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Site selection
We have recently completed our Strategic Outline Case which has identified our preferred way forward. This is a combination of a new site and retaining some of the best parts of the existing site. To determine our preferred new site we undertook a detailed and thorough analysis and assessment of nearly 20 sites which are within five miles of Frimley Park Hospital and each over 20 acres in size, including the existing site. As part of our site selection process we asked staff and local people what they wanted from a new hospital and this informed our search criteria. We also examined site suggestions from the public, local and county councillors and MPs and included them in our assessment processes.
Naturally there is a lot of interest and speculation about where the preferred site for the new hospital will be, and as soon as commercial confidentiality restrictions have passed, we will make the announcement. We appreciate this has taken longer than hoped, but the detailed and extensive site search process has had to be thorough. We also needed to examine emerging site options suggested to us and have the whole process independently assured and approved by the national New Hospital Programme.
Announcing our preferred site does not mean a final decision has been taken as there will, of course, be an independent statutory planning consultation and application process. In addition, there will be a robust and substantial public engagement and involvement programme immediately following the announcement to hear people’s views about modernising our services in the new hospital and across the community.
You can access how we used public feedback to evaluate potential sites for the new hospital via our You said, we did document.
A big step forward for our new hospital
We’ve reached a major milestone in planning the new Frimley Park Hospital. Our first business case - called the Strategic Outline Case (SOC) - is now complete. This document sets out what the new hospital will look like, what services it will offer, and how it will improve care across Frimley Health and the wider health system.
The new hospital is about more than just a building. It’s about transforming how we deliver care - shaping our services and spaces to meet the changing healthcare needs of our communities in the 2030s and beyond. The new hospital will be designed as a key building block of the government’s 10 Year Plan to transform health services that integrates with the wider NHS and care system to support better outcomes for patients, more efficient ways of working for staff, and a more joined-up system.
This is a system-wide transformation. By planning across all our sites and services, we’re making sure that every part of Frimley Health is ready to meet future demand - whether that’s through smarter buildings, more integrated care, or better use of technology. This also provides the opportunity to understand and make easier the different ways people access health services.
The SOC might sound technical, but it is a vital step. It brings together expert input from teams across the Trust and the NHS. It is the document that NHS England and the Department of Health use to assess our plans to decide if we can move ahead.
The new hospital will:
- Use smart technology to manage heating, power and care delivery, making the hospital more comfortable, energy-efficient and digitally enabled. As part of the national new hospital programme, our new hospital will be built to ‘Hospital 2.0’ standards - designed with digital infrastructure, automation, and sustainability at its core. This means better patient care, lower energy costs, and a safer, more flexible environment for staff and patients.
- Be built using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), where many parts of the hospital are made in factories and then assembled on-site. This means quicker, quieter building with less waste and disruption. MMC includes techniques like modular construction and precast panels, which improve quality, reduce costs, and help us build more sustainably.
- Fix long-standing issues with the current site, where services are spread out and poorly connected. The new hospital will bring key departments - like theatres, ICUs, ED and imaging - closer together. This better layout means faster care for patients, smoother movement for staff, and more efficient use of space and resources.
The SOC also includes plans for:
- Heatherwood Hospital: more theatres and recovery space.
- Frimley Park’s current site: refurbishment and repurposing for community and outpatient services.
- All our sites: investment in new technology, better buildings, and more joined-up care in the community.
Our planning will consider how public and other transport can be improved, traffic related to health services minimised and where journeys can be avoided with better neighbourhood and at home services.
Our timeline
With our SOC complete, we are now in the early stages of developing our Outline Business Case (OBC) which contains the detail of the new hospital design together with the operational models and associated costs. Following that we’ll submit a Full Business Case (FBC) which includes the contractual arrangements for building the hospital.
Meanwhile we continue to work closely with the national new hospital programme on a preferred site for the new hospital. We remain in a commercially sensitive phase of this process and expect to be able to provide further updates soon.
Our overall target timeline remains on track, with construction of the new Frimley Park Hospital to begin between 2028 and 2029.
The SOC shows the government that our plans are strong, cost-effective, and ready to go. We expect approval this winter. Once we have it, we will be able to announce the preferred way forward and begin detailed planning - with more involvement from staff, patients, and local communities.
For further updates, please visit our dedicated programme page or email fhft.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape healthcare for everyone we serve. Thank you to all the staff and partners who’ve helped us get this far.
