Contest to find best photos before new hospital opens

A contest has started to find the best photos of the local community for a new hospital, before it opens.

The 670-bed 'Midland Met' Hospital in Smethwick is expected to open in October 2018. The new facility will replace large parts of Sandwell Hospital and City Hospital, Birmingham.

The best photos over the 900 days, which could feature residents, health care buildings and staff, will be part of public exhibitions and on permanent display at the new hospital.

Every month a panel, led by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospitals Trust director of pathology Prof Jonathan Berg, will decide the best entries to go through to the next stage of the competition.

Prof Berg, author of photo book Positively Birmingham, said: "I really look forward to people taking interesting and quirky photos of the buildings that have served us so well over the last 100 years or so."

The new facility will replace large parts of Sandwell Hospital and City Hospital, such as their accident and emergency departments which are due to close. Some services will remain at both sites.