Design Team Appointed for the New Whipps Cross Hospital

Following a competitive tender process, Ryder has been chosen to lead the design team for Barts Health NHS Trust in partnership with WSP and Hoare Lea, which will support the Trust’s “A Brighter Future for Whipps Cross” vision.

As one of six hospitals in England to be in the first phase of the Government’s Health Infrastructure Plan, the new Whipps Cross Hospital aims to support the future needs of the local population, ensure the delivery of safe and sustainable clinical services, and is expected to be one of the UK’s first post COVID-19 and net zero carbon hospital.

Initial plans have been developed alongside local health and social care partners, as well as in response to engagement with the local community and staff.  This will provide a strategic opportunity for the Trust to transform the care provided to patients across the communities served by the hospital, including Waltham Forest and parts of Redbridge and West Essex.

The new hospital will provide the same core services as today, including A&E and maternity, with the opportunity for wider primary and community services to be co-located on the site.  The development of the wider site envisages 1,500 new homes alongside other community facilities.

Paul Bell, partner at Ryder and project director, said, “We are delighted to be working with Barts Health to help them deliver a Brighter Future for Whipps Cross.  The creation of a new integrated health campus bringing together 1,500 new homes alongside other community facilities, together with a major new hospital for north east London, all set within the wonderful context of Epping Forest, is a unique opportunity to put into practice our philosophy of blurring the boundaries between sectors to support a multigenerational community in which people can start well, live well, stay well and age well.”

WSP, the engineering professional services consultancy, is providing civil and structural engineering, fire engineering and transportation consultancy services.

Matthew Palmer, project director at WSP, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Ryder and Barts NHS Trust to deliver this exciting project brings together a number of WSP’s specialist disciplines and we look forward to being an integral part of the journey to create a sustainable and resilient place for world leading healthcare.”

Following early development designs, the team is now engaging with local communities in partnership with the local boroughs to hear views and help further shape the plans.