Detailed plans for the transformation of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital have been revealed for the first time in the long-awaited planning application for the development.
Designs show how a new 30,000 square metre building will be constructed next to the current main entrance, women’s and children’s services, an acute medical unit and intensive therapy unit, and linking to a re-modelled and expanded A&E department.
The submission of the application marks a major step forward for the £312 million transformation of the two acute hospitals run by the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) – and heralds the controversial end of consultant-led maternity services and A&E at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.
The application seeks full permission for the new building, which the trust’s agent Nexus Planning says will “form the new face of Royal Shrewsbury Hospital”.
It also proposes the relocation of the helipad and the addition of an extra storey to part of the staff car park to provide extra spaces.
What the architects say about the hospital rebuild
Describing the layout and condition of the existing hospital buildings, the planning statement by Nexys says: “The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has not had the benefit of being developed within a cohesive masterplan and has been developed over a period of time in a piecemeal manner.
“Key departments are ‘land-locked’ by narrow public circulation routes, compromising clinical adjacencies and reducing patient dignity.
“Existing building footprints and section heights are inappropriate for use as modern effective clinical space and the condition of the existing estate is poor in many instances.”
It adds that entrances are hard to find, and the A&E department is blocked from view by temporary structures, and concludes it is “not a coherent overall site”.
The statement says: “The new development should seek to address these issues in order to deliver a truly sustainable future for the site.
“The design has been developed from the outset to create an efficient building which is legible and avoids deep plan space to consistently offer patients, staff, and visitors an environment which is stimulating and plays a positive role in the health and wellbeing of its visitors.”
It has been nearly 10 years since the Future Fit programme was first launched, but the statement says the application responds to more recent technological advances and changes to working practices brought about by the Covid pandemic.
The new building will be constructed on the site of the existing helipad, 23 staff parking spaces and 37 visitor parking spaces.
It will be fronted by a new drop-off zone and “entrance plaza”, and there are also plans to extend and improve the ambulance parking area.
Shrewsbury hospital car parking
Meanwhile the extra car park level will provide an additional 260 staff parking spaces.
SaTH is planning a series of public engagement events in the coming weeks, and the plans can be viewed in full by searching for application reference 23/01481/FUL on the council’s planning portal, where members of the public can also submit their comments.
The trust revealed last week that it was on track to submit the outline business case to the government this summer, followed by the full business case expected in the winter.
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