F P Hurley Secures Landmark Cardiff Royal Infirmary Project

We are pleased to announce F P Hurley has been appointed to deliver the mechanical and electrical works for the Health and Wellbeing Centre at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary (CRI). The £75 million scheme, which was procured under the Welsh Government’s NHS Building for Wales National Framework, will consist of several complex phases and is expected to take a minimum of five, and possibly up to 10, years to complete. F P Hurley is partnering with Willmott Dixon to deliver the works, with a potential M and E value of circa £20 million, which will see the redevelopment of the site to create a central hub providing a range of health, social and wellbeing services. The Centre will be an ‘all in one’ facility where patients can access a wide range of services to meet their needs.

The CRI is located in the heart of the city and represents an important historical landmark with a rich heritage. The building in its current location opened in 1883, although the origins of the CRI can be dated back as early as 1823 when it opened as the first public health establishment in Cardiff. Redeveloping this remarkable building will represent a new era in the delivery of health and social care in Cardiff and it will bring enormous benefits to the local communities and beyond.

The core design principles of the scheme focus on creating a space that is welcoming and non-clinical, that promotes a sense of belonging and improves patient experience. The facility will house several departments and services and is designed to promote collaboration and connectivity across the different disciplines through integrated facilities and shared staff areas. Services are being designed with future flexibility and adaptability in mind, so it will hold a high level of future resilience and remain sustainable in the future.

An important part of the project will be safeguarding and restoring areas of historic value. The works involve going back to the original stone walls of the Grade II listed building and the substandard extensions will be demolished.

Gerwyn Davies, Director at F P Hurley, comments:

“We are delighted to have secured this landmark project. We have significant experience in the healthcare sector and are familiar with the complexities of the work with factors such as asbestos and constrained space for the M and E services to be considered. Given the constraints of an existing building, which was not built with the requirements of the 2020s in mind, it will be highly likely that more inventive M&E solutions will be required. We consider that our experience in managing these inherent risks will prove of benefit to the team.

As with many building projects, but even more so with those for the National Health Service, it will be important to meet regularly with the end users, the Estates team and all other stakeholders, to ensure that they are consulted in the development of the design and understand how it is envisaged the departments and systems will be operated in the future.

Our team is looking forward to delivering a facility that will have a profound impact in supporting the health and wellbeing of the citizens of the City of Cardiff.”