On 20th November, our people moved from Birchfield House to a permanent, larger home at Birch House following the announcement earlier in the year that DHU Healthcare was the preferred provider for NHS 111 Services across the Midlands.
DHU had been providing the 111 service out of Birchfield House, including National Contingency calls, since November 2022. When DHU began providing the wider Midlands service in April 2024, it paved the way to develop and move into a bigger, better, permanent home in Oldbury.
Pauline Hand, Managing Director of DHU 111, said: “Our people in Oldbury have been waiting for this moment and we’re delighted to move into this incredible building. Whilst Birchfield House has served us well as a temporary base, it never truly felt like home and we weren’t able to develop in a way that complemented what our Advisors do every day.
“With Birch House, we’ve been able to keep the environment consistent with our bases in Chesterfield, Derby and Leicester, the pods are designed to give our advisors the space, support and systems they need and put DHU’s personality into the building.
“I feel we have managed that and it has been a true collective effort, bringing together colleagues from across the whole of DHU to create this inspiring, incredible space for us all. I’m so proud of our Oldbury colleagues who have been looking forward to this day for almost a year; they now have a home to be proud of and the best environment to deliver the compassionate, professional care to our patients when they need us.”
DHU is the largest provider of 111 services in England, serving a population of 16 and a half million people across the Midlands and beyond. With over 1,800 colleagues working across four bases in Chesterfield, Derby, Leicester and Oldbury, they take more than four million calls a year and do an incredible job looking after our patients.