“From our initial enquiry, through to placing an early works instruction, and now as work has commenced onsite, Darwin Group Ltd have responded quickly to all of our requests and have continued to exceed my expectations in terms of commitment to achieving key programme milestones and a willingness to support the Trust”
AGH Solutions
“It has been a pleasure to work with Darwin Group on the construction of the Discharge Lounge for Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Delivered to the promised day and to a high-quality finish, we have been impressed by Darwin Group’s commitment and support for the project.”
Strategic Asset Services Director, Gloucestershire Managed Services
“Well done Darwin Group, the efforts you have made in contributing to the delivery of a first-class facility was phenomenal. We are very proud to recommend and support this local company and indeed we are already exploring potential further development opportunities in working together once more”
Head of Estates Development, The Royal Wolverhampton Trust
“I am happy to recommend Darwin Group as a Design and Build Contractor for any NHS organisation, and we will be working with them again”
Head of Estate Development, Stoke Mandeville Hospital
“The team ethic, professionalism and sheer determination to get this projected completed will live with me for the rest of my career. You have made Wigan safer and I cannot thank you enough.”
Deputy Director of Strategy and Planning, Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
“It’s such a fabulous achievement. In my 30-plus years in estates in the NHS, I’ve never done anything as big and as quickly as this and to this standard.”
Director of Capital, Estates and Facilities, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratories in Basingstoke
The Trust commissioned Darwin Group to build two new cardiac catheterisation labs to replace an outdated lab and a temporary facility at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital – the first modular build of its kind in the country.
Portakabin and Darwin Group expand healthcare capability
Portakabin and Darwin Group expand healthcare capability Modular building market leader Portakabin has today announced the acquisition of healthcare modular buildings specialist Darwin Group in a move that will offer significant benefits to healthcare providers across the UK. Combining the modular knowledge, scale and financial strength of York-headquartered Portakabin with the specialist healthcare expertise of Darwin Group will now offer healthcare providers both temporary and permanent building solutions to cover all future clinical and non-clinical requirements. Darwin Group is headquartered in Telford, with an organisation of c. 200 employees and a turnover of c. £80m in 2022. Darwin Group represents a highly strategic acquisition which closely aligns with the pursuit of the longer-term strategic growth ambitions for Portakabin and directly serves to address the growing demand for high quality temporary and permanent building solutions across Europe. Portakabin was advised by Stephens (Corporate Finance), Addleshaw Goddard (Legal) and KPMG (Financial and Tax). Darwin Group was advised by Deloitte (Corporate Finance), DLA Piper (Legal) and PwC (Tax). LATEST NEWS
New ward and ICU wins project of the year award
NEW WARD AND ICU WIN PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD AT HEFMA 2022 On Thursday 12th May, Health, Estates and Facilities Management Association (HEFMA), hosted its annual award ceremony in Milton Keynes. AGH Solutions (Airedale NHS Foundation Trust) was awarded ‘Project of the Year’ at the awards for their £15m modular build project that Darwin Group Ltd is delivering. The project includes a new 15-bed intensive care unit (ICU) and 30-bed ward onsite at Airedale Hospital. AGH Solutions worked hard with Darwin Group Ltd to deliver the project designed to tackle the RAAC risk, the remedial works necessary to keep the building safe, and the development of a 3500m2 ICU and 30-bed ward, which is the first known all-electric inpatient unit in the NHS. Here’s what the client had to say Estates Project manager Richard Burgin of AGH Solutions said: “I was delighted to accept this award on behalf of the whole team and am very proud of how much we have been able to achieve with a team that has only been together a year. The scale of the works we have undertaken is significant to say the least and everyone involved has risen to the challenge.” David Moss, Managing Director of AGH Solutions said: “At every step of the way of the project, the team has considered and identified solutions to maintain infection prevention, optimum flow and the best possible patient experience – taking a whole-hospital approach to planning and delivering their work for the benefit of patient care. “In under a year the team has made some incredible progress and displayed excellent leadership. For the modular build we were given less than 10 months to procure, design and build a 3500m2 new intensive care unit and ward. To turn around a building in such a short space of time has been an amazing achievement.” LATEST NEWS
Older Adult Mental Healthcare Modular Accommodation
Older Adult Mental Healthcare Modular Accommodation Small-Button-blue-left Small-Button-white-right Darwin group delivers new mental health modular accommodation for survey and borders partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Leading healthcare, design and build modern methods of construction (MMC) main contractor, Darwin Group, has handed over a 1,198m2 modular mental health ward for Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on the St. Peter’s Hospital campus in Chertsey, Surrey. Guided by HTM and HBN requirements, the building was developed with the Trust to provide inpatients with a more modern and therapeutic environment. The 20-bedroom accommodation block is for older adult inpatients. It offers en-suite facilities and accessible single occupancy rooms, a kitchen area, internal and external communal spaces, and staff rooms. The building can be fully relocated in the future to meet the Trust’s long-term strategic plans. The environment is ligature minimised to help create a safe environment for inpatients and staff. The aesthetics of the