Interserve Group Limited, the international support services, construction and equipment group, handed over the new NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham to the NHS to treat COVID-19 patients.
The new hospital at the National Exhibition Centre, built by Birmingham based Interserve Construction, was officially opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge and Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health & Social Care via a video link. It will initially provide 800 patient beds equipped with ventilators.
As the principal contractor, Interserve Construction delivered the first phase at the hospital on behalf of the NHS and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. More than 400 employees and contractors and 60 Gurkhas from the British Army worked more than 86,000 construction hours on the project.
This was achieved in line with the social distancing rules set out by the UK Government and following the guidance issued by the Construction Leadership Council.
Interserve Construction is continuing its work at the NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham increasing patient bed capacity up to 4,000 beds.
Paul Gandy, Managing Director, Interserve Construction, said:
“Interserve Construction and Interserve Engineering Services together with all our contractors can be proud of what has been achieved delivering the new Nightingale Birmingham Hospital on time.
“Drawing upon our considerable experience delivering construction projects for the NHS, we have worked 24 hours a day to build this hospital. Despite the major logistical challenges, it shows what can be achieved when people come together from across the construction sector. I would like to thank all our everyone involved for their phenomenal efforts in delivering this critical project.”
Nightingale Hospital Birmingham in numbers:
- 86,000 construction hours worked
- 400 employees and contractors on site from Interserve Construction and Interserve Engineering Services
- More than 64 miles of electrical cable laid
- The bed bays, laid end to end, would stretch over 13 miles
- Vinyl flooring laid down across the equivalent of 11.5 football pitches
- More than 10 miles of copper piping installed
- Over 4,000 hot meals consumed
- Fleet of 20 golf carts and Isuzu trucks to transport workers around site