The arrival of 365 offsite manufactured structural modules has marked a key milestone for MTX Contracts Ltd in the project to create a Surgical Elective Centre at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

The first phase of the five-storey surgical centre for Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust will open in summer 2026, and provide a total of seven new operating theatres on the ground floor (level one) of the 7,541 sqm new facility. 

The seven theatres will include two hybrid operating theatres that will give the Trust a leading edge by enabling the hospital to offer the most up-to-date procedures across multiple specialities.

Hybrid operating theatres combine medical imaging and conventional surgical suites into one treatment space that can be used for both minimally invasive and open surgical procedures. They allow surgeons to perform imaging, biopsy, diagnosis, and surgery in the same room, and remove the need to move a patient between an imaging suite and an operating room – which means operations can be completed more quickly and recovery time for patients is improved.

The plant room containing air-handling units and other mechanical and electrical equipment to serve the whole building will be located on level three. Other facilities in the new building will include staff services, changing and training rooms. The remaining levels in the building not immediately occupied will be finished to a shell specification by MTX in preparation for the installation of additional clinical facilities.

The project also includes associated infrastructure, landscaping and parking.

Previous projects by MTX at the John Radcliffe Hospital include the award-winning 48-bed Critical Care building which was completed from initial design to handover in just 15 months; employing a ‘hybrid’ construction method and rapid design and planning process. The five-storey structure used 148 offsite-manufactured steel structural units.

MTX Managing Director David Hartley explained: “NHS Trusts are increasingly using modern methods of construction to provide new facilities in shorter time scales. Our expertise in more effectively applying MMC principles is proven to deliver compliant, high-quality new hospital facilities through a greener, safer build process that is also more cost effective than conventional building methods. It ensures an earlier return on investment for the Trust, and improved outcomes for patients while maintaining the highest standards.”