Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has revealed outline proposals for a new Airedale General Hospital, a £1bn-plus redevelopment programme that will replace the existing RAAC-affected hospital in West Yorkshire.
The designs have been developed by a specialist project team led by P+HS Architects, supported by AHR Architects and Hospital 2.0 specialist HDR.
Engineering consultancy AECOM, structural engineer Curtins, project manager Gleeds and healthcare consultancy Archus also form part of the team appointed to develop the scheme.
The publication of the outline design follows the New Hospital Programme's recent allocation of delivery partners, with Graham Construction selected as the proposed contractor for the Airedale General Hospital replacement under the first wave of the Hospital 2.0 Alliance framework.
The new facility will replace the existing Airedale General Hospital as much of the estate contains reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The redevelopment is among the first projects progressing through Wave 1 of the programme.
In line with the New Hospital Programme's Hospital 2.0 blueprint, the replacement hospital will provide around 430 beds, all accommodated in single en-suite rooms.
The approach is intended to improve patient privacy, dignity and infection prevention while supporting modern models of care.
The outline design also incorporates standardised wards, theatres and treatment areas, alongside enhanced digital infrastructure and smart building management systems.
Patients will be able to access more services digitally, while staff will benefit from fully digitised records, modern clinical technologies and connected hospital systems.
Designed around wellbeing and accessibility, the proposed hospital includes landscaped external spaces and improved wayfinding, while flexible clinical accommodation has been planned to enable services to adapt to changing healthcare needs over the coming decades.
Feedback from staff, patients and local communities has also informed the emerging design proposals.
The replacement hospital will be constructed on the existing Airedale hospital campus, allowing healthcare services to continue operating while the new facility is developed in phases.
The scheme will be delivered using modern methods of construction (MMC), with a significant proportion of building components manufactured off site before assembly on the hospital campus.
The approach is intended to improve quality, programme certainty and sustainability performance.
The design also places a strong emphasis on reducing operational carbon emissions through energy-efficient building systems and a resilient estate capable of supporting the trust's long-term sustainability ambitions.
Construction of the replacement hospital is expected to follow completion of the design and approvals process later in the programme.