UCLH hires Mace to deliver new state-of-art centre for TNE and dentistry

Mace has been hired by the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) to deliver a new ‘state-of-the-art’ home to the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, the Eastman Dental Hospital and services from the UCLH. The firm is tasked with developing the new centre in line with the sometime complex additional needs of its patients and staff.

University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital (RNTNEH) has a history dating back more than 130 years. In the intervening years, demand for its services grew, and today it is the UK’s largest ear, nose and throat hospital. The hospital is additionally Europe’s centre for audiological medicine and research, as well as gaining international renown for its breadth of knowledge and expertise it has in-house.

The centre, which has been in University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2012, is to undergo considerable upgrade and consolidation – moving into a new ‘state-of-the-art’ facility and integrated with the Eastman Dental Hospital (EDH) and wider services offered by the UCLH. The new facility will be designed with input from staff from the three institutions, as well as from patients.

The new building, which is expected to be completed by 2019, will cater to the specific needs of its patient stakeholders, with floor levels and built environment designs based on caring for people with specific kinds of disabilities. In addition, the building will have a floor dedicated to supporting children with ear, nose, throat and dental issues.

UCLH’s chief executive, Sir Robert Naylor, says, “Fifteen years ago we had a vision to develop a world leading hospital and university campus and this new clinical facility is another major step forward. I am absolutely delighted that this new building will be matching the internationally renowned clinical excellence of the EDH and RNTNEH with a world class building to further facilitate improvements in care.”

To develop the new health centre, the UCLH has hired several external consultancies, including Mace. The international engineering and consulting firm is tasked with the development and delivery of the new building in line with the needs of its key stakeholders. The value of the contract has not been disclosed.

Terry Spraggett, Director for Public Sector Construction at Mace, says, “I’m delighted that Mace has been appointed by UCLH as main contractor on this significant and complex hospital project, which is challenging both in terms of the construction and logistics of the site. Mace has a strong track record of delivering complex healthcare projects across the UK to an exceptionally high quality. We look forward to bringing our experience to this project and helping UCLH realise its vision to deliver better treatment and care for patients.”

Mace has been active within the hospital building space in recent years, with projects including the refurbishment of Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, the redesign of UCLH’s A&E department and the Proton Beam Therapy project, in Manchester.