Willmott Dixon Interiors has completed the refurbishment of a former maternity ward at Eastbourne General District Hospital in East Sussex to provide improved facilities and more bed space for patients.

The fitout and refurbishment specialist contractor has undertaken the full refurbishment of almost 7,000sq ft of space on the first floor of the hospital on behalf of East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

The £2m project included the remodelling and internal refurbishment of the former maternity ward, creating new shower rooms, toilets, and 26 new bed spaces for patients. 

Medical gases have also been installed, as well as new nurse stations and sluice and drug store rooms.  

The 18-week project has delivered a decant ward to facilitate other hospital works, including an upgrade of existing fire-stopping provisions. 

And it also involved installation of new window fenestrations and cladding to the exterior of the building and courtyards.

Graham Shaw, managing director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “This project was undertaken in extremely-challenging circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a large increase in hospital admissions. 

“Its successful delivery owes much to daily collaboration between our team and staff at the hospital’s pathology lab to minimise disruption during construction and ensure that works were completed as quickly and safely as possible.”

Willmott Dixon Interiors was awarded the contract through the Scape Major Works framework. 

As part of its delivery, the contractor met a series of key performance indicators for local spend and employment, including 78% of project spend within 40 miles of the site, 99% of project spend with SMEs, and 99.9% of waste diverted from landfill. 

The company also recruited a local student to work on the project through a two-month paid internship in partnership with Falcon Green.