02 January 2014
Portakabin Delivers Complex Interim Health Project Two Weeks Ahead of Programme
Portakabin Hire has delivered a complex interim health building for emergency care in just six weeks - and two weeks ahead of programme - to reduce the pressure on the Accident and Emergency Department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
Reducing waiting times for treatment is one of the most urgent priorities for NHS trusts, particularly for emergency care.
The new Surgical Clinical Decisions Unit (SCDU) built by Portakabin for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust provides 24 beds in two wards and ancillary facilities including dirty and clean utilities, nurses' base, consulting rooms and two en-suite isolation rooms, to allow patients arriving at A&E to be treated more quickly. The interim building will remain in use for around five years. The principal contractor for the scheme is Lend Lease Project Management and Construction.
Other features installed by Portakabin in the new unit include a nurse call system, fire alarms, medical gases, bed-head trunking and access control. It is linked to the hospital's existing building and there is a full climate control and an air change ventilation system.
Commenting on the project delivery, Kevin Gosney, Assistant Project Manager at Lend Lease, said, "The culture of the whole Portakabin team was second to none, nothing was a problem and the project was a great success mainly due to their proactive approach and willingness to work with the other contractors on site, ourselves as principal contractor, the facilities management provider and the Trust."
"All the internal fitting out was completed by Portakabin which improved co-ordination and reduced the programme time. The modular building system used for this project was specified largely because of its superior energy efficiency, with air tightness performance that significantly exceeds Building Regulations requirements. We were also impressed with the company's commitment to zero waste to landfill and the team's approach to safety on site."
"There was a great attitude from Portakabin at every stage and a willingness to get the job done on time, within budget and defect free."
The new SCDU facility at Worcestershire Royal Hospital is a specialist unit which allows A&E patients to be assessed fully before being transferred to other parts of the hospital or discharged.
Portakabin provides ready-to-use and fully equipped buildings for interim use which can be delivered very quickly, sometimes in just days, enabling hospitals to meet waiting list and response time targets and to manage demand for bed spaces during peak periods such as the winter months, and while longer-term plans for expansion are progressed.
Portakabin can provide interim solutions for ward accommodation, recovery suites, dialysis units, diagnostic facilities, out-patient departments and treatment centres.
The buildings are constructed to the latest healthcare standards, including HTM (Health Technical Memoranda), HBN (Health Buildings Notes), SHTM (Scottish Health Technical Memoranda) and HAI-SCRIBE (Healthcare Associated Infection System for Controlling Risk in the Built Environment).
Portakabin manufactures a wide range of buildings for both interim and permanent applications and has the widest hire and visitor centre network in the UK. It can deliver bespoke projects and standardised accommodation solutions in the most challenging timescales, with less disruption and less impact on the environment.
For further information about Portakabin modular buildings for interim and permanent applications, visit www.portanews.co.uk, email information@portakabin.co.uk or call 0845 401 0010.
Editor's Notes
1. Portakabin is a registered trademark.
2. Modular construction is a fast and cost-effective way for healthcare providers to expand ward and consulting facilities, particularly on constrained hospital sites.
Complete, fully-fitted buildings can be delivered in a fraction of the time of a site-based construction solution. Critically, buildings can be installed with minimal disruption to patient care and the solution is a much safer approach as fitting out can also be carried out off site.
