Practical completion of state-of-the-art healthcare hub

Pioneering new health facilities complete in Bournemouth

Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, has successfully completed the construction of new, state-of-the-art healthcare facilities in Bournemouth.

The six-storey BEACH Building, which contains maternity, children’s and emergency care services alongside a new hospital main entrance, officially welcomed its first patients on 31st March 2025.

The 25,000m2 complex, which first broke ground in 2021, offers a more appropriate space and facilities to meet the demands of modern-day healthcare.  

The new Maternity and Neonatal Unit is set to welcome over 4,400 babies annually, ensuring comprehensive care from pregnancy and birth through to postnatal support. 

Meanwhile, the enhanced emergency department is larger than two pre-existing facilities combined and enables Royal Bournemouth Hospital to become the major emergency hospital for Dorset.

Building work took place with minimal disruption to the Royal Bournemouth site, which remained operational and delivering healthcare services throughout.

The development forms part of the £500m transformation for University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust’s hospitals, including investment to develop Poole Hospital as the major planned care hospital and ambitious plans for Christchurch Hospital.

Bruce Preston, Project Director, IHP, said: “The success of the project is testament to our team who have delivered this programme of work on a live hospital site with minimal disruption to the Trust’s operations. These facilities will deliver great benefit for the people of Dorset, both now and in the years to come.”

Jason Griffiths Regional Director, IHP, said: “We’re proud to have delivered this amazing large-scale 1,000 room development on time and to budget. The finished product is first class. This result has been made possible through collaboration with the Trust, and the whole team. The project navigated the challenging events of COVID, Brexit and the hyperinflation as well as one of the key supply chain partners going into liquidation. We look forward to our continued relationship on the transformation programme with repeat works in Bournemouth and Poole estates. Thank you to everyone involved.” 

Stephen Killen, UHD’s Transformation Director, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to IHP for their high-quality work and professionalism throughout this project.

“Our new BEACH Building is already making a real difference - improving birth, emergency, and critical care services, with children’s health services set to move in early next year. 

“We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with IHP as a project partner to enhance our services, with several further upgrades underway across our hospital sites.”