Villicare, the joint venture partnership between estates specialist, Ryhurst, and Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP), has made significant savings by implementing and managing a commercially-driven procurement process for the construction of its first capital project at the Countess of Chester Health Park.
Through managing the procurement of the £14m Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) facility, Villicare has provided CWP with significant cost and resource benefits that may not have been realised through P21+, one of the original procurement options considered for the capital scheme.
Following the competitive tender process, Villicare appointed Eric Wright Construction to build the new state-of-the-art Tier 4 CAMHS facility, which will include:
- 26 en-suite bedrooms designed to feel like a young person’s bedroom rather than a hospital ward
- A dedicated education facility including a science laboratory, art studio, and computer suite where young people will be encouraged to develop skills and interests while maintaining educational development
- A gymnasium to keep fit and build confidence
- Day spaces designed to encourage young people to interact and integrate with others
- Substantial outdoor recreational facilities including a multi-use sports pitch, wetland area, a trim trail, outdoor teaching and performance space, and horticultural therapy facilities
The robust management of the project development and procurement process by Villicare has provided the trust with the confidence to also include the provision of a four-bed Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) facility as an addition to the project scope. The introduction of this additional unit is also being commercially driven by Villicare to achieve the best-possible value for money with the appointed contractor.
The team has shown real enthusiasm to design a facility that will provide a therapeutic, healing, and nurturing environment that is affordable for the trust to both build and operate
The addition of the PICU has increased the total project value to £14.6M.
Tim Welch, CWP deputy chief executive and director of finance, said: “This project will provide a state-of-the-art child and adolescent mental health service unit. It will address the national agenda to provide increased mental healthcare and support for young people and we anticipate that it will become a best-practice facility, benefitting from the latest green technologies.
“CWP is committed to re-investing in our services to provide patients with the best-possible experience and the new unit will be an excellent facility for young people and their families across Cheshire and Wirral”.
Construction started on site in April and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2016.
Chris Tonge, Villicare general manager, said: “This is an important project for both Villicare and for the young people that will use the facility.
“The team has shown real enthusiasm to design a facility that will provide a therapeutic, healing, and nurturing environment that is affordable for the trust to both build and operate.
“Villicare has been established to assist the trust in achieving optimum benefits from capital investments such as the Tier 4 CAMHS project, and to challenge conventional design and construction practices.”