MODULAR BUILD
Fast-paced Portsmouth project finished in 28 weeks
Modular building provider, Wernick, has completed a new 72-bed building at Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital for Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust. Providing urgently needed treatment and recovery areas, the £8.2 m building took just 28 weeks to complete, from design to handover. Rakesh Sandhu, head of Sales at Wernick Buildings, discusses this fast-paced project, and the advantages of the modular building method to the healthcare sector.
As one of the busiest metropolitan hospitals in the South of England, Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth was in urgent need of expansion to accommodate an enlarged patient base. Proposals for the redevelopment of the hospital included the construction of a state-of-the-art £58 m Accident and Emergency Department and a new multi-storey car park. However, the most pressing need for the hospital was additional ward space, to be used primarily for supporting patients recuperating from head injuries or strokes. The new specialist unit would free up much-needed general ward space within the main hospital. Wernick worked on a building solution
for the project which maximised the amount of fit-out that would take place in the factory, dramatically reducing the amount of time needed on site, and limiting disruption to patients and staff. In just 28 weeks, the hospital received 2992 m2
of
new clinical space – 15 four-bed wards and 12 single-bed wards with en-suites spread across two floors. An architecturally- led external façade design provides an aesthetically pleasing building which blends into the surrounding area.
Need for a permanent building As to how the hospital procured the building, the Trust originally approached Wernick regarding a temporary decant facility, but after discussion with our team, the management team could see that a permanent design and build solution would better suit its needs. This coincided with an injection of funding allocated as a result of rising needs within the hospital. In addition to using directly awarded capital funding, NHS healthcare provider organisations can take advantage of the NHS SBS (Shared Businesses Services) Framework. The Framework Agreement covers the purchase, hire, or lease, of modular design solutions. Registered suppliers go through a ‘vetting process’, which checks quality, pricing, and health and safety, among other things. Such frameworks provide a fast and efficient route to procuring a new modular building, expediting procurement, whilst still fulfilling NHS Trusts’ governance procedures. Wernick Buildings is also on the ESPO, LHC, and Fusion 21 healthcare frameworks.
Early engagement’s importance Early engagement with a modular provider is key, and the Queen Alexandra Hospital project is a great example of this. Working with a modular provider from the concept design stage of the project opens up additional opportunities for the building, and the full potential of modular construction. It also helps to prevent delays and any unnecessary costs incurred at the design stage. From inception, we engaged with our chosen consultants on planning and design, and worked collaboratively with the team to fulfil its ambition for the project. Director of Estates for Portsmouth Hospitals University Trust, Mark Neal, said: “A collaborative approach was used to develop the design of the new facility at Queen Alexandra Hospital. Externally, the new building complements the existing facilities on site by utilising Wernick’s HMflex building system. The new facility means that Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust can effectively meet the increase in demand for additional bedspace for Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.”
A demonstration ward in situ at Wernick’s Port Talbot factory, which representatives from the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust were able to visit prior to delivery to site.
Part of the hybrid twin UCV theatre suite built by Wernick, and competed in 2021, at the George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton.
June 2022 Health Estate Journal 69
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