In January 2014 it was reported that the trust had invested £3 million in creating a new blood sciences laboratory at Sandwell Hospital which processes more than 7,000 samples and produces around 30,000 test results a day.

[2] The trust planned to cut around 1,400 posts between 2015 and 2020 in order to reduce pay costs by £16.1m, though it was recruiting more staff including A&E consultants and nurses.

[3] In July 2014 it was announced that £353 million would be invested in a new 670-bed acute Midland Metropolitan University Hospital covering 16 acres in Grove Lane, Smethwick.

[4] Carillion's joint venture, the Hospital Company, was to build it at a capital cost of £297m and provide hard facilities management and life-cycle maintenance services.

[8] In March 2018, Skanska negotiated to take over the hospital's construction,[9] with the project 18 months late and likely to cost an additional £125 million.

[11] In June 2018, a consortium of banks financing the project withdrew their support, and HM Treasury cancelled the PFI contract for construction of the hospital, leaving the NHS trust with a lengthy search for new investment and pushing the completion date back to at least 2022.