Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh unveiled a commemorative plaque at an official ceremony today at the new Birmingham Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry at Pebble Mill, Edgbaston.
Her Majesty met with clinicians, educators and students during a guided tour of the state-of-the-art facilities.
Andrew Kalli, BDS Dental Surgery student at the University had the honour of meeting The Queen. He commented:
"It is an honour to be part of such a key moment in the University's history and the history of UK dental care. The Queen's visit highlights the value of services provided by Birmingham Dental Hospital. It is a pleasure to be able to show Her Majesty the exceptional facility which will be used to provide treatment to the local community but also house world-renowned dental education and research.
"As a 4th year dental student, I am pleased to have the opportunity to experience this state-of-the-art hospital until graduation. From the early design, students have been able to contribute their thoughts and opinions so it is fantastic to see the finalised project materialise."
Following the ceremony, staff will be working to prepare the building for its operational opening for public early in 2016.
The development, which represents the first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and dental school to be built in the UK for almost 40 years, will replace the 50-year-old dental hospital at St Chad’s Circus and will be situated at the former BBC’s Pebble Mill Broadcasting Centre.
The hospital, managed by Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, will be the new home of specialist dental treatment for West Midlands’ patients and also houses the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry.
The four-storey building will provide a range of high quality clinical dental services for the public in one wing, while a second wing will offer world-class research facilities and a modern learning environment for more than 600 undergraduate and postgraduate students and trainees each academic year.
With a total cost of £50m, the development is a key element of the new Edgbaston Medical Quarter and further enhances the city’s reputation as a hub of medicine, learning and life sciences.
University staff and students will enjoy the benefits of being located much closer to the main Edgbaston campus and medical school, allowing for closer integration of facilities.
The realisation of the project results from several years of working closely with our development partners Birmingham and Solihull LIFT (BaS LIFT) and with the support of a wide range of organisations including Calthorpe Estates, Community Health Partnerships, One Creative Environments Ltd and Galliford Try.
Professor Philip Lumley, Head of the School of Dentistry and Deputy Head of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences speaks about the benefits of the new facility:
- Explore our School of Dentistry website
- Find out more about the Dental Surgery BDS course
- Read more about the new Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry