Colchester General Hospital

Paediatric Department, Elective Care Centre and Surgical Ward

"The finished building is very impressive. It provides a good patient environment, addresses the issues of patient privacy and dignity, and we are pleased with the ambience, feel, space and quiet."


The Requirement

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust had a requirement to increase capacity in time for the peak winter period. The new building accommodates a new children's department on the ground floor and an elective care centre and surgical ward on the upper floor.


The Solution

Kier Eastern was appointed by the Trust under the ProCure21 framework as Principal Supply Chain Partner to provide the new facility. The £20m ProCure21 project is the biggest development in the hospital's recent history.

The £10m subcontract was awarded to Yorkon for the off-site construction of the new building and reduced the time on site to just 10 months and the overall programme by around six months.


Phased Installation of the Modular Building

In order to reduce the construction programme for the new building to the benefit of patient care, Kier and the Trust took the decision to use an off-site solution. The approach also allowed an existing ward building on the site to remain in use until just days before the second phase of modules arrived on site.

Yorkon manufactured and fitted out the building off site in York and installed it in two phases.


The Latest Off-site Technology

The new Yorkon pre-installed concrete floor was used in all 148 modules - the first time this award-winning technology has been used for a complete building. The high performance floor is an innovative off-site solution for high traffic areas and to accommodate sensitive hospital equipment.

148 steel-framed modules up to 14m long and 3.3m wide, and each weighing up to 12 tonnes, were delivered and installed in just 17 days. The units were partially fitted out off site, including internal partitioning and first fix M&E services.


An Attractive and Welcoming Patient Environment

Designed by Tangram Architects, the building, which has achieved a BREEAM ‘very good' rating (targeted), has created an attractive and welcoming environment for staff and patients, particularly given its prominent location next to the hospital's main entrance. It has deeply articulated façades finished in a palette of materials, including white render, vertical bands of rainscreen cladding and curtain walling.

The children's department is arranged around two large central courtyards that provide a protected play area and a sensory garden. Internally it features multi-coloured and patterned flooring, walls in bright colours, murals and a distinctive design for the reception and nurses' station, which as well as creating a cheerful interior, assists in way finding.


Comments from the Project Team

Nick Chatten, Director of Corporate Development, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust:

"This project is the first phase in a programme of redevelopment at Colchester General Hospital. Speed was the principle reason for using a modular solution for the building. We needed to have the new facilities operational in time for the busy winter period. The scheme is also now helping us to provide additional capacity elsewhere in the hospital to deal with unexpected pressures."

"We had confidence in Kier having worked with them previously - and I personally had experience of the Yorkon off-site system at Watford General Hospital."

"The finished building is very impressive. It provides a good patient environment both for children in the Children's Department and for adults in the Elective Care Centre and the new surgical ward. It addresses the issues of patient privacy and dignity, and we are pleased with the ambience, feel, space and quiet."

"Located near the main entrance, the building creates a strong image for the hospital with its striking architectural lines. And most importantly, it has been well received by patients and staff."

"We had a good and positive working relationship with both Kier and Yorkon throughout and would be happy to recommend the approach and the construction team to other healthcare providers."


Nick Bache, Director, Kier Eastern:

"A team from Kier visited the Yorkon production centre and one of their completed projects at the outset, and were impressed with the quality and approach. Off-site construction has provided us with a fast-track site solution, safer working conditions and a considerable reduction in waste sent to landfill."

"The logistics of the project, particularly for the two module delivery phases, required careful planning between the Trust, Kier and Yorkon, and I am pleased to report, it went very well. We are very pleased with the finished building."


David Johnson, Director and General Manager, Yorkon:

"This is one of the most challenging healthcare projects we have undertaken to date. The shape of the site demanded a very complex modular layout, this is a highly constrained site, and there was only a short window for construction."


The Project Team

Client: Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust
Project managers: Dudley Smith
ProCure21 contractor: Kier Eastern
Off-site specialist: Yorkon
Concept architects: Tangram Architects
Cost consultants: Davis Langdon
M&E consultants: WSP Integrated Services

Key Facts

• 148 steel-framed modules - up to 14m long by 3.3m wide, and up to 12 tonnes in weight
• Module cranage in two phases totalling 14 days
• 5,600sqm in size

Facilities

• High dependency unit
• 64 in-patient beds
• Consultation and treatment rooms
• Nurses' bases
• Two isolation beds
• Administrative offices
• School room
• Children's dining room
• Utility rooms
• Stores, toilets and ancillary rooms.