Integrated Health Projects (IHP), a joint venture between the UK-based construction companies VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, has handed over Tameside Hospital’s new Emergency Department to Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (TGICFT).
VINCI Building's Regional Managing Director, Garry Bowker, said: "We are delighted to have been involved in delivering this key project which now provides improved facilities, an enhanced patient environment, and a safer, more efficient working environment for key clinical teams.
"Our Project Team encountered many challenges throughout construction, working within a very restrictive environment besides day-to-day hospital activities, while ensuring critical ambulance drop-off areas and pedestrian routes remained fully operational throughout. Seeing the Emergency Department in operation has made our team very proud to assist the Trust in achieving this.
"We certainly believe that what has been delivered matches Tameside and Glossop ICFT’s aspiration to create a class-leading Emergency Care Department for Tameside and its growing population".
We are delighted to have been involved in delivering this key project which now provides improved facilities
The official opening of the £20m Emergency Department was marked with a ceremony in late September.
Those in attendance included Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham; Deputy Prime Minister & MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, Angela Rayner; Secretary of State for Business and Trade & MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, Jonathan Reynolds; and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Wing Cdr Dave Archibald DL RAFAC as the King’s representative.
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a time capsule was buried on-site with items representing modern-day trends chosen by pupils from Inspire Academy.
The time capsule contains original and new plans of the department, as well as popular culture items, coins, pictures of the redevelopment, and the front pages of a local and national newspaper of the day.
Our redeveloped department provides much-needed additional capacity and is more suitable environment for patients who require urgent and emergency care
The benefits of the redeveloped department include brand new waiting areas for patients, better access for blue light vehicles and upgraded facilities to meet the demands of modern-day healthcare.
Staff are also benefitting from improved working and rest facilities, allowing them to focus fully on continuing to deliver outstanding patient care.
Chief Executive at TGICFT, Karen James OBE, said: "Our redeveloped department provides much-needed additional capacity and is more suitable environment for patients who require urgent and emergency care.
"The enhanced design and reorganisation will ensure much better flow through the hospital and allows our teams to communicate much more effectively, which will positively impact our waiting times.
The benefits of the redeveloped department include brand new waiting areas for patients, better access for blue light vehicles, and upgraded facilities to meet the demands of modern-day healthcare
"This has been a true multi-agency effort and I would like to thank all of the partners involved, including our construction partners, IHP, for their tireless work.
"I pay particular tribute to staff across many of our departments who have maintained services during a period of significant disruption. Their flexibility and patience has been pivotal to the success of the project.
"We hope when the time capsule is opened many years from now, people will see just how ground-breaking this new facility is in the context of our lives in 2024."
