A full planning application has been submitted for a new decant building at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington.
The plans, which have been lodged with Northumberland County Council, seek permission for a two-storey building at the rear of the site as part of a project to carry out remedial works within the existing hospital.
The ‘defects’ identified in the legal case ranged from fire safety issues ‘including fire-stopping, fire dampers, fire doors, smoke clearance, smoke curtains, and use of lifts for evacuation’, to problems with the ‘fire-rating’ of door frames, as well as the ‘fire resistance’ of external walls.
This work to repair and improve aspects of the hospital building follows a legal settlement between the original developer, Lendlease, and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2022.
The decant building will provide the existing hospital with capacity whilst this work takes place.
While the settlement amount agreed remains confidential, the trust had initially sought more than £140m, claiming that £70m was needed to build this temporary decant structure.
The trust initially claimed that £70m was needed to build this temporary decant structure
The first floor of the new decant building will contain a 30-bed ward, which will mean the current wards in the hospital can be decanted in turn for work to take place.
The ground floor will host a pathology laboratory for blood sciences and two cath labs, where diagnostic tests for heart conditions take place.
Damon Kent, Managing Director of Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management, said: “Working on a live hospital site means this project must be managed carefully, and this application follows detailed planning, testing and design work. This has helped decide how best to handle work to minimise disruption to patients, who remain our priority. We have spent time engaging with staff during this phase.
“Minimising disruption, and allowing the hospital to function as it needs to, have been and will remain a major focus during this project. We would like to thank patients, visitors and staff for bearing with us during this important work.”
Other works are already taking place outside the hospital, on the drainage system and to re-clad the walls. A new helipad is also being built and should be completed in October.