The context
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust is an integrated care organisation, responsible for the care of 530,000 people. The trust delivers high-quality care from City Health Campus (formerly City Hospital) in Birmingham, Sandwell Health Campus in West Bromwich and intermediate care hubs at Rowley Regis and Leasowes in Smethwick.
To improve healthcare services for the local population as part of the UK Government’s £40bn New Hospital Programme, the decision was made to replace the 130-year-old City Hospital with a new facility - the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH).
Against a backdrop of increasing hospital workload and rising demand for services such as CT and MRI imaging, MMUH was conceived as a regional rejuvenation project that could address local healthcare challenges and create a first-class clinical environment.
Development of the hospital was significantly delayed, however, when the project’s construction contractor went into liquidation. With COVID-19 further contributing to delays, the trust required flexibility and reliability from partners involved with the development of MMUH to ensure that the hospital would be successfully delivered and still be as transformative as was planned. At the same time, the delays also demanded that the trust maintained healthcare services from its ageing City Hospital beyond original expectations.
How did we help?
Through a 15-year Value Partnership, Siemens Healthineers provides support to the wider Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, encompassing:
- Equipment: Imaging assets procured, installed, maintained and replaced
- Workforce: Staff training and education supporting departmental efficiency
- Uptime: Consistent equipment performance for reliable clinical service delivery
- On-site support: Day-to-day operational support from Siemens Healthineers
With MMUH originally scheduled to open in 2018, the Value Partnership has provided access to vendor-neutral imaging solutions via flexible financial arrangements that may otherwise have not been obtainable.
Darren Smith, Group Director of Operations, Imaging and Pathology Group at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, explains: “These days there are difficulties around any capital investment. However, with the support of Siemens Healthineers we have obtained capital-only equipment, which would have been very difficult without the partnership.”
The financial arrangements also included an enabling fund to support MMUH with the payment of building works related to the installation of new equipment.
“At the outset, Siemens Healthineers provided a cost estimate for the installation of the new scanners in each room, and so we selected the equipment and then we were provided with quotes for the building work for our approval – it was that easy,” says Dawn Webster, Senior Commissioning Manager at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.
The advantages of a flexible and collaborative Value Partnership were further highlighted as the development of the MMUH was beset by delays.
What were the results?
With the opening of MMUH delayed, Siemens Healthineers supported the trust as it was forced to revise its facility development plans and equipment requirements, while also maintaining the retained estate throughout the course of the delay. As the lifetime of the City Hospital was extended, the Value Partnership provided essential support to ensure the ongoing performance of its equipment.
“Some of the equipment was older and we couldn’t easily get spare parts,” says Dawn Webster. “The Siemens Healthineers on-site team went over and above to source parts to keep the equipment performing. We agreed arrangements such as additional site visits to maintain service levels over a prolonged period, so the partnership worked very well.”
The Value Partnership also facilitated the planning for MMUH as its development ramped up once more, while equipment selected by the trust was also updated from that chosen for the original launch date to reflect the technology’s evolution during the delay.
“Without the Value Partnership, I don’t think we would have the equipment in place that we do now. We wouldn’t be able to keep up to date with technology in the same way,” notes Darren Smith.
The collaborative and flexible nature of the Value Partnership has provided invaluable support as the trust pivoted its plans to accommodate delays to the opening of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital. Reflecting this cooperative arrangement, the decision was made in 2024 to extend the partnership.
Darren Smith concludes: “The collaborative partnership has driven forward the opening of MMUH and the continued delivery of care on our retained estate as well. We look forward to continuing this strong relationship.”
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