What's happening to major Birmingham hospital site six months after closure
When Birmingham's City Hospital closed its doors for the final time last November, some feared it would bring an end to 130 years of operations at the major hospital site.
All emergency and acute services from City Hospital were transferred to the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, dubbed the £1bn 'super hospital', and the last in-patient, Trust doctor Dr Pankaj Kumar, was wheeled out to an applause in November 2024.
Motorists passing by the Dudley Road health landmark now are greeted with an empty car park and signs saying the hospital is closed - but there is still activity at the site, despite parts of it being earmarked for housing.
READ MORE: How Birmingham's City Hospital site could be transformed into 'vibrant' new community
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Six months on from City Hospital closing, we asked Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust what exactly is happening with the site and if patients in Birmingham can still expect to use it.
The answer in short is yes - a number of outpatient services continue to run behind the now defunct A&E site.
The site and its remaining operations were renamed the City Health Campus last year - and can be used for select, non-urgent treatment.
Housing plans still look to go ahead, but the city's sick can still access help at the site, which opened as an infirmary in 1897 as an extension to the workhouse.
As for the future, the site has outline planning permission for 750 homes, including the conversion of the historic infirmary frontage into apartments.
A detailed planning application with the specifics of the development is expected this year.
CGIs released in January offer a glimpse of how the former City Hospital site could be transformed into a 'vibrant' new community, with artist impressions show wildflower patches and green parks in front of apartments with balconies.
Back in January, Developer Vistry Group said it had exchanged contracts with Homes England, the government's housing agency, to deliver the regeneration. Read more on those plans, here.
Residents previously using A&E at City Hospital are now sent to the Midland Metropolitan site if they have life-threatening conditions which require emergency care.
However, some operations remain at the old City Hospital site, and those who are first sent to Midlands Metropolitan A&E might find themselves receiving aftercare at what is now the City Health campus.
You can use the City Health Campus, which housed the former City Hospital, for the following:
The site will continue to operate outpatient appointments and short stay surgery at the Birmingham Treatment Centre
Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre will deliver inpatient, outpatient and surgical services at the site
The Sheldon Block building will house rehabilitation, therapy services and community medicine
Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust told us that some services are unaffected by planned development.
A spokesperson from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust told BirminghamLive: 'City Health Campus offers a range of outpatient appointments, day case surgery, diagnostic services including the audiology department and community rehabilitation services.
"Also remaining on the site is the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre. These services are unaffected by the redevelopment of the former City Hospital buildings.
"The accident and emergency department, maternity services and inpatient wards which were once based at City Hospital have since been relocated to the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
"For more information about the services being offered go to https://www.swbh.nhs.uk/our-new-hospital/city-health-campus/.'
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