A multi-purpose ward block, delivered to this acute and specialist service providing hospital in the North West of London.
The Requirements
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust had a requirement to extend the current ward facilities at Hillingdon Hospital; which provides the majority of services for the Trust. Following a thorough pre-construction stage, MTX were successfully appointed to carry out the works as main contractor.
The Solution
The initial client request was a single storey ground floor extension, to house a new 20 bed decant ward. However, the clinical needs changed and grew to a ground floor 28 bed ward, within a 3 storey facility to also house additional specialist wards. This was due to new emerging critical care requirements.
Through an excellent collaborative working approach with partners Ecovate, Ridge, Oxford Architects and CPW, and excellent planning and programme management skills, the MTX team successfully reformed the programme and fit the new deadline in around other ongoing project commitments.
Working closely with the client team, MTX produced a design for a 3 storey modular facility which links directly into adjacent buildings; The Nightingale Centre, (which houses the endoscopy department), and the Acute Medical Unit (AMU).
The ground floor decant ward is dedicated to accommodating Dementia patients. Named Franklin Ward after the revolutionary scientist Rosalind Franklin, it was successfully handed over within the original programme and was complete and live whilst construction works for the additional 2 storeys commenced.
MTX embarked with the next phase of the project and installed 28 modules over 3 days, creating the second floor to house an Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU), consisting of 16 beds. This ward also includes 4 single isolation rooms and 3 separate zones providing flexibility in the care of contagious patients.
The final phase consisted of the delivery and installation of the final 28 modules to complete the 3rd floor, which houses a 26 bed Acute Respiratory Care Unit (ARCU).
In total, the new volumetric facility comprises of 70 new bed spaces across 3 multi-purpose wards, each served by a main reception area and all necessary ancillary; including nurse bases, staff offices, interview rooms and clinical stores.
Furthermore, a dedicated external plant area was constructed, serving the new facility. This consists of 2 chillers, 5 AHUs (Air Handling Units) and 2 plantrooms. MTX also delivered a dedicated car park to accompany the new facility, on a neighbouring area of redundant space. The new ward block has been named the Seacole Building.
Selecting an offsite solution for this ward project ensured:
- The phased and timely delivery of 2,550m² of new accommodation
- No downtime for patients during construction or following occupation
- Less time on site meaning reduced disruption, due to less people and vehicles
- Cost efficiency
- Enhanced Health and Safety
Main Considerations
Due to changes to the scheme during the construction phase, the first floor needed a complete re-design. This was accomplished via the use of 2 bed bays, with medical service columns tested by the end users in a mock-up created by the manufacturer.
Whilst changes to the scheme ultimately extended the programme, though meticulous planning and regular progress meetings, MTX ensured that the Trust were able to make use of the new ward block within a well organised and respectable timescale, even with the final two phases of the project being completed under Covid-19 compliance conditions.
