Emergency Care Building, Derriford Hospital

A national first for the New Hospital Programme

In October 2025, Willmott Dixon broke ground on the £142 million Emergency Care Building at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, the first Wave 1 scheme in the New Hospital Programme to begin main construction anywhere in the country.

Derriford is in Wave 1 of the NHP, the biggest hospital-building programme in a generation. Being the first to start construction is a position of national significance: it demonstrates that Willmott Dixon, the Trust and the wider supply chain are already converting the programme’s ambition into delivery on a live, complex NHS site.

The scheme is procured through ProCure23 with Mace as Principal Supply Partner, and is one of the first NHP schemes to be delivered to the NHS Net Zero Building Standard.

CGI of the new Emergency Building

Transforming emergency care for the South West peninsula

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust operates one of the busiest emergency departments in the South West and serves as the region’s major trauma centre, caring for a population of around 1.8 million across Devon and Cornwall

The new four-storey facility will replace a 50-year-old emergency department with a modern, purpose-built environment. Once open in 2028 / 29, it will provide nearly twice the capacity of the existing department, and integrate seamlessly into the wider hospital, giving easy access to medical, surgical and specialist wards.

What we are delivering

The building has been designed around the patient pathway, with clinical adjacencies, modern imaging technologies and high-quality staff workspaces throughout:

• An expanded Emergency Department on the ground floor, with the current ED reconfigured to become a dedicated Paediatric ED on completion.
• A Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit on the first floor, providing urgent hospital treatment with follow-up managed in the community.
• Four state-of-the-art Interventional Radiology theatres on the second floor.
• Five new surgical theatres on the third floor, supporting both emergency and planned procedures.
• Modern diagnostic and recovery areas, designed to support clinical flexibility and resilience.

Delivered at the heart of a working hospital

The new building links directly into the existing Derriford Hospital and is being constructed in a fully operational, acute clinical setting. Stringent infection control protocols, phased construction sequencing and proactive stakeholder engagement protect day-to-day patient care throughout the programme.

This is the environment in which Willmott Dixon has delivered more than 100 healthcare schemes across the NHS estate, from emergency departments and specialist theatres to mental health units, diagnostic centres and community health facilities.

“This represents not just the beginning of a building, but the next step in enhancing the care and wellbeing of thousands of patients every year. This new building will provide a modern, purpose-built environment designed to support both patients and staff – giving clinicians the space, technology, and flexibility they need to deliver outstanding care.”

Rob Woolcock, Director, Willmott Dixon

Part of the Hospital 2.0 Alliance

In February 2026, Willmott Dixon was appointed as one of ten construction partners to the Hospital 2.0 Alliance (H2A), the delivery vehicle for the New Hospital Programme. The Alliance brings together NHS England, NHS Trusts, construction partners and the wider supply chain in a true alliance model designed to deliver hospitals that are faster to build, safer, digitally enabled, and standardised at scale.

Our appointment positions Willmott Dixon to help deliver the 11 major new hospitals identified within Wave 1 of the NHP. Derriford is already proving the model works in practice.

“This appointment reflects the depth of healthcare expertise we have built over many years, including the completion of more than 100 healthcare construction projects across the NHS estate. Being part of the Hospital 2.0 Alliance gives us the opportunity to bring that experience, alongside our commitment to sustainability and social value, to a programme that will reshape healthcare infrastructure for generations to come.”

Anastasia Chrysafi, Principal Framework & Sector Manager, Health, Willmott Dixon

“It has been a long journey to get to today, but we will now finally see the new Emergency Care Building start to rise from the ground. This important building will provide the people of Plymouth and the wider Devon and Cornwall peninsula a facility that they can be proud of, and will finally give our clinicians the space to care.”

Stuart Windsor, Programme Director, Our Future Hospital, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Creating lasting community impact

The project will deliver substantial social value across Plymouth and the wider South West throughout its construction phase. Willmott Dixon and its supply chain partners are creating employment opportunities for local people, providing apprenticeship and training weeks for young people, and delivering employment support to those furthest from the job market through the company’s specialist Building Lives Academy programme.

Working closely with local suppliers throughout construction will keep investment within the local economy, supporting regional businesses across the Devon and Cornwall peninsula.

Why Willmott Dixon for healthcare

Willmott Dixon’s healthcare portfolio demonstrates the capability to deliver complex, operational healthcare environments while maintaining service continuity – critical for projects on live hospital sites serving local communities.