Morgan Sindall Construction's Northern Home Counties team has celebrated the topping out of the Oak Wards development at Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH), marking a major milestone in the delivery of the vital new healthcare facility.

Dignitaries including Milton Keynes Mayor Councillor Marie Bradburn, City Council Chief Executive Michael Bracey, MKUH staff, and the Morgan Sindall project team gathered on-site to commemorate the occasion with speeches and the ceremonial signing of the building’s concrete frame.

The Oak Wards expansion, procured through Pagabo's Major Works Framework, will significantly increase patient capacity at MKUH with the addition of two 24-bed wards. Each ward will comprise four five-bed bays and four single rooms, supported by essential spaces such as utility rooms, offices, a ward kitchen, storage areas, and staff facilities.

Designed with efficiency and staff familiarity in mind, the two-storey building mirrors an existing ward layout at MKUH. A central nurse’s station anchors each level, while large windows throughout the structure maximise natural light, contributing to a therapeutic environment for patients and staff alike.

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Sustainability is a central focus of the project. The facility will be powered by roof-mounted air source heat pumps, and its façade, services, and insulation exceed current energy and thermal performance standards. A concrete frame has been used instead of steel to help lower embodied carbon in the structure.

At ground level, sustainable drainage features such as swales and a rain garden will manage surface water runoff naturally. Landscaping efforts will contribute to a 10% biodiversity net gain, with the planting of trees and wildflowers, and the installation of bat boxes and insect hotels.

The hospital's operational needs have been prioritised throughout construction, especially given the site's close proximity to key departments such as the Emergency Department. Activities have been carefully coordinated to minimise disruption to hospital services.

Morgan Sindall has also implemented its industry-leading 10 Tonne Challenge on this project, an initiative that tasks the team with reducing at least 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the construction process. At Oak Wards, the challenge has yielded a 45-tonne reduction in CO₂ equivalent emissions.

This has been achieved through innovative measures, including switching from piled to pad foundations, which cut concrete usage by more than half. The use of a reinforced concrete (RC) frame instead of steel has reduced total carbon emissions by 60%. Additionally, the team used concrete containing 35% Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS), one of the most sustainable materials available in construction.