Speller Metcalfe to develop £4.8m lab at Walsall campus
The University of Wolverhampton is to create new state-of-the-art medical lab facilities at its Walsall Campus.
Work has now started on extending and totally remodelling existing facilities in the Sister Dora Building, which is home to part of the University’s Institute of Health.
The £4.8m project was designed by architects Broadway Malyan and Speller Metcalfe has been appointed as the main build contractor, with Gleeds as project managers.
The development will see the building given a two-storey extension creating new simulation labs and teaching rooms to cater for an increase in students on courses such as Nursing, Midwifery, Paramedic Science and Physiotherapy.
One very large skills lab will be created which will replicate an operating theatre while two labs will replicate hospital wards, with the final lab acting as a clinical skills area.
The building will be remodelled throughout with a series of smaller lab spaces created for a range of settings including a midwife lab, multi-sensory, strength and conditioning suite, a CPR training lab and a collaboration area.
A selection of new, flexible teaching spaces will also be formed and the lobby refurbished.
Work has started and the transformation of the current building is set to be complete in time for the new academic year in September 2019 with the new extension delivered by November 2019.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, Professor Geoff Layer said: “As a University we are seeking to invest in areas where we believe we can grow and where we know there is a skills gap.
“In the UK right now there is certainly a shortage of trained nurses and other healthcare workers.
“We are working closely with hospital trusts in our area to identify their needs and we want to recruit and train even more nurses, midwives, paramedics and physios to work in our communities.
“We believe this investment will further support that aim by providing great facilities for people to learn in.
Professor Alex Hopkins, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, said: “This will make a huge difference to the clinical settings we are able to provide to our students to train within.
“Our courses are all professionally accredited and we work closely with healthcare providers to provide our students with the right tools and the right environment for a career in the sector.”