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Key stakeholders from across health, local government, education and construction gathered today at Hinchingbrooke Hospital to view significant progress being made with the development of new staff accommodation, designed and built by Zed Pods Limited. 

The stakeholder event marked an important moment in the delivery of the programme, funded by the government's New Hospital Programme, giving guests the opportunity to see first-hand how the site is being prepared for the future hospital through a series of enabling projects. 

Visitors heard updates on the redevelopment programme, met the project's construction partners, Kier and toured key locations across the hospital site, including areas undergoing demolition, the location of the future hospital and the Trust's new staff accommodation development, Willow House. 

The event also celebrated progress on the new staff accommodation project which will provide 85 high-quality energy-efficient rooms for medical and nursing students on placement, overseas staff and on-call teams. The accommodation has been designed to create a welcoming, home-from-home environment close to the hospital campus, with modern facilities, accessible accommodation, improved digital connectivity and communal outdoor space to support wellbeing. 

The development represents a significant investment in supporting the future workforce at Hinchingbrooke and forms an important enabling scheme for the wider redevelopment programme. 

Hannah Coffey, Chief Executive of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Hinchingbrooke Hospital, said:

"Today marks another significant milestone in our journey towards a new Hinchingbrooke Hospital. It is fantastic to be able to welcome partners and stakeholders onto the site to see the progress that is being made and the tangible signs that our redevelopment programme is moving forward.

“The new staff accommodation demonstrates our commitment to supporting our people while preparing the site for the next stages of development. Once complete, Willow House will provide a modern, welcoming environment for students and staff on-call, helping us attract and retain the talented workforce we need to care for our communities.

“This programme is about much more than buildings. It is about creating a hospital fit for future generations and ensuring we continue to provide excellent care in modern, sustainable and safe facilities."

Tom Northway, Chairman of Zed Pods, said: “We are delighted to be delivering this staff accommodation project for the Trust. Using Modern Methods of Construction, the units are manufactured offsite, accelerating delivery and minimising disruption within a busy hospital environment. The accommodation is designed to achieve excellent energy efficiency, helping to reduce energy bills and day-to-day running costs.”

Attendees also viewed progress on demolition works associated with outdated staff accommodation buildings, which are helping prepare the site for future hospital construction. These enabling works form a key part of the wider redevelopment programme announced when Hinchingbrooke Hospital joined the New Hospital Programme in May 2023. 

The new staff accommodation is expected to be completed in Spring 2027, subject to construction progress.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Hinchingbrooke Hospital was added to the New Hospital Programme in May 2023 as part of the Government's commitment to replace hospital buildings affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).
• The redevelopment programme, known as Hinchingbrooke Hospital: The Next Chapter, is dedicated to delivering a new hospital for local communities.
• The new staff accommodation, known as Willow House, will provide 85 bed spaces for medical and nursing students, overseas staff and on-call teams and is being built by the award-winning modular accommodation provider Zed Pods Limited.
• Facilities will include accessible accommodation, improved digital connectivity and communal wellbeing space.
• The project supports workforce recruitment, retention and training while enabling the future redevelopment of the hospital site.
• Hinchingbrooke Hospital continues to operate safely, supported by a programme of ongoing inspection and maintenance relating to RAAC mitigation measures.
• In July 2026 the New Hospital Programme announced that the construction partner building the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital will be Kier.