Construction restarts on Berwick Hospital
Tyne-and-Wear–based M&E specialist Opus Building Services has been appointed as interim contractor and is already operating on site, having re-employed most members of the former Merit team to maintain progress while the trust searches for a permanent replacement builder.
Former contractor Merit went into administration earlier this month, prompting Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to activate emergency measures.
Significant internal progress has already been made, with floors, walls, ceilings and staircases installed.
The inpatient ward and the Well Close Medical Group areas are nearing completion, and work is now shifting to theatre and endoscopy zones before the building enters full testing and validation to ensure clinical services function correctly.
Externally, Opus is concentrating on securing and tidying the site, completing glazing, and advancing plant works on the roof prior to cladding installation and final groundworks.
The trust has not yet issued a revised completion date but has committed to providing regular updates as the construction programme is reset.
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust received planning approval for the project in 2020, with Merit starting construction in 2023.
The project team also included P+HS Architects, planning consultants Lichfields, and project management from Turner & Townsend.
The facility was being delivered using Merit’s MMC off-site construction system, featuring pre-assembled modules and ‘UltraPODs for integrated services.
