Morgan Sindall Construction's Northern Home Counties business has completed work on a state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre and handed it over to Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) NHS Foundation Trust.

The Radiotherapy Centre is one of three projects Morgan Sindall has been working on at MKUH. The tier one contractor is also in the process of constructing a brand-new Imaging Centre and expanding the hospital’s bed capacity with a new ward facility, Oak Wards. Supporting the hospital to meet the healthcare demands of Milton Keynes’ growing population.

All three projects were procured through the PAGABO framework and have a combined value of £53.6m.

The £17.6m, two-storey Radiotherapy Centre includes two state-of-the-art medical LINAC bunkers, as well as a main reception, consultation rooms, and a CT scanner area, all connected to the hospital's recently opened Cancer Centre via a link corridor.

The services in the Radiotherapy Centre will be run by Oxford University Hospitals with the aim to improve access to radiotherapy for patients who must currently travel to other hospitals in the region to receive treatment. A versatile 43-bay car park has also been built, providing a purpose-built space for a mobile PET-CT Scanner.

The specialised nature of the project presented several unique construction challenges. Utilising its Intelligent Solutions approach, Morgan Sindall created 2.6m thick concrete walls and a 1.4m thick roof to prevent radiation leakage from the radiotherapy equipment. Due to the size of the walls and complexity of applying so much concrete, a schedule of long pours was designed to achieve the necessary thickness without compromising the quality of the concrete structure. 90 tonnes of steel have been used in the roof slab alone.


To guarantee a smooth building process, Morgan Sindall accounted for several logistical factors during the development. This included extensive material delivery preparations to avoid undue inconvenience to the hospital’s patients and staff. Materials were brought through the rear of the building, bypassing the front of the hospital where the new unit is located, as this is an important access point for the adjoining cancer centre, its drop off-point, car park, and nearby energy facilities.

Additionally, in line with Morgan Sindall's commitment to maximising social value for local communities, the team tidied and updated an existing courtyard memorial garden at the hospital last summer.

The £18.1m Oak Wards facility is on track to become a new two-storey building and will include a link corridor to the existing main hospital building. These upgrades will enable the site to provide healthcare services to more people by increasing its capacity.

Oak Wards is set to be completed by early 2026, and will increase MKUH’s ward capacity by providing two 24-bed wards, four of which will be five-bed bays and four will be single bedrooms, alongside ancillary space for storage, utility rooms, offices, a ward kitchen and staff areas. Additionally, the project incorporates a central nurse’s station and large bay windows to maximise the amount of natural light. This efficient floor plan mirrors an existing ward at the hospital, so will be familiar to staff from day one.

Meanwhile, the £17m Imaging Centre is due to be completed in March 2026. The project team is set to replace the old imagery department that currently uses rental equipment with a two-storey centre featuring two MRI rooms, two CT scanners, and six ultrasound machines. Increasing the department’s efficiency and improving the patient experience.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Morgan Sindall is rolling out the 10 Tonne Challenge during both Oak Wards and the Imaging Centre projects. The challenge encourages employees to work with consultants and its supply chain to find intelligent solutions that reduces carbon from the construction process by a minimum of 10 tonnes. Throughout Oak Wards, 45 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent has been saved, whereas the Imaging Centre has saved the equivalent of 26 tonnes of carbon dioxide.