A 24-Bed Intensive Treatment Unit, constructed to meet the increasing demand for specialist facilities to treat the most critically ill patients.
The Requirements
MTX were approached by East Kent University NHS Foundation Trust to provide a new critical care facility at William Harvey Hospital.
Following MTX’s successful delivery of 4 new theatres in the neighbouring Kent and Canterbury Hospital, the Trust collaborated with us once again and chose the MMC approach to deliver a long-term solution to the area’s critical care bed shortage, in the quickest possible time.
The Solution
Over 2 storeys of modern accommodation, MTX delivered the new 24 bed intensive treatment unit (split into 4 independent areas comprising 4 bed positions and 2no Isolation rooms within each), 2 dedicated separate plant rooms and ancillary accommodation such as offices, changing rooms and training rooms.
The specialist 24 bed unit has been designed with future pandemics in mind, using Lessons Learnt from the early Covid-19 NHS response.
The main clinical floor as noted above has been divided into 4no independent bed areas, each with their own independent, HEPA filtered, air handling units (AHUs). Within each of these departments, there are 4 side room isolation facilities, with dedicated AHUs and positive pressure ventilated lobby systems.
Secondary emergency access routes and staff toilets have been designed also to operate as donning and doffing facilities and independent staff rest and shower areas allow this department to be flexible to treat all differing patient cases.
In order to work clinically, the facility needed to link into the first floor of the existing hospital street in 3no separate locations, to allow smooth level access from the other upper floor ward areas. To achieve this, we constructed a traditional steel transfer deck with a traditional 250mm rib deck slab meeting all the HTM / HBN regulations. A combination of floorless and traditional volumetric units were installed on top and adjacent to this structure to create the facility. Externally, the building has been clad with modern aluminium composite cladding.
Main Considerations
The proposed site for this scheme had already been identified for a future expansion of the ground floor Stroke Ward. Therefore, the steel transfer deck was designed with this in mind, utilising shallower beams to achieve the maximum clear height for the floor below.
The pad foundation solution was also designed to facilitate the pouring of a fibre glass reinforced ground floor slab and fit out, utilising offsite light gauge steel wall partition assembles.
In addition, the ground floor traditional steel transfer deck offered a more cost effective and flexible solution, when compared to installing empty volumetric modules and would allow the Trust to install and fit out the ground floor area at a later stage, once the final design and finances were established.
Combining the ground floor steel transfer deck with a traditional concrete rib deck slab allowed us to achieve HTM compliant floors in terms of response factor vibration in all of the key clinical areas, ensuring the highest level of structural performance. It also allowed us to utilise floorless modules to achieve the maximum clear internal height in an area where the ceilings are particularly densely filled with services. This ensured the highest quality staff and patient experience and ensured fully compliant multi movement pendants could be installed to each bed space.
The design and build of the 3,014m² facility was completed and handed over 20 months after the Trust made initial contact with MTX. It was officially blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev Justin Welby, when it first opened in April 2022.
What They Said
“The facility is exceptional, and I am sure it will make a significant difference to the Trust and their ability to care for very unwell patients. It has not been an easy project and MTX should all be proud of the part they have played in delivering the scheme and overcoming any problems we may have faced. The teamwork over the last few months has been particularly positive and is a nice way to end the construction stage. Thank you again for your efforts.”
Harry Pluckrose – Partner for Gardiner & Theobald, in regards to the William Harvey Hospital project.
