Agenda item

The Chair welcomed those present to the meeting.  Mr Jason Seez, Deputy Chief Executive at The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (THH) and Chief Infrastructure and Redevelopment Officer, advised that he was also the Senior Responsible Officer for the Hillingdon Hospital redevelopment.  He noted that Hillingdon Hospital had been identified as one of the top eight new hospital schemes in 2021 (then known as Cohort 3) and had become a pathfinder.  In 2024, a review of the New Hospitals Programme (NHP) had been undertaken and resulted in the Government announcement in January 2025 that the Programme would be delivered in three waves: 1) 2025-30; 2) 2030-35; and 3) 2035-39.  It had been confirmed that Hillingdon Hospital would be included in Wave 1 which mostly comprised RAAC hospitals alongside Milton Keynes and Manchester.

Members were advised that the next stages were now being worked through and a design refresh would be undertaken to develop a Hospital 2.0 compliant design (this was NHP’s standardised approach to design).  All new builds needed to be a standardised design so that offsite construction could be undertaken and this had been a challenge with many iterations.

Although the hospital design had previously been approved, time had since passed and service requirements had been updated (for example, the previous design had included 73% single room accommodation whereas there was now a requirement for 100%).  Single rooms were better for infection prevention and control (infections in staff and patients reduced capacity).  However, as single rooms also reduced social interaction, communal spaces would need to be provided in the new build to enable this social connection.   

Hillingdon Hospital had been recognised for the level of its clinical engagement during the process and this would need to continue.  Communication would need to be undertaken within the local community in relation to the changes that would need to be made.  Work would also continue in testing the patient perspective on the pioneering model of care at place level through Hillingdon Health and Care Partners.  Three superhubs were being planned with partners and a new NHS Strategy and Plan was expected to deliver a “left shift” (the shift of activity out of hospitals to those delivered closer to home, largely provided by primary or community services and wider system partners). 

Mr Seez advised that the Outline Business Case would be refreshed in October 2026 with a view to submitting the Full Business Case in March 2028 and starting the build in early 2028 (building would then take place between 2028 and 2032, with the new hospital opening to the public in early 2033).  It was anticipated that the  Hillingdon Hospital site would be cleared and ready to start building by the autumn of 2027.

Members thanked Mr Seez and his team for their hard work in getting Hillingdon Hospital to the front of the queue insofar as the NHP was concerned.  The NHS’s last big new hospital building programme had been undertaken 20-30 years ago and had been privately financed.  This new programme was being delivered using public finance on a national level which had not been undertaken in a very long time. 

Concern had been expressed about the Mount Vernon Hospital site.  Mr Seez advised that THH was landlord to a lot of services at Mount Vernon that were provided by other organisations.  For example, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre was run by East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and proposals were being developed to move this service to a new site in Watford.  In addition, services such as Human Resources, Finance and some clinical services had been temporarily decanted from Hillingdon Hospital to Mount Vernon as part of the site clearance and enabling works, ready for the new hospital build.  That said, consideration would need to be given to the long-term plans for the Mount Vernon site. 

One key part of new hospital programme management would be to maintain momentum and consistency.  It was noted that the main hospital building would remain operational during the building of the new hospital on the same site – the smaller buildings around the campus were being decanted.  This meant that there would be backlog maintenance that would need to be addressed but hospital capacity during the build would not change. 

Although the decant works had not progressed as much as Mr Seez would have liked over the course of the last year, the site moves were now moving forward at pace.  Work had been undertaken to install new power and sewer infrastructures on the site and work continued on a new substation.  The support of stakeholders and partners had helped THH to maintain its pace. 

The NHP fragnet was all about locking down dates (a fragnet schedule referred to a smaller, detailed portion of a larger project timeline that focussed on a specific segment or group of activities within the overall project).  One of the biggest milestones would be the appointment of a building contractor (which would be done at a national level). 

Mr Seez advised that it was important that the staff were not forgotten during the building process and that they were taken on the journey (even when they were busy).  They would need to have time to familiarise themselves with the new building, once opened, before they were up to speed – at the new hospital in Brighton, staff had used virtual reality headsets to do this.

Members were advised that the Trust had a research partnership with Brunel.  An education and training agreement was also being finalised with the University in relation to innovative models of care. 

It was agreed that the Committee would receive an update on the new hospital development after the Outline Business Case had been submitted in October 2026.  The Democratic, Civic and Ceremonial Manager would also liaise with Mr Seez to arrange a site visit to Hillingdon Hospital to see the works that had already been undertaken.

RESOLVED:  That:

1.    the Committee be provided with an update on the development of the new hospital following the submission of the Outline Business Case in October 2026;

2.    the Democratic, Civic and Ceremonial Manager liaise with Mr Seez to arrange a site visit to Hillingdon Hospital to see the works that had already been undertaken; and

3.    the discussion be noted.