In October 2013 MTX were awarded the contract to design, install and commission a modular A&E Extension and Additional Office Space at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn for The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.
The Requirements
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust required additional A&E Extension to cope with their increased workload and to decrease patient waiting time. The brief was to extend the existing A&E department into an adjacent courtyard area from the existing corridor;
and provide additional office space above; linked in from the existing
offices corridor at first floor level.
The Solution
Groundworks for the new A&E Extension & Office Accommodation project commenced on site at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn in November 2013, at which time the pre-fabricated building modules started in production through our quality controlled manufacturing process.
The facility consists of 4no observation rooms & 4no treatment bays including all necessary ancillary accommodation at ground floor with office accommodation at first floor level including 10no offices to accommodate 26 persons, a hot desking room to accommodate 3 persons and a seminar room. 2no link way corridors connected the ground floor A&E extension to the existing A&E department corridors and 1no link way connected the first floor offices to the existing office corridor. An external escape staircase was constructed, providing a secondary means of escape for personnel within the first floor area.
Internally the scheme was specified and finished to a very high standard using a combination of traditional painted finishes, PVC wall linings and veneered door sets and frames. A combination of creams, blues and greys were used to great effect making the environment feel calm and fresh. A feature wall colour was used in the entrance to the A&E extension leading to the new nurse base reception. A number of locally inspired pieces of artwork and photography were used throughout the corridors giving the patients and staff alike something to relate to within the facility.
Externally the new modular building has been finished with a Plastisol cladding system. A top performing coated steel sheet system ideally suited to UK condition, providing a clean and easily maintainable modern finish.
Main Considerations
Capital cost and programme were key considerations for this scheme. Following a number of value engineering options, ranging from external finishes to mechanical engineering solutions, offered by our team and accepted by the trust we were able to meet our clients budget.
Our design, procurement and offsite construction and fit out processes were critical with a challenging 7 week on site construction programme ahead. Effective collaborative working with the trusts team really aided our processes ensuring our construction programme ran efficiently meeting our targeted deadlines.
What they said
In a letter about the project Mr. David Stonehouse, Director of Resources QEH King’s Lynn wrote;
“The Trust is exceedingly pleased with the building as a whole. This expansion was an essential requirement to achieve performance standards for the A&E department specifically and the hospital as a whole. More importantly the area provides a high quality clinical environment for improved patient care. I understand that your team work relentlessly within tight timescales and difficult conditions to achieve the agreed handover date.”
