Signage goes up at state-of-the-art hospital

Official signage has started to go up across the West Midlands’ newest healthcare facility – the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH).

Opening later this year and run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, it will be one of the biggest hospitals to open in the UK in the past 10 years.

With the name now emblazoned in the signature orange colour across the front of the building in Smethwick, the organisation is working with construction giants Balfour Beatty to prepare for handover in the summer.

It will house one large accident and emergency department, bringing together the two A&E services currently operating at Birmingham’s City Hospital and Sandwell Hospital in West Bromwich. Both are operated by the Trust.

With 50 per cent of beds across both adult and children’s wards single ensuite rooms Jayne Dunn (pictured), director of Commissioning & Equipping at Midland Met, said: “This is a hospital designed for now and for the future, and it’s a really exciting period for us as we move into the next phase of the development.

“Seeing the main signage go up for the hospital, A&E, the children’s department and maternity will bring the project to life for our communities and heralds the opening is just around the corner.”

Part of the current process has also seen the soft activation of the MMUH, also known as the Midland Met. This means areas are being prepared for delivery of equipment.

Rachel Barlow, managing director of the MMUH Programme Company, is leading the team responsible for the new facility.

She explained: “Since early April we have been working with clinical and operational leaders to finalise the design of patient pathways planned into MMUH.

“For example, mums-to-be who know they are pregnant and would have booked into City Hospital maternity to give birth will now do this in MMUH.

“Likewise we are starting to date patients for surgery who will be admitted to the Midland Met. It is important we keep our patients informed of what they can expect in our new hospital.

“We continue to meet and talk with local residents and the wider population through our community engagement bus, near neighbours’ programme and community leaders’ work.”