Councillor Rajbir Singh, the Leader of Sandwell Council, has visited the site of the new acute Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick to see how the project is progressing, despite the challenges of the pandemic.

MMUH will be one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in the region and will provide integrated care for residents. Once complete, it will bring together teams who provide acute and emergency care, offering maternity, children and inpatient adult services to half a million people.

With several new facilities, including trauma theatres, emergency theatres, maternity theatres and delivery suites, it will deliver a new level of care. Modern purpose-built facilities and state-of-the-art equipment will support faster diagnosis and improve patient outcomes, enabling clinical teams to provide enhanced patient care.

And 50 per cent of the beds at MMUH will be in single rooms with their own bathrooms, providing privacy and dignity, bringing benefits in terms of infection prevention and control. Councillor Singh said:

“My visit to Midland Met has enabled me to meet with Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust colleagues and see first-hand how well the project is progressing.

“Not only will the new hospital enhance the experiences of patients – providing excellence in clinical care – the positive change and opportunities afforded by the hospital are already providing a boost to the local economy, with 800 people – including local tradespeople – working on the project.

“Midland Met will become a cornerstone of the Black Country and West Birmingham region, breathing life into the heart of what was once the industrial West Midlands. Sandwell Council, Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, together with Homes England and the Canal & River Trust, will focus on regenerating the Smethwick to Birmingham corridor. The hospital will play an essential part in these regeneration plans and help us build a better future for the local communities we serve.”