Interserve to lead revamp of University of York’s medical school

The University of York is getting a brand new medical school and construction company Interserve is the one to deliver it. The international support firm was awarded the £5.8 million (US$7.2 million) contract for the redevelopment on Thursday.

The firm has won the contract to build the university’s Hull York Medical School, including a complete redesign of the existing site and the development of new clinical skills spaces in the Seebohm Rowntree Building.

This is far from the first contract for Interserve with York. The company has worked with the university on the construction of the new Piazza and Biology buildings, as well as the £20m Allam Medical Building in Hull in 2017, which is occupied by the Hull York Medical School.

“We are delighted to be working with Interserve and colleagues across the Medical School and University to develop facilities for medicine students and in doing so explore opportunities for students across health disciplines to train side by side,” Professor Brian Fulton, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of York said in a press release.

A central feature of the redesign will be a new real-life, problem-based learning suite and collaborative learning space for students on the first floor of the Medical School building.

Students will also benefit from the close proximity to the growing Health Professions Education Unit which is at the forefront of developments in health education.

The revamp of the facility follows the announcement that Hull York Medical School was awarded an additional 90 undergraduate medicine places as part of the UK government’s expansion of undergraduate medical education.

Interserve is a leader in the healthcare sector having bagged seven major healthcare business contracts in the past 12 months with a combined value of more than £130 million (US$162 million).

Despite their success in the healthcare space, Interserve has had a rough few months after going into administration in March. It was later bought out by its lenders and is determined to maintain “business as usual,” as iterated by Interserve Group’s Chief Executive, Debbie White.

“Interserve is fundamentally a strong business and with a competitive financial platform in place we see significant opportunities ahead as a best-in-class partner to the public and private sector,”