Powering the Future: Gloucestershire Royal Hospital Launches Major High Voltage Infrastructure Upgrade

The works form a critical part of the Trust’s 10-year infrastructure strategy and are being expertly managed by Gloucestershire Managed Services (GMS) on behalf of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GHFT).

This multi-million-pound, two-year project will see the complete replacement of the hospital’s ageing 11kV switchboards, the installation of advanced standby generation systems, and significant improvements to site-wide electrical resilience. It also ensures full compliance with modern UK electrical standards and NHS Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs).

“GMS is proud to be leading the management and coordination of this complex, safety-critical project,” said Mike Gregson, Managing Director at GMS. “This is about delivering reliable, uninterrupted power across the hospital site—enabling staff to care for patients with complete confidence in the infrastructure that supports them.”

Mark Pietroni, Deputy Chief Executive, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Investing in the hospital’s infrastructure is fundamental to delivering high-quality, safe, and modern care. This project is a fantastic example of forward-thinking planning and close collaboration between the Trust and GMS. I’m incredibly proud of the teams involved in ensuring that our clinical services are backed by robust, resilient systems capable of meeting both current and future needs.”

Key features of the HV infrastructure upgrade include:

• Full replacement of the hospital’s primary 11kV switchboard and the installation of four new fire-rated switchboards—two for customer supply and two for standby generation.
• The introduction of two larger 3,750kVA Cummins diesel generators to replace the existing 1,250kVA units, housed within a redesigned generator hall.
• Enhanced transformer capacity and a new LV switch panel to support growing demand from clinical services and equipment.
• Civil engineering works including new fuel tanks, external radiators, exhaust chimneys, bund walls, and acoustic enclosures—all carefully planned to minimise disruption and meet environmental regulations.
• Temporary power solutions and a no-break facility to maintain uninterrupted service throughout the upgrade process.

As project managers, GMS is coordinating multiple specialist partners and planning has been aligned with NHS operational priorities to ensure patient services remain unaffected throughout.

To enhance the hospital’s environment alongside its infrastructure, the project will also deliver new green spaces through the planting 15 mature English Oak trees—reinforcing the Trust and GMS’s commitment to sustainability and biodiversity.

“Delivering a project of this scale in a live hospital environment is complex, but essential,” said Elizabeth Devas, Associate Director of Capital Delivery at GMS. “We’re proud to be leading the programme on behalf of the Trust—ensuring that the hospital is powered by infrastructure that is resilient, future-ready, and capable of supporting first-class patient care every day.

This major upgrade will power the next generation of healthcare delivery at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, ensuring electrical infrastructure is as advanced and dependable as the care provided within its walls.