Yorkon News Archives

09/04/2003 – Yorkon awarded third contract at Salisbury District Hospital

Off-construction specialist and Portakabin subsidiary, Yorkon, has been awarded its third project – and a second extension to an existing modular building – at Salisbury District Hospital.

Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust now has a clinical need for an additional theatre suite for ophthalmics, which will occupy the first floor of a new two-storey extension adjacent to its existing day surgery unit. The facility will also provide further office accommodation located on the ground floor.

In 1993, Yorkon built a new day surgery unit in an enclosed area between several other buildings. Six years later, Yorkon doubled the size of this unit by craning in a second storey over a weekend.

Because the latest extension will be constructed using modules manufactured off-site in York, the theatres and wards in the existing building will remain fully operational throughout, ensuring continuity of care. The scheme will also be completed significantly faster than traditional site-based building methods would allow.

David Dedman, Construction Project Officer at Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust commented, “We have found off-site construction to be extremely versatile. We have benefited from a modern, attractive building on a constrained hospital site, which has proved to be very easy to expand as service needs change. The unit can be extended both vertically and horizontally without the need for decanting, and so importantly, there is little disturbance to service provision.”

Owen Sharp, Directorate Manager for Ambulatory Care, said, “Lack of disruption is essential, allowing us to minimise the impact of construction on the delivery of patient care. The Trust already treats the majority of elective patients in the day surgery unit. This is good because day surgery is more convenient and flexible for patients. This new project will enable us to improve on these rates further by increasing capacity.”

Editor's Notes

Yorkon's award-winning modular building system is an efficient alternative to traditional site-based construction, which saves time, guarantees quality and minimises disruption to existing operations.
Modular building involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a factory environment, using production line technology, whilst the foundation works are completed on site. The modules are delivered to site by road where they are craned into position in just a few days.