New Outpatients Department delivered in just 9 weeks for Plymouth’s Specialist Teaching Hospital.
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust had a requirement for a new modular Outpatients Department in order to pacify their growing daily patient intake and create a more streamlined method of patient processing.
Derriford Hospital, with over 900 bed spaces, is the regional specialist teaching hospital, working with both the Plymouth University Peninsula Medical School and the University of Exeter Medical School. It also houses a regional trauma centre with over 48,000 people passing through its doors each week.
Due to the volume of patients, it was extremely important that the new facility was a standalone building, completely separate from the main hospital building to ensure the ongoing comfort and convenience of visiting day patients and to remove the risk of secondary infections.
The new facility, procured under the NHS Shared Business Services framework, was installed on the hospital’s existing car park. This was a great location as it was right at the front of the hospital with easy access to the remaining car park.
The design team produced a single-storey standalone modular facility in order to provide complete outpatients services. The 800m2 modular building houses 21 clinic rooms, a 4-bed infusion bay for Rheumatology patients, an ultrasound room, a plaster room, a phlebotomy area, ancillary accommodation and an X-Ray Department.
Time was of upmost importance to the Trust as the current Outpatients Department was being refurbished into an extension to the Accident and Emergency Unit. By adopting the latest Modern Methods of Construction and through close collaboration with the client Trust, the new modular facility was fast-tracked and completed in just 9 weeks from receipt of order; MTX’s fastest build to date.
“It has felt like a strong partnership throughout. The company has been very honest, straightforward and transparent, including on cost. The nice thing about working in partnership is that you can solve challenges together. That for me has been exceptional on this project. The clinicians that have visited the completed building over the past few days have been highly impressed and I know staff are looking forward to moving into the new accommodation.” Julie Richards, Associate Director of Estates and Planning