Midland Metropolitan University Hospital

The Challenge

The Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust sought a state-of-the-art new hospital to support a new model of care for the half million people across the region. Midland Metropolitan University Hospital will enable the Trust to bring together acute care and emergency services previously provided across two separate hospitals. The new hospital, located between Sandwell and Birmingham, creates a centralised hub for emergency care and support collaboration between care teams. The project will also encourage renewal in a designated regeneration zone.

The Design Solution

Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, designed by HKS, Cagni Williams and Sonneman Toon, welcomed its first patients on 6^th October 2024. The hospital is the largest acute health care facility within the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

The flagship project, part of the New Hospital Programme, sets a new standard for clinical healthcare design, and is one of the most advanced hospitals in Europe, as well as a community regeneration catalyst in an area with high levels of deprivation.

The hospital provides emergency department, maternity, children’s and adult acute inpatient services in an environment that is purpose-built for clinical teams to work together. The flexible design of the building’s interior spaces will enable the Trust to adapt easily to changes in health care delivery and community needs.

The hospital’s innovative features include a fully enclosed space called the Winter Garden, which people can use to access the majority of visitor amenities such as restaurants, family overnight stay areas and a multi-faith centre. The Winter Garden also provides space for all building users to relax, meet and admire the views from the roof terraces or to quietly contemplate and gather their thoughts. The selected interior materials and finishes are stylish, contemporary, durable and cleanable, for a comfortable, safe, non-institutional health care environment. The design of the paediatric department incorporates play areas, places to display children’s artwork and a colorful palette appropriate for all ages.

Separate circulation routes throughout the facility for patients, staff and clinical services will increase operational efficiency and improve the patient experience.

A car park on the building’s ground floor and first floor will help create a secure environment for patients, visitors and staff.

The Design Impact

The new hospital is designed to meet the highest national and international standards to support the efficient delivery of high-quality health care.

To optimise flexibility, the hospital design is based on a single structural grid. This accommodates a wide range of clinical and functional spaces that can be easily adapted for future expansion, and to support the delivery of new service models and working practices, as medical technology and acute healthcare needs evolve.

Located on a 6-hectare brownfield site in Smethwick, the new hospital represents a landmark development and a vehicle for growth for this designated regeneration zone, between Birmingham and Sandwell.