News
18/02/2008 – Building Contract Awarded for UK's Largest Acute Admissions Unit
A £25m ProCure21 contract at Watford General Hospital has been awarded to Medicinq Osborne. The project includes a new Acute Admissions Unit (AAU), which will be constructed off site by Yorkon in a £12m contract - believed to be the UK's largest modular building contract in the healthcare sector.
Medicinq Osborne will also undertake the refurbishment of wards and other accommodation, and the reconfiguration of access roads and car parking at the hospital.
Scheduled for completion this summer, the scheme for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust is believed to be the largest AAU in the country. It forms part of a £34m reorganisation and modernisation of acute services in the area. A new model of care will be employed to improve the patient experience with rapid, consultant-led diagnosis for emergency cases and treatment closer to home.
Designed by Murphy Philipps Architects, the three-storey building will provide 120 beds for emergency admissions, two cardiac catheterisation laboratories, diagnostics including x-ray, ultrasound and CT scanner, pharmacy manufacture and robotics, library and a roof-top plant room.
The building is now being manufactured off site in York. 150 steel-framed modules will be delivered to site and craned into position in the spring, complete with partitions, electrics, plumbing, sanitary ware and finishes already in place.
Graham Ramsay, Medical Director at West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust said, "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Medicinq Osborne and Yorkon on this exciting project. 2008 will see a major improvement in hospital care in West Hertfordshire and the development of the Acute Admissions Unit will play a crucial part in securing the very best hospital services for the 21st Century."
"We are particularly pleased that we chose an off-site modular method of construction for the new building as it will significantly reduce disruption to our patients, staff and the local community."
Stephen Cottrell, Operations Manager of Medicinq Osborne, said, "From the inception of this project the ethos of ProCure21 of partnership and openness has been prevalent - working alongside the Trust, hospital user groups, design consultants and specialist subcontractors to achieve a guaranteed maximum price for the project."
"We are delighted to be involved with this project - no doubt our experience of working in the hospital over the past three years on other P21 schemes has been a major factor in reaching this milestone."
David Johnson, Director and General Manager of Yorkon, said, "We are very pleased to be working with Medicinq Osborne on this project for West Herts. Off-site construction offers many advantages to contractors as well as to building end users."
"We have been able to start manufacture and fitting out of the new AAU before demolition work has been carried out on site. This parallel working is saving around six months on the programme time, allowing the hospital site to remain in use for longer and the new building to be open and treating patients much earlier, and with no compromise on quality."
The new AAU will be linked to the existing hospital, and will be finished in wedgewood blue with contrasting white render and aluminium cladding for a contemporary appearance.
Editor's Notes
1. Medicinq is a consortium formed by Osborne, Midas Projects and Simons Construction that can provide long-term sustainable benefits from innovative solutions to project requirements. These long-established and successful privately owned businesses have extensive experience of partnering in both the public and private sectors, which they seek to share and develop with the NHS through ProCure21. The organisations have a combined annual turnover in excess of £750m.
2. The advantages of off-site construction for healthcare projects include:
- programme times reduced by up to 50 percent, allowing earlier completion with a positive impact on patient care
- reduced disruption to patients, staff and the local community during construction
- fewer vehicle movements to site
- safer, quieter and cleaner
- improved quality and reduced future maintenance
- a high level of design flexibility internally and externally
- buildings can be expanded without decanting
- improved thermal efficiency for lower running costs and reduced carbon emissions
- helping to address the shortage of skilled labour affecting the construction industry
- cost control and reduced material wastage
- guaranteed delivery on time and on budget.
3. Off-site construction involves the manufacture of steel-framed modules in a controlled 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 ready for fitting out.
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