John Laing, together with its partner Sodexho Investments Ltd has been appointed lead developer to build two new hospitals in North Staffordshire. The project entails the building of a new acute hospital on the University of North Staffordshire’s City General site and a new community hospital for North Stoke Primary Care Trust on the Haywood Sites.

Early works have been completed and Laing O’Rourke is due to start construction on the £300 million project in April 2007. It is expected that the 90,000 sq metre City General Hospital will be completed by 2012, It is a phased development, however, and the first services to come on line will be a clinical facility.

The North Stoke Hospital, which is approximately 11,000 sq metres, will be completed in 2009. Hard and soft facilities management will be carried out at both hospitals by Sodexho Ltd and Sodexho Healthcare.