Morgan Sindall delivers new Oak Wards facility for Milton Keynes University Hospital
Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business has completed the Oak Wards healthcare facility in Milton Keynes on behalf of Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) NHS Foundation Trust, marking a significant boost to local healthcare capacity.
The project was delivered through the Major Works Framework, which we manage on behalf of contracting authority Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust.
To celebrate the completion of the project, representatives from Morgan Sindall, the Deputy Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Paul Trendall, and MKUH staff gathered to officially open the new facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour.
The Oak Wards expansion provides two new 24-bed wards. Each ward features four five-bed bays and four single bedrooms, alongside essential support spaces including utility rooms, offices, a ward kitchen and staff facilities.
Designed across two storeys, the wards follow a simple rectangular layout centred around a nurse’s station, with large windows maximising natural light.
Expanding healthcare capacity through modern, sustainable design
In line with Morgan Sindall’s commitment to sustainability, the new Oak Wards facility is heated by roof-mounted air source heat pumps, while the building’s façade, services and insulation exceed current energy efficiency and thermal performance standards. In addition, a concrete frame was selected over steel to reduce embodied carbon.
At ground level, sustainable drainage systems, including swales and a rain garden, manage rainwater naturally. Morgan Sindall’s landscaping works are designed to achieve a 10% biodiversity net gain through the planting of trees and wildflowers.
With the site located close to key hospital buildings, construction activities were carefully coordinated to minimise disruption to daily operations, particularly during the creation of a link adjacent to the hospital’s busy Emergency Department.
Delivering lower carbon construction
As part of Morgan Sindall’s 10 Tonne Carbon Challenge, the project team worked collaboratively to reduce construction-related emissions, achieving a saving of 45 tonnes of CO₂e.
This was delivered through design changes including switching from piled to pad foundations, reducing concrete use by more than 50%, and adopting a reinforced concrete frame in place of steel, cutting overall carbon emissions by 60%. The use of 35% Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) concrete further enhanced the project’s sustainability credentials.
Supporting better outcomes for patients and staff
Emma Curtis, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties, said:
“It’s great to see Oak Wards now open and making a real difference for the hospital and local community here in Milton Keynes. We’ve worked closely with MKUH throughout the project to expand capacity and create a space that supports the way staff work day-to-day. Just as importantly, we’ve been able to deliver it in a more sustainable way and keep disruption to a minimum while the hospital continued its vital work.”
Joe Harrison, Chief Executive at MKUH NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The opening of Oak Wards is a major step forward for our hospital and the community we serve. Patients are now benefiting from this new environment which supports their dignity and recovery, and their early feedback has been extremely positive. Our teams are also enjoying the new modern facilities which will help them to deliver the best possible outcomes.
Oak Wards represents a significant stage in our wider development programme which has seen MKUH invest over £85 million in estate projects during the last year. The new building and its facilities were shaped by local people and our staff, and I am very pleased to see their ideas brought to life today.”
The completion of Oak Wards demonstrates how the Major Works Framework continues to support the delivery of vital healthcare infrastructure, enabling NHS organisations to expand capacity while embedding sustainability and minimising disruption to live hospital environments.
Find out more about the Major Works Framework.
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