Kier has today (30th July) been formally appointed to deliver the redevelopment of Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.
The award follows Kier’s appointment earlier this year to the Hospital 2.0 Alliance Framework, part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP), a joint endeavour between the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. It is the greatest single investment programme in NHS infrastructure in recent decades.
The signing of the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital contract enables the next phase of design and development work. It marks an important step forward for the critical NHP Wave One project, with a contract value of approximately £500m.
Kier will be at the forefront of the Alliance’s commitment to deliver a new generation of hospitals across England, prioritising standardised design, digital innovation and modern methods of construction to improve delivery certainty, productivity and quality.
The new hospital will be designed to support modern healthcare delivery, improve patient experiences and provide high-quality working environments for staff. It will also incorporate sustainable design principles and digital innovations that support future models of care.
Stuart Togwell, CEO, Kier Group, said:
The NHS touches every community, and the opportunity to help deliver a new Hinchingbrooke Hospital is both a privilege and a responsibility. Working in partnership with North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, our focus will be on creating a modern healthcare environment that supports exceptional patient care, enhances staff wellbeing and meets the needs of local people for generations to come. Our connection to Hinchingbrooke is longstanding. Through our facilities management work at Hinchingbrooke Treatment Centre since 2005, we have become part of the hospital community and developed a deep understanding of the people, place and services that make it so important to the region. As construction partner, we will combine that local knowledge with the innovation and efficiency of the Hospital 2.0 Alliance. Through our place-based delivery approach, we will work closely with local stakeholders, businesses and communities to maximise social value, create opportunities and leave a lasting legacy, while helping to realise the Trust's vision for a new hospital that will serve the area for decades to come.
Karin Smyth, Minister of State for Health, said:
For too long, the construction of new hospitals has been bogged down by bureaucratic procurement processes, even after full approval and funding was in place, and we're determined to change that. The changes announced today are a major step forward in streamlining the procurement process. With stronger collaboration, shared learning and a boost for jobs, this further demonstrates this government’s commitment to the New Hospital Programme, providing world class facilities for the NHS, and helping the economy in the process.
Hannah Coffey, Chief Executive of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Hinchingbrooke Hospital, said:
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in a vital asset for our community and one that will leave a lasting legacy for future generations. This is a significant milestone in our journey towards a new Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Appointing our construction partner demonstrates that we are making real progress towards delivering a new hospital that will serve future generations. We are delighted to be working with Kier, whose considerable experience in major healthcare developments and commitment to partnership working align closely with our own values and ambitions for the communities we serve.
Rick Lennard, Chief Operating Officer, New Hospital Programme, said:
The Alliance replaces traditional transactional approaches with long-term, outcome-focused partnerships, enabling continuous improvement across multiple schemes rather than isolated project delivery. By creating long-term partnerships, we're giving industry greater confidence to invest in people, capability and innovation, while creating a delivery model that will help us build hospitals more efficiently and consistently in the years ahead.
Kier is at the forefront of healthcare construction, having delivered 49 projects for the NHS totalling £826m since 2024. Alongside the delivery of new healthcare facilities, through this framework Kier will support local communities surrounding the hospital site with education, training and employment opportunities.
Kier has a long-established track record in healthcare, with the experience and capability to work in any region, with local teams who know and appreciate the communities they work in. It has completed over 100 clinical services, along with over 200 healthcare projects and major investment programmes in England, Scotland and Wales.
For the construction sector, The Hospital 2.0 Alliance model provides greater visibility of future work and confidence to invest in skills, capability and manufacturing capacity, supporting a more resilient and innovative healthcare supply chain.