Following the demolition of the former Victoria Hospital last summer, construction has progressed and the project has now reached a key moment, the completion of the building’s steel frame.
This milestone was marked with a traditional topping out ceremony on site, where colleagues, contractors and partners came together to sign the final beam and tighten the last bolt in celebration of the progress made so far. With 760 individual steel pieces weighing a combined 160 tonnes - the equivalent of around 32 ambulances - the structure is now fully in place and the project is officially “out of the ground”.
The next phase of construction will see work begin on the building’s exterior to make the site weather-tight, paving the way for internal trades to begin fitting out the state-of-the-art facility.
Designed with both community benefit and sustainability at its heart, the project has already achieved impressive green credentials. It has scored 43 out of 45 on the Considerate Constructors Scheme, earned an A-rating for its environmental performance, and has successfully diverted 95% of its waste from landfill.
The average distance travelled by supply chain partners to site is just 28 miles, supporting local employment and reducing environmental impact. The project has also been 12 months accident-free and recently received an annual safety award for the Nottingham region
Tony Shenton, regional director for Kier Construction Eastern & Midlands, said: “We are proud to be working with Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in delivering Nottinghamshire’s first purpose-built Community Diagnostic Centre. Using our expertise in creating modern healthcare facilities, we look forward to completing this centre which will revolutionise diagnostic services for the community, while also creating more local job opportunities.”
Once complete, Mansfield CDC will be Nottinghamshire’s first dedicated Community Diagnostic Centre, providing a one-stop location for patients to access the tests and investigations they need, helping to speed up diagnoses and improve health outcomes. The centre will also create hundreds of new jobs, further supporting the local community.
David Selwyn, the Trust’s Acting Chief Executive, said: “Today’s topping out marks a big step in the journey of the Mansfield Community Diagnostic Centre towards its completion in spring 2026. Even before the building is complete, more than 76,000 tests have already been delivered on site, helping patients receive quicker answers and better outcomes.
We’ve also been working closely with the local community to ensure the rich history of this site is reflected in the new build.”
Those interested in contributing can email their stories and photos to sfh-tr.mansfieldcdc@nhs.net or for more information on the project, please visit: www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/cdc.