NHS group also wants to hear from technology, facade and M&E firms
The NHS trust looking to build a new hospital in Essex has started the process of finding firms to build it, saying it wants to hear from modular specialists in particular.
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust was one of six to receive a share of 拢2.7bn of funding to build a new hospital last year as part of the first phase of the government鈥檚 health infrastructure plan (HIP).
A Prior Information Notice published to the Official Journal said: "The trust are currently developing their outline business case for the new hospital with the preferred way forward being to construct a new purpose-built hospital in a single phase on a greenfield site, at the new junction 7A of the M11. The trust expects the hospital to be completed by 2025.
"The trust is undertaking a period of pre-market engagement to explore the opportunity and delivery of modern methods of construction and a digitally enabled SMART hospital, with key specialists to inform the trust鈥檚 approach to the delivery of the project."
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The trust is looking to speak to specialists across the M&E, frame, facade, modular construction and technology sectors and will be holding a virtual pre-market engagement event on Thursday 22 October via Microsoft Teams.
Firms have until 12 October to .
Earlier this year, the trust鈥檚 board has raised concerns about whether it will be able to find the right contractor to build the Harlow scheme.
It said: 鈥淭here is a risk that the delivery of the new hospital will be delayed because of failure to engage with a suitable contractor or that the additional funding is not forthcoming.鈥�
It said there was a 鈥渃hallenged contractor market and insufficient skills and capability鈥�, adding there is also significant competition in the market due to a large number of HIP schemes already underway.
It also said there were concerns because of 鈥渉igh profile failures in hospital construction鈥�. These include the two hospital projects in Liverpool and the West Midlands that were derailed by Carillion鈥檚 collapse almost three years ago.
Other projects part of the first phase of the HIP are Barts Health NHS Trust鈥檚 plans to build a new Whipps Cross University Hospital in north-east London and Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust鈥檚 plans for a for a new St Helier Hospital in the capital鈥檚 south-west.
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust鈥檚 plans for Leeds General Infirmary, the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust鈥檚 plans for the Leicester General and Leicester Royal sites, as well as the construction of a new Watford General hospital, are also sharing the 拢2.7bn funding pot.
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