The new 16-person, 448 sq m, ward will be used initially as a decant ward as part of North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust鈥檚 ongoing refurbishment programme, before becoming a permanent part of the hospital.
The project presented a complex set of logistical and construction challenges. Existing mains drains beneath the adjacent road and service tunnels created no-build zones, requiring a stepped configuration to work around the infrastructure. The facility鈥檚 location also meant all construction activity had to be carefully coordinated around the hospital鈥檚 ongoing operations.鈥�
In particular, emergency vehicle access had to be maintained throughout the installation, with module deliveries, lifting operations and traffic movements planned around the ambulance route. This required extremely close coordination between the Premier Modular project team and the Trust鈥檚 estates team.
To meet the required timescale and minimise on-site activity, Premier Modular used offsite construction to run elements of the programme concurrently. An advance work order allowed design and factory manufacture to begin alongside groundworks, which accelerated delivery and reduced on-site activity.鈥�
The completed ward provides one four-bed ward and two five-bed wards, alongside reception, nurses鈥� and doctors鈥� offices, infection control, cleaning and laundry facilities. Medical gas and other essential clinical services are incorporated into the building, while a 2.4m ceiling height provides space for services within the ceiling zone. A link corridor beneath the existing hospital canopy provides a connection between the side of the new ward and the main hospital building.
Richard Keeting, project manager, said: 鈥淒elivering a project of this complexity required close coordination from the outset. Design, groundworks, manufacture, logistics and installation all had to be carefully sequenced, with key decisions made well in advance to maintain momentum across the programme.
鈥淥ffsite manufacture was central to that approach. It allowed production to run in parallel with the groundworks rather than waiting for the site to be ready. By reducing the amount of construction activity required on site, we were able to deliver the additional capacity the Trust needed while allowing the hospital to continue serving its community.鈥�
.gif)
