Laing O’Rourke opens nearly 400 beds at Welsh hospital a year early for covid patients

A new hospital being built by Laing O’Rourke in South Wales has opened nearly 400 beds a year earlier than planned to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Designed by BDP, the Grange University Hospital, a new specialist and critical care centre in Gwent, has made 384 beds available for covid-19 patients if needed.

The £350m scheme for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board at Llanfrechfa, near Cwmbran, north of Newport, was due to officially open next spring.

But it is now ready to accept its first patients and the board’s chief executive Judith Paget said: “At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak we needed to plan for the worst-case scenario. Thankfully, the general public have observed the advice on staying at home and social distancing, so we don’t need to open the extra beds just yet.”

Gleeds is project and cost manager on the job which still remains to be fully completed next spring. WSP is civil and structural engineer on the project.