Case study
contractor renowned for its Modern Methods of Construction expertise. MTX not only provided the finance, but also designed the new REI from a Trust brief, and undertook all the structural and M&E-related works ‘in house’. MTX’s FLEX five-year managed services solution was a key element in progressing the project – ‘providing the flexible financial arrangements that enabled it to proceed’. Paul explained: “FLEX gives hospitals the
ability to look at a finance agreement as a way of getting projects off the ground without necessarily securing the full funding from the government – in this case from the Elective Recovery Fund – at the outset.” As part of the package, MTX provides a full 10-year managed FM service agreement. Gill commented: “The designs were developed with the staff, and – post-COVID – clinical pathways have certainly changed. Now, a lot of Ophthalmology pathways are moving towards ‘virtual pathways’; these require additional imaging equipment, but are better for patients. We’re now seeing best practice, improving our capacity, and getting a diagnosis quicker. “This building is fantastic – both for our local community, and patients in Cornwall. With three purpose-designed theatres, cataract patients have their own inpatient area, and can be seen, have surgery, and be discharged, within about 45 minutes. “Previously, in the main hospital, we could
complete six cataract operations in the morning and six in the afternoon, but the new facility can increase that to 10 per morning / afternoon session. Two of the three new theatres are Ophthalmology-specific but have multi-use capacity. Everything has been designed with the patient pathway in mind.”
State-of-the-art theatres The three operating theatres are equipped with Merivaara Q-Flow LED surgical lights and CP9 touchscreen control panels from Bender UK, which has also supplied resilient medical IT power for the theatres and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) battery back-up Group 2 power systems. Bender’s glass CP9 touchscreen
All the internal spaces were designed to be light and airy.
theatre control panels deliver control and monitoring of the operating room equipment through a central location. They also provide the alarm status of ventilation, surgical, and room lighting, and monitor medical IT power provision and uninterruptible power installations for the facilities.
Gill added: “Our emergency Ophthalmology
pathway remains on the Derriford site. Most Ophthalmology procedures are day case, which is why the new REI is set up as it is. One theatre here is dedicated solely to cataract procedures.” Operations performed in the other two include vitreo retinal surgery, ocular plastic surgery, and glaucoma surgery. “Having three theatres set up with anaesthetic rooms gives us considerable additional flexibility, while the first floor houses the new Macular Treatment Centre. The theatre equipment is state-of-the-art; our existing Zeiss microscopes are fitted to the roof of two theatres. We also have a standing microscope for the third. Because Ophthalmology is such a specialist field, a lot of other equipment came across,” Gill commented. “The CQC application process for the new
facility was a priority, and we worked closely with the Commission to ensure that all the necessary recommissioning of each piece of equipment and CQC sign-off happened promptly.
This building is fantastic – both for our local community, and patients in Cornwall. With three purpose-designed theatres, cataract patients have their own inpatient area, and can be seen, have surgery, and be discharged, within about 45 minutes. Gill Nicholson
MTX assigned us an area within Urgent Care so we could take receipt of and start the commissioning process while the building was still being completed. We were very much working as a team.”
Outpatient and urgent care facilities
Gill explained that in addition to the three new theatres and associated anaesthetic rooms and recovery areas, the ground floor houses a new ‘walk-in’ Urgent Care Centre, open 8.00 am – 6.00pm weekdays, with additional weekend cover. On the first floor are the new Outpatient
facilities, including a Paediatric-specific area, the main adult outpatient unit, and the Macular Treatment Centre. Commonly patients with macular conditions visit every two weeks for an injection, and in the new REI they can have an imaging assessment simultaneously, making the new MTC a ‘one-stop-shop’ for them. The first floor incorporates eight imaging rooms. “Our Imaging team runs Saturday imaging-
specific lists upstairs for both our glaucoma virtual risk stratification pathway and macular treatment risk stratification pathways; both imaging-led. They are GIRFT (Getting It Right First Time)-recommended, and thus classified as best practice.” To simplify patient access, the REI building has a sizeable ‘patient only’ car park around its perimeter, the Trust having secured staff parking nearby. The second and top floors, Gill explained, incorporate a ‘very beautiful office area’. She said: “All the offices – used by consultants, administrative staff, Fellows, and ACP practitioners – are light and airy. We also have a dedicated teaching room.” “There are many thoughtful touches
incorporated into the design to simplify and speed patient flow, and improve efficiency
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