Pictured above: Sarah White

Birmingham law firm Browne Jacobson has beaten off competition from a host of regional and national law firms to land a prestigious contract with Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.

Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust has appointed the city centre firm as its legal adviser following a competitive tender process.

Browne Jacobson competed against a number of law firms to land the role which will see it offer the Trust a full complement of legal services ranging from property, contracts and commercial to employment and healthcare law.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the United Kingdom and employs around 6000 staff. It admits 117,000 patients a year for treatment at three hospital sites in the region: City Hospital in Birmingham, Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich and Rowley Regis Community Hospital in Rowley Regis. The Trust has recently been given the go-ahead from the Department of Health for a £484 million state-of-the-art hospital in Smethwick. The new Grove Lane hospital is expected to open in 2015 and will provide an A&E department, Maternity, Childrens' Services, Critical Care, Diagnostics and the full range of acute hospital services.

Kam Dhami, Director of Governance at Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We are delighted to have appointed Browne Jacobson as our legal advisers and look forward to benefiting from their wealth of experience as our relationship develops"

The news is the latest in a number of high profile health sector appointments for Browne Jacobson this year. Others include a three year re-appointment to the National Health Service Litigation Authority's (NHSLA) non-clinical advisers panel which handles all non-clinical claims against the NHS. The firm was also one of only six firms appointed to the Yorkshire and Humber Commercial Procurement Collaborative panel which comprises 32 Trusts. 

Sarah White, lead client partner at Browne Jacobson, commented: "This is an important appointment for the firm and builds on our growing healthcare practice which is attracting both regional and national  acclaim. We are delighted to be given the opportunity to support the Trust as it embarks on what promises to be an exciting phase in the future development of healthcare provision in West Birmingham.

Browne Jacobson acts for numerous NHS Trusts and local authorities across the West Midlands and is recognised as having one of the country's leading healthcare practices by independent legal directory Chambers.