A new 18-bed modular ward has been installed at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) to provide extra capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ward, which was supplied by Vanguard Healthcare Solutions and has been set up in the carpark at the hospital’s main site in Rothwell Road, is being used as a contingency measure, providing the hospital with temporary additional bed capacity for non-COVID patients.
A bed modelling exercise at the start of the pandemic suggested the hospital may need additional bed capacity to deal with the crisis effectively, and the trust decided to commission a modular ward to create another ‘green’ zone, away from COVID-19 areas, where at-risk patients could be safely cared for.
The stand-alone ward facility was completed within a period of five weeks, a very-short timescale for a project of this nature, even without the additional challenges caused by lockdown restrictions that were in place during the build.
The modules were built offsite by Young Medical, Vanguard’s specialist modular subsidiary, and were lifted into position by crane.
The remainder of the work was then completed on site to an extremely-tight schedule.
Having the additional bed capacity at our disposal at this critical time has been extremely valuable, and the fact that it’s situated away from the main hospital building has provided reassurance for at-risk patients
The finished building is 600sqm and consists of 18 beds. There are also utility rooms, storage space, and a nurses’ station.
And the internal configuration was designed with efficient patient flow in mind, maximising the use of available space and ensuring the practical, and safe, transfer of patients arriving from the main hospital building.
To ensure the ward stays COVID free, all patients are screened and tested before coming onto the unit.
The facility is expected to remain on site for an initial period of six months, allowing the hospital to retain COVID-19 capacity within the hospital in case of a second wave.
A KGH spokesman said: “The new block housing the 18-bed ward was installed as a contingency measure to support the safe management and flow of non-COVID patients as we continue to care for COVID-19 patients at the hospital.
“Since the facility became operational, both staff and patients have been pleased with the spacious, clean and bright new ward space.
“Having the additional bed capacity at our disposal at this critical time has been extremely valuable, and the fact that it’s situated away from the main hospital building has provided reassurance for at-risk patients, who may have been worried about the risks of attending hospital.”