building’s cladding colours were designed to complement the natural surroundings. The internal lighting has been provided to comply with BS EN 12464 and the CIBSE code for interior lighting to maximise energy savings and visual comfort using natural daylight. The lights have a colour change facility to offer an element of mood lighting to help relax inpatients. Jim Pierce, Chief Commercial Officer at Darwin Group, said: “As a proud British company, it is our honour to add this to our portfolio of NHS projects. It has been a pleasure to work closely with Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and to have handed over this fantastic building. “Our design team has provided some truly innovative ideas to answer the complex brief. Modern methods of construction are the ideal choice for a project of this type as it provides flexibility with design and allows the building to be relocated in the future for continued resilience and efficiencies.” https://player.vimeo.com/video/715647342?h=f784d1c762 Emma Bilson, New Hospitals Programme Director at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The construction of this building represents a key step in our plans to transform inpatient mental healthcare for people across Surrey and north-east Hampshire. We have worked closely with Darwin over the past few months and look forward to opening the building.” LATEST NEWS
Project of the year award for new ward and ICU build
Project of the year award for new ward and ICU build AGH Solutions have won an award for their new modular build which includes a new intensive care unit (ICU) and additional ward, on site at Airedale Hospital. The team won the Project of the Year category at the prestigious Health Estates and Facilities Management Association (HEFMA) awards for their £15m modular build project which uses the latest modern methods of construction. It includes the development of a 3500m2 new ICU and 30 bed ward at Airedale NHS Foundation trust, which is the first known all electric inpatient unit in the NHS. This is a pioneering project with excellent sustainability credentials. Alongside managing this project, the team also manage the significant remedial works needed in the older parts of the hospital which are built of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) panels. The modular building will be the first known all electric inpatient building. All heating and hot water will be provided from electric sources and all electricity supplied to the Trust is purchased from renewable sources so therefore the building will have an exceptionally low Carbon footprint and this is enhanced by the 3 air source heat pumps and 80 solar electricity panels on the roof. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) will move into the new facility in the summer and Ward 16 – its current home – will be turned into a second decant ward. Using these two decant wards, a rolling programme of upgrade work will be undertaken, tackling 4-6 wards in the first year and continue until all wards have been completed. FURTHER INFORMATION AGH Solutions was created in 2017 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airedale NHS FT. It is responsible for delivering Estates, Facilities and Procurement Services for the Trust and other NHS organisations. Winners of the awards were announced at a ceremony on 12 May. LATEST NEWS
Procure23 | Crown Commercial Service’s Construction Works and Associated Services 2/Procure23 Framework
Procure23 | Crown Commercial Service’s Construction Works and Associated Services 2/Procure23 Framework DARWIN GROUP NAMED ON PROCURE23 LOTS OF CROWN COMMERCIAL SERVICE’S CONSTRUCTION WORKS AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES 2/PROCURE23 FRAMEWORK Darwin Group Ltd has become the only Modular, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) design and build main contractor to be named on the ProCure23 (P23) lots of Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Framework. ProCure23 lots is the fourth generation of the ProCure route to market for the provision of design and construction services for the delivery of NHS capital projects with an estimated cumulative value of £9bn over its four-year lifespan. CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. The new commercial agreement recognises the importance of public sector construction as a key driver of economic recovery, providing health bodies in England with a new route to market for construction works and associated services, and helping the UK to build back better. It adopts the principles of the Construction Playbook, rationalising frameworks in an innovative and collaborative approach between CCS. NHS England, and NHS Improvement. NHS England and NHS Improvement leads the NHS in England, sets its strategic direction through the NHS Long Term Plan, and funds key priorities for improvement. Having delivered major capital design and build projects across the NHS in England and Wales for many years, Darwin Group has built a reputation of bringing innovation to the delivery of new build, fit-for-the-future, healthcare buildings. The latest framework award now means Darwin Group is the only modular buildings specialist to be on the ProCure23 lots, NHS Shared Business Services Modular Buildings, CCS Modular Building Solutions and NHS Commercial Solutions Modular/Prefabricated Building Solutions Frameworks. The most recent award is for Lot 1.4 East of England Healthcare Solution Provider <£20M for Healthcare related construction works and associated services including works activities, design services and construction consultancy services. Richard Pierce, CEO of Darwin Group, said: “Being the only modular design and build main contractor recently announced on the new CCS P23 Framework continues to demonstrate that Darwin Group is leading the agenda in creating a sustainable, agile, and resilient infrastructure for the future of NHS estates using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).” “Our next-generation volumetric modular buildings are manufactured at our own factory in the heart of Shropshire and have enabled NHS Trusts across the country to meet the challenges of a growing and ageing population as well as the impact on waiting lists from the Coronavirus Pandemic.” LATEST NEWS
