GRAHAM, a UK and Ireland based firm, has been appointed as the construction partner for the new state-of-the-art hospital, estimated to cost more than £1billion. GRAHAM has previously worked on major healthcare schemes such as the Children’s Hospital at Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and the Ulster Hospital’s Inpatient Ward Block. The new Airedale Hospital is part of the government’s New Hospital Programme and will be built using the Hospital 2.0 Alliance framework—a standardised design developed in consultation with clinicians, healthcare staff and patients. Foluke Ajayi, chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Signing the contract with GRAHAM is a significant milestone that brings us another step closer to bringing the vision for our new hospital to life. The Hospital 2.0 model aims to cut building time and costs, and will be adapted to meet the specific needs of the Airedale community.