Our new hospital journey

In Summer 2023, the Trust asked a specialist land agency to identify a range of potential sites for the new Frimley Park Hospital. To this list of possible sites, pass or fail criteria was applied to rule out those that were unsuitable. This included whether the land was at least 20 developmental acres, whether there was an obvious planning risk, and if the landowner was willing to sell within an acceptable timescale. 

For the next step, the Trust looked at 14 technical criteria and considered the feedback from the public and staff engagement, including the overall ability to deliver for 2030, transport, distance from current site, and the relative cost. Following this process, a number of ‘preferred sites’ were shortlisted. 

When we received the final funding envelope of £1.5-£2 billion in April 2025, we also received a revised hospital size. The national new hospital programme team wanted to ensure no other opportunities had arisen now we had a confirmed site size requirement, therefore we re-reviewed all shortlisted sites. 

This included detailed analysis into transport and access, provision of utilities and environmental factors. Our existing site was part of this re-review but its constraints and challenges mean it was ruled out. This detailed work now means that we are very close to formally identifying a preferred site and we are in final negotiations with landowners.   

While we continue to make exciting progress in our plans, we can’t yet tell you where we’re proposing our new hospital to be, but we can say that it is less than five miles from the current site. 

Current timeline  

Our targeted timeline to deliver our new hospital remains on track. Although note that some of the timings we list in the video are outside of our control and may move.

While our site selection goes through critical final steps, we’re making rapid progress in developing our business case process. 

This can often be a long and complicated stage, but it is essential in ensuring we receive government approval of our plans. There are three business cases we need to complete before we can begin building the new hospital.  

Business case one: 

The first is our Strategic Outline Case (SOC) which we’re submitting at the end of September. It will initially explain how we’re planning to use the £1.5bn-£2bn worth of funding we’ve received - encompassing the new hospital as well as investments in community-based facilities.   

It’s a crucial first step in our business case development process and will enable us to deliver on our wider system transformation plans. We aim to obtain final sign off in spring 2026. 

Business case two:

Our Outline Business Case (OBC) is next and establishes the justification for a ‘preferred way forward’ providing more detailed analysis on designs, impact and approach. To speed up the process, we are going to begin our OBC in advance of final SOC sign off. 

Business case three:

Following our OBC we will submit our Final Business Case (FBC) which provides even more detail and analysis and will include financial and contractual information.  

Once the FBC is approved (and we’ve received planning permission) we can begin our build, which the government have scheduled between 2028 - 2029. 

We are designing the new hospital with all our core NHS services, more clinical space, and better surroundings that will meet the needs of local people well into the future.  This design is feeding into our site selection and is led by clinicians and will involve our patients and communities as it progresses. 

As you would expect, a new hospital isn’t about a blank piece of paper and a blank cheque. We have to work within existing and new guidelines, including Department of Health and Social Care best practice for new healthcare buildings, and then the Hospital 2.0 guidelines issued by the national New Hospital Programme. 

The Hospital 2.0 blueprint is based on a future-proofed hospital – ready for new ways of working and adaptable for the decades ahead. 
This includes:

• Inpatient wards with single rooms with direct access to ensuites. Each room will have good visibility for both staff and patients, providing a modern, bright environment with natural light and views. 
• State-of-the-art operating theatres and the latest digital technology and IT infrastructure. 
• Sufficient space for staff welfare facilities and natural light and green spaces.

We are also future proofing the hospital by using modern methods of construction, improving energy efficiency and sustainability and will be able to expand and improve parking, including much more space for electric vehicle charging and better transport links for buses, cyclists and pedestrians.

These plans take into account our Trust strategy and clinical strategy, focussing on the three strategic shifts of hospital to community care, analogue to digital, and treatment to prevention. 

Incorporating insights and feedback from staff, patients, and local communities is vital to our design process. This will help shape a hospital that truly meets the needs of those it serves, fostering a sense of ownership and community involvement. 

Before we can commence any groundworks, it is essential to bring necessary utilities to the site. This includes establishing connections for electricity and water, which are critical for both the construction process and the future operation of the hospital.  

These works are estimated to begin in 2027 - 2028. 

By securing these utilities, we can ensure a smooth and efficient development phase, paving the way for a state-of-the-art hospital that will serve the community for generations to come. 

Once we have completed the above phases, we can then begin to build our new hospital. This is estimated to start in 2028 - 2029. 

Our ambition is to provide the highest quality urgent, planned, and specialised care in the most modern environment, as well as deliver first-class community care. 

We will ensure that all these services are delivered from a hospital incorporating the latest sustainability and environmental initiatives and cutting-edge digital technology. 

After our services have moved across to the new hospital, we will begin demolishing the areas within the current Frimley Park Hospital that contain RAAC. 

Hospital 2.0 is the name for the government’s national approach to delivering new hospitals, including Frimley Park Hospital.

These are the underpinning principles for the Hospital 2.0 design guidelines, with a strong theme of innovation running throughout. 

• Transformational patient care
  Driving transformation to provide excellent, safe and digitally enabled experience for patients, visitors and staff. 
• Hospitals for now and the future
  Hospitals that are adaptable and resilient to change, that transform national standards and leave a sustainable legacy. 
• Optimised healthcare structure
  The right estates, the right layout enabling people to be in the right place, supported by intelligent digital systems. 
• Built efficiently; operated and maintained to last
  Using innovation and technology to leverage scale and drive efficiency and value for money. This will ensure maximum durability for the future. 

There are many benefits of designing and building a completely new hospital:

• Services that need to be located together will be, such as operating theatres, intensive care and imaging.
• The best and latest green technology means the New Frimley Park Hospital will be carbon zero and more sustainably heated and powered.
• New digital technology in every part of the hospital: 
  • From robotics to records meaning both patients and staff time is spent on care and treatment, not waiting and moving around.
• More integrated services with community and primary care designed to keep people healthy and independent longer and better supported when they need it, without needing to come to hospital.
• More operating theatres and clinics designed to diagnose and treat people in one visit on the same day, rather than requiring numerous appointments, waits and overnight stays in hospital.
• Better environment which enhances staff wellbeing, reduces turnover and will attract new staff to work at the hospital.
• Better access for patients, better facilities for visitors and better privacy and dignity.