patients.
