Dartmoor UTC

How To Deliver A Transformative Urgent Treatment Centre in 72 weeks

Sector:

Services:

  • Cost Management
  • Employer's Agent
  • Project Management
  • Quantity Surveying

Partners:

  • Hulley & Kirkwood
  • Stride Treglown

Project Overview

Since 2024, we have supported University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust with the delivery of the Dartmoor Building, a new purpose-built, three-storey outpatient facility at Derriford Hospital. 

Our team provided project management, employer’s agent, quantity surveying and cost management services across RIBA Stages 2–5, helping to deliver a critical healthcare project within a highly complex live hospital environment. 

The new facility brings together several key clinical services, including: 

  • An Urgent Treatment Centre
  • Fracture Clinic
  • Main Outpatients Department
  • Pre-operative Assessment
  • Dedicated treatment rooms
  • On-site X-ray facilities
  • Associated external works, landscaping and car parking 

The project was designed to relieve pressure on existing hospital facilities, improve patient flow, and support the future development of a new Emergency Care Centre. It also creates modern, flexible clinical environments that enhance the experience for patients, staff and visitors. 

Dartmoor Building
Dartmoor Building entrance
Dartmoor building from above

Challenges Faced

The Dartmoor Building was delivered on the live Derriford Hospital site, a Major Trauma Centre serving Devon and Cornwall, with construction taking place close to sensitive clinical departments and critical access routes.

Patient safety, emergency access and uninterrupted clinical operations had to be maintained throughout, while adjacent facilities remained operational and logistics, deliveries, road closures and service interfaces were carefully managed.

The project was further challenged by a compressed programme, with the Urgent Treatment Centre and Fractures Unit required to open concurrently. This meant design and construction had to progress at pace, often in parallel, alongside evolving scope, phased funding, infrastructure constraints and complex stakeholder coordination.

Main Outpatients ward

Solutions Implemented

We implemented a proactive, structured approach to protect live hospital operations and maintain delivery momentum.

Key elements included:

  • Robust governance: weekly progress meetings, board reporting, decision logs, action trackers, cost reviews and programme reviews.
  • Controlled logistics: careful sequencing to maintain access to critical departments and coordinate deliveries, road closures and service disruptions.
  • Stakeholder engagement: regular workshops and coordination with clinical, estates and operational teams, with clear escalation routes.
  • Commissioning support: temporary generator provision to enable early testing of life safety systems, emergency lighting and clinical services.
  • Change control: structured management of evolving requirements, cost impacts and programme implications.
Dartmoor building treatment room

Impact

The Dartmoor Building delivers significant benefits for Derriford Hospital, its patients, staff and the wider community. 

The project has helped to: 

  • Achieved the target first patient date 
  • Relieve pressure on existing hospital facilities
  • Ability to treat around 100 patients per day
  • Bring urgent care, fractures and outpatient services together in one modern setting
  • Improve patient flow and operational efficiency
  • Support the future development of Emergency Care facilities
  • Create flexible clinical environments for long-term healthcare delivery
  • Provide enhanced welfare and working environments for staff

Throughout the project, we successfully mitigated key operational challenges, including live hospital logistics, stakeholder complexity, infrastructure constraints, programme pressure and multi-workstream coordination. 

Dartmoor building reception

Sustainability & Wider Social Value

The design also contributes to the Trust’s wider sustainability objectives. Low-carbon building services, air-source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels and biodiversity enhancements were incorporated into the scheme. The building is targeting BREEAM Very Good and EPC A ratings, with the photovoltaic array expected to generate over 140,000 kWh annually. 

The project also delivered wider social value through local supply chain involvement, support for training and professional development, student engagement, collaboration with Southwest Women in Construction, and patient-centred design features including dementia-friendly principles, dedicated paediatric areas and improved wayfinding.

Dartmoor building waiting area

Lessons Learnt

Working on the Dartmoor Building reinforced several key principles for successful healthcare delivery in live operational environments: 

  • Define the project brief as early as possible to reduce risk and avoid rework.
  • Engage stakeholders at the earliest stage, particularly where operational requirements are complex.
  • Maintain clear governance, decision logs and escalation routes. 
  • Build flexibility into programme and cost planning where funding is released incrementally.
  • Actively manage interfaces between clinical operations, infrastructure, external works and construction activity.
  • Use structured communication to maintain trust with clinical and operational teams.
  • Plan contingency strategies early for programme-critical infrastructure risks. 
Dartmoor building waiting area

Conclusion

The Dartmoor Building sets a new benchmark for healthcare delivery at Derriford Hospital, combining design quality, programme certainty and strong stakeholder coordination in a live hospital environment. 

Through proactive project management, robust cost control and close collaboration with the Trust and wider project team, we helped deliver a modern outpatient facility that supports immediate clinical needs while enabling long-term transformation of the hospital estate. 

This project demonstrates our capability to manage complex healthcare schemes within operational settings, maintaining safety, continuity and quality while delivering essential infrastructure for patients, staff and the wider community.

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