The statue of Queen Alexandra stands in the shadow of the new hospital building at The Royal London

Construction work to create our £1 billion new hospitals at both The Royal London and Barts made dramatic progress in 2007/08.

Transforming the east London skyline

At The Royal London, the three inter-connected towers of the new hospital are now clearly visible on the east London skyline, and cladding work is well underway. When finished, the exterior walls of the new hospital will be covered in a combination of cobalt blue, turquoise and clear glass panels, aluminium panels with stainless steel slats, and terracotta. The cladding is expected to be completed in mid 2009.

At the same time, the internal fit-out of the new buildings to create functional clinical areas is underway, with the installation of mechanical and electrical services. The fit-out will continue until early 2012, when the new hospital buildings will become operational. 

Creating a cancer and cardiac centre of excellence

Over at Barts, the framework for the new cancer centre reached the fifth floor in April 2008. This first phase of the new eight-storey building is due to be operational by late 2010. The second phase, which will house our cardiac services, is scheduled for completion by 2014. The new building will be clad in traditional Portland stone and brick to blend with the historic architecture at Barts and the surrounding neighbourhood.

Public art is also a feature of the Barts redevelopment.  Located in the hospital’s historic square, an acoustic screen, which protects hospital services from the noise of building work, is decorated by a specially commissioned artwork by East End artist Lothar Gotz.  Lothar specialises in using colour and geometric shapes to highlight existing architectural features, such as those on the hospital’s listed East Wing.  The artwork is a condition of the town planning permission for the new hospital, but also continues a long tradition of public art at Barts, whose North Wing is home to original paintings by 18th-century artist William Hogarth.

The atmosphere of the square has been further enhanced since April 2008, when it was cleared of cars, and alternative parking arrangements were made.

Constructing Excellence award for new hospitals contractors

Skanska, our partners on the construction of the new hospitals, won a national Constructing Excellence award for their work on our programme in November 2008. They came top in the innovation category of the awards for the ways in which they have minimised the impact of building work on clinical care and protected the safety of patients, staff and visitors.  One example of this is the acoustic screening around Garden House, part of our children’s hospital, which has helped to minimise the impact of the construction on our young patients who in some cases are less than two metres away from the building activity.

Optimising space

As the physical structure of our new hospitals moves closer to becoming a reality, work is also underway to ensure we make the best use of the new space and the existing buildings that will be retained once the new hospitals are complete. 

This work is being led by the new hospitals team and involves close liaison with clinicians to ensure that space is optimised to meet future service requirements and to offer the best possible care for patients. 

The planning will take into account changes in clinical practice, such as improved use of beds and theatres, as well as the outcome of the Healthcare for London review, which suggests that services should be localised where possible, or regionalised where that improves the quality of care. It will also encompass the amendments made to the original new hospitals scheme, in line with the agreement made with the Department of Health when the programme got the final go-ahead in March 2006. 

Thinking and acting green

Barts and The London launched a new campaign in spring 2008 to reduce energy consumption in our hospitals.  The aim is not only to minimise carbon emissions and help combat climate change, but also to save money that could be invested in patient care.

In 2006/07, our three hospitals used 224 million KWh of electricity and gas, at a cost of £5.9 million and producing greenhouse gas emissions roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 12,000 medium-sized houses. Although some of our energy is for essential clinical equipment, much of it is used for lighting, computers and other equipment where reductions can easily be made.

To help staff find out more about how to be more environmentally responsible, we launched a new intranet site and held a series of energy awareness events to provide useful advice. Staff are also being encouraged to become environmental champions for specific wards, departments or teams.

Ongoing initiatives include joint working with the Carbon Trust to identify where further improvements can be made and continued support of Transport for London’s green travel plan, by providing information on and encouraging greater use of low-impact methods of transportation, including public transport and cycling.  We shred and recycle all confidential waste across our hospitals and, in conjunction with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the Dental Hospital recycles a wide range of other waste materials.  Plans are being developed to further extend recycling across the hospitals. On the new hospital construction sites, contractors Skanska have recycled more than 90 per cent of demolition waste.

Charitable giving at Barts and The London

Every year, many patients, local people, charitable trusts and companies help us raise money to make a difference to the care provided in our hospitals. Our fundraising team, part of the dedicated Barts and The London Charity, advise donors about how they can support us. The team also works in close partnership with hospital staff to develop priority appeals and identify how charitable donations can be best used to support the well-being of patients and staff.

Our charity