Prince Charles Hospital (PCH) has been shortlisted for the 2025 Constructing Excellence Awards in the Retrofit category — a significant achievement that recognises the ambition, complexity, and collaboration behind the hospital’s ongoing transformation.
Prince Charles Hospital has been shortlisted for the 2025 Constructing Excellence Awards in the Retrofit Category
This recognition is a major milestone for the entire project team, led by Tilbury Douglas, who were also the original contractors for the hospital in 1972. The award celebrates exceptional work in transforming existing buildings while maximising sustainability and functionality, and Prince Charles Hospital stands as a shining example of both.
Combining retrofit, refurbishment, and new-build elements, the redevelopment of Prince Charles Hospital is a long-term, multi-phased programme delivered on a live hospital site. This added layer of complexity required the highest levels of coordination and care. Throughout the process, the team’s priority was clear: maintaining the safety, comfort, and continuity of care for staff and patients while future-proofing the facility to meet modern healthcare needs.
The shortlisting is a well-earned recognition of over a decade of careful planning, collaborative working, and innovation in healthcare design. Since work began in 2007, the project has transformed the hospital into a more efficient, sustainable, and patient-focused environment.
Highlights from the retrofit include a refurbished Therapies Department featuring a hydrotherapy pool and gymnasium to support rehabilitation. The Outpatients and Radiology departments have also been extensively upgraded, improving patient flow and providing faster access to diagnostics.
The project also introduced new theatres, including trauma and general surgical suites, upgraded pathology services with faster test processing, and a new Haematology Day Unit designed for comfort and efficiency in oncology care.
HLM Architects worked closely with Tilbury Douglas, NHS Wales, and key stakeholders to overcome the logistical and technical challenges of working in a live hospital environment, maintaining operations while making meaningful enhancements to patient experience and clinical care.
“We’re incredibly proud to see Prince Charles Hospital recognised by Constructing Excellence,” said Mohammed Irfan Ul-Haq Associate. “This shortlisting is a celebration of the hard work, dedication, and shared vision of everyone involved. It demonstrates how existing healthcare estates can be sensitively and effectively transformed through retrofit — with minimal disruption and maximum impact.”
With the winners set to be announced in at the awards ceremony in Newport on the 20th of June, the team is honoured to be considered among the UK’s most forward-thinking retrofit projects — and excited to showcase what’s possible through collaborative, sustainable healthcare design.
