News
New Southampton blood donation centre opens in record time
20 Jun 2025
A brand-new NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) centre has officially opened in Southampton after being delivered in a record-breaking 14 weeks.
Situated within Concept House in Eastleigh, the project has seen the transformation of existing office space into a blood donation centre, forming part of an NHS drive to encourage more people to donate blood and combat low stock supplies.
Over 400 appointments a week will be held at the new permanent centre, with the blood donated saving up to 1,200 lives.
Blood is needed to save lives in emergencies, treat cancer, and ensure many thousands of people with debilitating long-term conditions can live close to normal lives.
Pick Everard provided architecture, structural engineering, health and safety, and M&E services, working in collaboration with principal contractor Kier Places, who were procured through the SCAPE National Construction Framework.
The facility includes nine donation beds and individual consultation rooms, a new kitchen, waiting area, and an environmentally controlled storage unit has been created, with existing mechanical and engineering (M&E) elements stripped out and replaced to healthcare standards.
The opening coincides with the week of World Sickle Cell Day (Thursday 19 June). A particular type of blood that is urgently needed to treat patients with sickle cell disease – the country’s fastest growing genetic disorder that more commonly affects people of Black heritage.
To get the best treatment, patients need blood which is closely matched. This is most likely to come from a donor of the same ethnicity. Around 50 per cent of people from Black Caribbean and Black African heritage have a blood subtype called RO, which is used primarily to treat people with sickle cell.
"It’s been a privilege to work on a project that supports such an important service within public health. The new blood donor centre will improve access to blood donation in Southampton, making it more convenient for people to contribute.
Repurposing a former business unit into a modern, functional facility was an enjoyable team collaborative approach. We’re pleased to have supported NHSBT with a design that’s practical, welcoming, and focused on the user's needs. It’s a good example of how considered design can support essential services and benefit the wider community.”
— Kieran Bradley, director of architecture at Pick Everard
“The new centre is vital for NHSBT and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome, and most importantly, the impact the facility is now going to have on patients and their care.
At Kier Places Building Solutions we are set-up to deliver rapid refurbishment schemes, working with the right people and supply chain - this is especially important given the urgency for blood. Concept House is the perfect example of taking an existing building space and repurposing it - at pace - into a high-quality healthcare facility.
The collaboration between all of the partners – NHSBT, Kier, Pick Everard – was absolutely critical in the rapid completion and the result is a fantastic new donation centre for the local community.”
— Steve Donachy, area manager for Kier Places Building Solutions
“The new centre is light, bright and modern for donors and staff. We’ve created lots of new purpose designed spaces alongside our donor areas, including meeting rooms and storage units, so we really are set up for the future. I genuinely think it’s the best NHSBT facility I’ve seen.
This project is the culmination of a lot of hard work by a group of people - NHSBT, Kier, Pick Everard – and we’re itching to get the donors in to start business as usual.
We particularly hope that people who have donated before will come back and donate again now that we have a permanent centre nearby. The entire donation process takes just an hour. Each donation can save up to three lives, so every person who comes forward will help us save even more lives across the country."
— Mike Doswell, NHSBT Area Manager for Solent
"Across the project we have enjoyed really good collaboration between the partners. We have all been focused on getting the right project outcomes, meeting the end users’ requirements, and providing a centre that we can use for years to come.
The finished facility has given us the clinical finish that we need, and the NHSBT branding team has given the building the right look and feel for our donors.
We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved. It’s been a short construction period and the lessons we’ve learnt we will now take on to the next project."
— Simon Briggs, project supervisor for NHSBT
"The new Southampton Donor Centre construction project has achieved remarkable success. The modern design and friendly staff make it a great place for people to come and donate blood.
All the stakeholders are thrilled with the outcome. The new facility is functional, modern and meets everyone’s needs. The project’s success is a testament to teamwork, collaboration and hard work from everyone involved."
— Liam O’Regan, NHSBT Construction Programme Manager
Healthcare
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