The 175-year-old Paddington hospital is home to the busiest major trauma centre in London but is experiencing “major building failures”
A major London hospital forced to partially close one of its buildings due to safety concerns could be rebuilt by 2035. St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington part-closed its outpatient building late last year due to the discovery of autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
The 175-year-old hospital is home to the busiest major trauma centre in London. Penicillin was also discovered at the hospital by Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming in 1928.
However, the site is one of the oldest in the NHS, with backlog maintenance rising by £157 million over the last four years. This has led to structural weakness in its main outpatient facility, requiring it to be closed with services relocated within the next year.
Imperial College Healthcare trust has now released images which show revised plans for a new 800-bed major trauma and general hospital at the site. The hospital will be combined into a single taller 30-storey building on a smaller footprint.
Matt Tulley, redevelopment director at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “St Mary’s Hospital is continuing its extraordinary track record in healthcare and innovation, but our facilities are simply no longer fit for purpose. Despite spending millions of pounds every year on maintenance, we can’t keep up with the rate of deterioration, which is why we are now seeing an increase in major building failures.
“We urgently need a new hospital, and we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a future-proofed, landmark facility alongside wider regeneration that will bring even wider benefits for local communities. We want to hear from local residents and businesses, as well as patients and staff, to make sure we produce the best possible designs.”
The new hospital will include a helipad, roof garden and space for teaching and research. New designs, produced alongside Stanhope Plc, Allies and Morrison and HOK, aim to make the site easier to get around and more efficient to run.
St Mary’s Hospital will run as normal during construction. Once services move into the new building, the rest of the site will also be redeveloped.
This includes more public space and greenery, alongside the expansion of Paddington Life Sciences. There will also be improved access to the canal and connections with surrounding streets.
The project will be funded by the Government’s New Hospital Programme. Imperial College Healthcare is looking at finance options so building can begin as soon as planning permission is granted.
A second round of consultations has opened, following a first round earlier this year. Imperial College London aims to submit a planning application in spring 2027.
If approved in 2028, construction may begin by 2030. This could see the site open by 2035, which is much faster than the current New Hospital Programme timetable which delays delivery until 2043 at the earliest.
You can find out more about the consultation on the trust’s website.
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