DECONTAMINATION
needed, but we knew if we could find a more innovative solution to get the service up and running quicker, that would be a key factor in the decision making for the Trust,” said Brian Mitchell, managing director of MMM UK.
There was another temporary solution in place in High Wycombe, but this didn’t have the capacity to handle the throughput required for the Trust. This, alongside the transport costs, didn’t make it a viable long- term option for the Trust.
“Given the specific legislative and health and safety requirements through HBN 13 and HTM 01-01, we needed to put forward a proposal that could guarantee reliability and first-class specification but delivered in a quick timeframe,” Mitchell continued. “Modular units are used frequently across Europe and there are some brilliant facilities in the UK too, so we believed taking this approach with our strategy could yield the best results for the Trust. “Traditional builds mean you are looking at around 70-90 weeks for completion and that was too long. As we were replacing the existing SSD, we wanted an option that could get the facility back into service as soon as possible, to ensure it delivered value for the Trust and could support its work caring for patients. “The lead time for modular construction was attractive and although we were aware of the team at ModuleCo Healthcare, we hadn’t collaborated on any specific works before. When we saw the calibre of the builds Alan and his team had already created across the UK, we knew that we
could deliver a solution that met the Trust’s exact requirements.” Following the contract being awarded, a seven-week procurement period was then followed by a factory fit out at ModuleCo, which took 14 weeks with modular assembly.
The team also had the challenge of COVID-19 to contend with – it was important to ensure the hospital was fully accessible at a time when demand for NHS services was incredibly high. “We pride ourselves on causing as little disruption on site as possible because of our building techniques and process, but it was crucial that we stayed true to that and did not hinder the work of hospital staff in any way,” Wilson commented, adding: “We were
able to do this and carry on our work safely and securely, although we did encounter some unavoidable delays with the closure of some building merchants at the start of lockdown, which made getting hold of materials a bit more of a challenge. “We were also able to obtain a letter
from the Trust and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma MP. This clarified that our team were seen as key workers, given the importance of creating the new SSD unit, so we were allowed to continue the build. We updated our policies and procedures to ensure all workers on site adhered to the appropriate social distancing measures; there was suitable and safe local accommodation for site managers; and the amount of people working in close proximity, at any one time, was reduced.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust had outlined its vision to process around 3 million trays per year – a significant number of washes and sterilisations for any unit to manage.
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“Despite having to adapt quickly to all of this, there was very little impact on the programme, and we were able to stick pretty rigidly to our initial timetable. Collaborative working was essential and, at all times, we were liaising closely with the team at MMM Medical as well as key stakeholders at the Trust to provide updates on progress and an indication of what works were taking place on site.” “Through the work we’d undertaken in the initial phases and with our experience, we understood the key details about all the decontamination equipment procured and how it needed to be installed,” added Mitchell. “Utility and services were also needed to supply the equipment, and these have to be at a specific standard. Water pressure requirements need to be specific and carefully tested to meet the legislation, along with steam generation plants, electrical supply, gas works, air conditioning and pipework – there are lots of logistics to consider in order to meet the required levels of service and industry standards.”
OCTOBER 2020
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