A vision for St Mary’s, Paddington, an ‘illustrative view from the canal’

THE new £1billion St Mary’s Hospital building will be 30 storeys and sit on a much smaller patch of land than now.

Fresh details about the 185-metre “life sciences” project have been unveiled to the public this week.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs the hospital in Paddington, believes the regeneration project as a whole can create 9,000 jobs.

The trust expects to lodge a planning application next year.

Professor Julian Redhead, trust chief executive, said: “St Mary’s has an extraordinary history of care and medical breakthroughs across nearly 200 years, from the discovery of penicillin to becoming one of the country’s first major trauma centres.

Impression of the visitors’ entrance

“But much of our estate is now very old and increasingly difficult to maintain, with building failures an increasingly regular occurrence despite spending millions every year on essential maintenance. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a new hospital that meets the needs of our patients, staff and communities and regenerate the whole site into an expanded life sciences campus, attracting jobs and investment. We have been hugely encouraged by the conversations we’ve had with local people, patients and staff so far. Your feedback has already helped shape the designs, from improving access and movement around the hospital to creating greener and more welcoming public spaces.

“I encourage everyone to take a look at the latest designs and share your views… your feedback will help shape the next stage of the plans.”

The Extra has reported on years of concerns about St Mary’s, that has had the highest cost backlog of repairs of all hospitals in the country.

Its condition was repeatedly raised by successive MPs in the House of Commons.

Impression of the main reception visitors’ lobby

Hospital chiefs were forced to close one of its main outpatient buildings in March following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, RAAC.

But government promises of funding a major refurbishment have seen backtracking and delay.

Last year a multi-agency “hospital redevelopment funding taskforce” was announced and in May this year the then health secretary James Murray visited St Mary’s.

The investment is said to include around £80million for priority maintenance, £128million for new equipment and technology, and £215million for four major improvement schemes.

A further £20million has been allocated to the purchase of Canal House, next to the hospital, which will provide space for services and staff displaced by the closure of the main outpatient building.

The NHS trust says the hospital tower will be built on land in the eastern part of the site that “can be freed up relatively easily” as it does not include any clinical services.

Building a taller hospital on a smaller footprint will allow the old hospital to continue running while the new one is constructed, the planners add. Services would then move into the new hospital, releasing the rest of the site for redevelopment.