Merit, an offsite construction specialist, has been appointed by Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to design and deliver a new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Unit on site at Bedford Hospital.
The £3.6m facility, which will utilise advanced offsite construction methods for its delivery, will be completed in July 2025.
Works to manufacture the offsite components of the build will commence in Merit’s Cramlington-based smart factory later this month.
By pioneering a new industrialised construction approach, Merit’s product-based solutions are perfectly suited to meet the growing demand for faster and more cost-effective healthcare facility delivery, while also prioritising sustainability
Merit will pioneer a new industrialised construction approach for the £3.6m facility
The new SDEC Unit will encompass consultation rooms, clinical management rooms, examination rooms, assessment areas, and other supporting services, to provide a comprehensive range of exceptional healthcare services.
To deliver this cutting-edge facility, Merit will utilise its UltraPOD (trademarked) SFS variant.
UltraPOD is Merit’s expandable full-building solution that can be customised to create various types of buildings for different purposes.
Tony Wells, CEO at Merit said: “Our focus is on delivering a state-of-the-art facility that prioritises the needs of patients and healthcare providers, ensuring they benefit from outstanding care in a modern, expertly designed environment.”
Our focus is on delivering a state-of-the-art facility that prioritises the needs of patients and healthcare providers
Melanie Banks, Director of Redevelopment and Strategic Planning at then Trust said: “The development of the new SDEC will allow us to assess, diagnose and treat a high volume of urgent patients each day and in a timely manner, alleviating the pressure on our Emergency Department.
“This will improve the patient experience and negate the requirement to be admitted into the hospital. Given the significant pressures on urgent and emergency care services up and down the country, an efficient design and speed of construction delivery has been essential.”
Top image: Same Day Emergency Care Unit at Bedford Hospital