Views Sought About Future of Charing Cross Hospital
Consultation being held on options for refurbishment of lower floors
Charing Cross Hospital's main entrance to get a makeover
April 8, 2025
Charing Cross Hospital is looking at options for a ‘major refurbishment’ of its ground and first floors to address issues and improve patients’ experiences. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith and Fulham, is asking the public for their views to inform the plans. The consultation is to run until 25 April.
The Trust is working with healthcare specialist architects Ansell and Bailey on the proposal.
A webpage on the consultation lists a series of areas identified as needing work. These are the front entrance to Charing Cross Hospital, the ground floor toilets, expanding its food and retail offer, including bringing in a long-term retail partner, wayfinding and navigation, and improving support services.
The Trust addresses the fact the refurbishment is being progressed at a time when London hospitals, including Charing Cross, are facing financial difficulty and awaiting Government funds to pay for essential repairs.
In January, Health Secretary West Streeting revealed three of Imperial’s sites – Charing Cross, St Mary’s and Hammersmith – are to be included in the final tranche of the Government’s New Hospital Programme funding, meaning works will not begin for a decade.
The Government has since committed to providing millions of pounds towards detailed designs and planning for the redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital.
The refurbishment of Charing Cross has proven controversial for a number of years and featured heavily in campaign literature in the run-up to last year’s General Election. Hammersmith and Fulham’s Labour administration and the Conservative opposition engaged in a heated debate over the hospital’s future at a full council meeting shortly after Mr Streeting’s announcement.
The Trust’s consultation webpage states, “We understand this work might seem at odds with the current operational and financial challenges faced by our hospitals and the wider NHS. However, this refurbishment includes essential maintenance improvements that will ensure we can continue to provide high-quality care to our patients safely and efficiently.
“We had historically set aside essential funds to complete this work, and Imperial Health Charity will kindly donate further funds as part of their ongoing commitment to supporting our hospitals, staff and patients.”
Eric Munro, Director of Estates and Facilities at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, “We are exploring options for a major refurbishment of the ground and first floors of Charing Cross Hospital to provide a much better experience for patients, visitors and staff. There are a range of issues to address, including permanent fixes to long-term problems with lifts and escalators, accessibility, toilet facilities and wayfinding.
“We have managed to set aside some funding from our building maintenance and improvement budget (which is separate to our operational funding), we have the support of Imperial Health Charity and there may also be opportunities for some investment from retail partners. We’re currently exploring what our patients, staff and visitors think is most needed.”
Click here to complete the questionnaire.
If you have any questions or would prefer to receive the questions in an alternative format, email imperial.communications@nhs.net.
Ben Lynch – Local Democracy Reporter