Steel signing marks major milestone for Morgan Sindall’s latest development at Harrogate District Hospital
A significant milestone in the construction of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s new state-of–the-art Day Case Surgery and Imaging Centre has been marked with a steel signing ceremony.
The new two storey building is being built by Morgan Sindall and will provide state-of-the-art surgical and imaging services. It will house two new operating theatres, two procedure rooms, a dedicated day case ward, and an advanced imaging department. The imaging facilities will feature two MRI scanners, two CT scanners, three x-ray rooms, seven ultrasound scanners, bone density (Dexa) scanning, and fluoroscopy, which provides real-time imaging of tissue and organs.
The ceremony, which was attended by the Morgan Sindall team along with key hospital staff and representatives from other NHS organisations, was held to celebrate the completion of the building’s structural steel framework.
The construction of the Day Case Surgery and Imaging Centre is being undertaken as part of a £50 million capital investment funded by HDFT and NHS England, which is also being used for the removal of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) at the Harrogate District Hospital site.
Recently, HDFT has received the latest tranche of RAAC funding of £14 million, approximately half of which will be used to support the Day Case Surgery and Imaging Centre build and half for the removal of RAAC in certain non-clinical areas of Harrogate District Hospital, including estates, facilities and stores.
At the steel signing event, attendees were given an update on the project’s journey so far and shown a virtual walk-through of the site, enabling them to see what the completed building will look like. They were then given the opportunity to sign the building’s steel framework to recognise the progress made to date.
Signatories included Sarah Armstrong, Chair of HDFT; David Earl, Deputy Medical Director at HDFT; Andrew Gate, Estates Delivery Director from NHS Estates; Ben Hall, Area Director, Morgan Sindall; and Gary Farrow, Managing Quantity Surveyor, Morgan Sindall.
Following completion of the steel frame, construction has now moved on to the next stage which will include laying floors, installation of the roof and cladding of the building. Internal fit out is due to begin at the start of 2026 with the building being completed and operational by Autumn 2026.
The project design embraces sustainability, through the application of BREEAM New Construction V6, a framework to deliver new builds which are high performing and sustainable. The framework focuses on nine sustainability categories (management, water, energy, transport, materials, waste, pollution, land use and ecology, and health and wellbeing).
The project has already achieved a design stage certification of ‘Very Good’ and will continue to pursue this target through to final certification. This sustainable performance reflects the top 25% of UK new non-domestic buildings.
During construction, 88% of construction waste has been diverted from landfill, with the majority going into recovery, with a smaller quantity going to waste for energy.
Ensuring local workforce is used on the project has been a priority for both HDFT and Morgan Sindall. 57% of activity has been undertaken by local labour, whilst a number of apprentices and T-Level students on placement have been supported on the project.
Ben Hall, Yorkshire Area Director at Morgan Sindall, said:
We are proud to be working in partnership with Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust to bring this state-of-the-art centre to life. This event was a great opportunity to celebrate the teamwork and commitment from everyone involved - from our local supply chain and apprentices to the Trust and project partners - that has got us to this point in the construction process.
Here at Morgan Sindall, we are a responsible business, therefore social value and sustainability are at the heart of our operations and are integral to our delivery of this scheme, and we’re pleased to be already delivering strong outcomes that are benefiting the local community. We look forward to continuing this momentum as we move into the next phase of construction and towards completion in Autumn 2026.”
Speaking at the signing, Sarah Armstrong, Chair of HDFT, said:
It has been wonderful to take part in the steel signing, which recognises the progress that has been made in such a short period of time – it was only in February that the ground was broken.
Having the opportunity to see computer simulations of how the building will look was fantastic as it really brings the project to life.
The new facility will allow us to carry out more operations and more scans, which will help us to reduce waiting times. I cannot wait until the centre opens next year to see the positive impact and the benefits it will bring for our patients.
This is one of the biggest investments our Trust has ever made and it is key to ensuring that we can deliver the highest quality healthcare that our community expects in the future.
This is a real team effort, and I would like to thank everyone who has helped get us to this point today.