CONSTRUCTION
Above: Modular operating theatre (interior).
Above right: The exterior of the modular operating theatre.
the potential impact of the unit was clear. Fundamentally, the higher the PMV, the less work is required on-site. Pre-manufactured modules were delivered to site and installed over two days, minimising inconvenience caused by noise, dust, and traffic. The new facility is now treating patients in their local area, meeting the accreditation standards for endoscopy services of the Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (JAG), and contributing towards achieving the national objectives of the NHS. The speed at which the project could be delivered as a
high PMV project meant patients were being seen for their essential procedures as soon as possible. It is no secret that hospitals today cannot contend with lengthy construction programmes. Surgical hubs, community diagnostic centres, and sterile services departments (CSSDs) are needed now, not years from now. Capacity for imaging, diagnostics, and elective procedures must be expanded immediately if national recovery ambitions are to be met. By manufacturing modules offsite while groundworks are completed onsite, high PMV projects can cut delivery programmes by up to 40 per cent compared with traditional construction. Modules arrive fully fitted, tested, and ready for installation, reducing time on site from months to weeks.
Certainty of certainty That parallel workflow delivers something that
healthcare providers tell us is their most urgent need: certainty. Certainty of programme, which allows clinical commissioning and workforce planning to take place with confidence. Certainty of cost, created through a
more controlled and predictable manufacturing process. And certainty of quality, made possible because within the factory, the construction environment is more easily controlled, facilitating consistency and tight governance. NHS estates professionals understand better than most
the sensitivity of hospital environments. Major works occurring within or close to clinical areas
carry risks that extend beyond construction logistics. They can affect infection control, air quality, accessibility, emergency planning, and the day to day experience of patients, visitors, and staff. And any large-scale hospital expansion must respect the needs of those patients, visitors, and staff. With less noise, fewer vehicle movements, better
control of dust and air quality, and a smaller area needed by contractors for equipment and materials, modular construction supports the operational resilience that healthcare estates teams work tirelessly to preserve and for a healthcare provider working to keep services running during a redevelopment. These are not small advantages – they are essential.
Quality and compliance Healthcare environments also demand exceptional levels of quality and compliance as well as exceptional precision. Air change rates must be verified. Acoustic separation must protect confidentiality and support healing environments. Structural interfaces with existing buildings must be reliable. Compliance frameworks within clinical spaces are unforgiving. Meeting these requirements on a traditional construction site can be challenging because conditions vary, resources fluctuate, and the effects of weather and sequencing can introduce inconsistency. In a factory, however, each module is built under
The legal framework for modular construction differs from traditional procurement models, especially regarding ownership and transfer of risk, which may occur while modules are still in the manufacturing facility.
54 Health Estate Journal May 2026
controlled, repeatable conditions. For example, our volumetric facilities operate to tolerances of plus or minus two millimetres, allowing interfaces between modules, foundations, and adjoining buildings to be engineered and tested with a degree of accuracy not normally seen – even in healthcare construction. The result is a level of quality control that improves compliance outcomes, reduces the need for rework, and drives down whole life cost. Put simply, in a factory setting, quality can be controlled to a degree simply not achievable on a traditional building site – ensuring seamless interfaces with foundations, existing buildings, and essential services.
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