MWD Helathcare has been picked to build a £126m urgent and emergency care centre at Derriford in Plymouth.

It will replace the current emergency department, offering new facilities for the most unwell patients as well as same day emergency care to reduce waiting times.

Work on the new 17,000 sq m project is planned to start in 2023.

Neal Stephens, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the West Country said: “We’re delighted to be chosen for this major project, our first as part of the alliance with Mace for the Procure23 framework.

“This collaboration gives customers like University Hospitals Plymouth access to some of the best healthcare skills in the industry.”

Terry Spraggett, Managing Director for Mace Construction (Public Sector) said “By working together, we can bring a fresh approach to construction delivery supporting University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust and wider NHS ambitions.”

MWD Healthcare was appointed to all three lots of the NHS ProCure23 Framework in March this year, marking a significant step forward for collaborative construction in England’s healthcare sector.

It sees the two contractors work together on NHS construction projects under a FAC-1 Framework Alliance Contract to bid for work across the three value bands identified by the framework: regional projects valued below £20m, projects between £20m to £70m and projects worth more than £70m.