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, a 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 nursecall system, fire alarms, medical gases, bedhead 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 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 Portakabin’s commitment to zero waste to landfill and the team’s approach to safety on site.”
The new SCDU facility is a specialist unit which allows A&E patients to be assessed fully before being transferred to other parts of the hospital or discharged.
