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KCL Gene Therapy Vector Facility completed
A highly advanced new Gene Therapy Vector Facility (GTVF) has been completed at King’s College London’s specialist medical research facility, The Rayne Institute, which will support the development of new genetic treatments. Delivered within a live environment, the
expanded £5.8 m facility will now operate as one of the largest suppliers of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) grade viral vectors, supporting clinical trials across Europe. Its new micro laboratory will be used for routine environmental monitoring activities and assessment of incoming microbiological media. Meanwhile, two laboratories on the Rayne Institute’s second floor were fully stripped and fitted out to create two Grade C cleanrooms, to support suites manufacturing viral vectors. Multidisciplinary property, infrastructure,
and construction consultancy, Pick Everard, has managed and designed the project, providing mechanical, building, electrical, structural engineering, and project management services. Director, John Clarke, said: “This was a highly technical operation given the project’s nature and eventual end use. It presented a range of unique challenges for our
Clean air unit ‘revolutionising surgical capacity’
design teams, carefully navigated through effective stakeholder engagement, and ensuring close compliance with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and GMP regulations.” The new facility is targeting a BREEAM ‘Very Good’. Simon Howell, Professor at King’s
College London, said: “This new facility will help ensure that King’s College London and the UK maintain a Europe- leading position in the production of GMP-grade viral vectors for cell and gene therapy. Excellence in this important field of biomedicine will, in the long term, deliver both health and economic benefits for the UK and beyond.”
Start for new Outpatient Department construction at West Cornwall Hospital
The first turf has been cut by Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust’s Chief Executive, Steve Williamson, as a £9 m project to build a new Outpatient Department at West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance gets underway. The ground-breaking
marked the start of a 14-month construction programme that will see a modern outpatient unit completed in March 2025 and open to patients the following month. The Trust says the investment reflects the key role West Cornwall Hospital plays in acute hospital care in Cornwall, and Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ commitment to delivering more care close to home. The Trust said: “The new building will provide modern, technically advanced facilities, and will also be the first major project on an RCHT site to have solar panels incorporated into the design.”
24 Health Estate Journal April 2024 Steve Williamson
(pictured left, with the hospital’s General manager, Paul Sylvester, cutting the turf), said: “This ground-breaking ceremony marks the culmination of several years’ partnership working across the NHS, with our stakeholders, and the local community, including the support of the West Cornwall Hospital League of Friends. The new building will give our teams an
environment which will match the outstanding care they provide.” Chris Couch, Area manager at Kier, added: “We’re delighted, once again, to be working with RCHT on this major capital project at West Cornwall Hospital, so soon after the completion of The Mermaid Centre and the Tremenel Unit at Truro’s Royal Cornwall Hospital.”
The Centre of Excellence for Eyes (CEE) at the NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter recently celebrated achieving over 1,700 successful cataract operations. Playing a key role has been the SurgiCube – a clean air, ‘location- independent’ unit that supplies ‘an ongoing, effective laminar flow across the operating surface and the instrument table’, distributed exclusively across the UK by independent ophthalmic provider, Spectrum. The company said: “SurgiCube has been pivotal in revolutionising surgical capacities across specialties including ENT, orthopaedics, maxillofacial, plastics, and cardiology, while offering increased surgical capacity and efficiency. “Since its inception in 2022, the CEE has provided high-quality cataract surgeries, significantly reducing local waiting times, and ensuring superior patient outcomes. SurgiCube’s innovative design and versatility have enabled the facility to expand its services swiftly, setting up new surgical units for minor surgeries within 48 hours. This agility enhances operational efficiency, and ensures uninterrupted revenue streams. Moreover, SurgiCube’s sterile, controlled environment enhances patient safety by proving ultraclean airflow.” Polly Budden, Divisional Business manager – Nightingale Hospital Exeter, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The SurgiCube presented us with an opportunity to undertake cataract procedures in an environment in which we were not able to build or install a modular theatre. Since opening our unit in September 2022, we have treated over 1,700 patients. Our staff enjoy working in the unit, and there have been no clinical or equipment issues. We have recently begun a trial to treat bilateral cataracts, which works well under the SurgiCube. It allows us to maintain flow through our department, and our utilisation levels are comparable to working out of traditional theatre environments.”
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