North Tees Hospital
Emergency Assessment Unit
"This is a fantastic building. We are impressed with the benefits of the off-site approach, its accuracy and the speed of construction, which has a direct impact on the patient experience."
The Requirement
A purpose-designed Emergency Assessment Unit was required at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, as part of the Government's drive to reduce waiting times for emergency cases.
The initiative follows a review of acute services in the region, which would centralise emergency surgical care and expand the number of assessment beds on the Stockton site.
The unit would adopt the latest thinking in emergency care and would be staffed by specialist teams to give quicker access to treatment, more efficient streaming of patients and greater operational efficiencies for the Trust to meet its business objectives.
The Solution
The £2.8m ProCure 21 project was awarded to Yorkon by Interserve Project Services, for the off-site construction and fitting out of the 42-bed Emergency Assessment Unit.
The building comprises 42 steel-framed modules, which were manufactured in York and installed on site in just a few days - minimising disruption to patient care and reducing the programme time for the new unit.
The 1,710sqm single storey extension to the existing department was delivered in just over six months from start on site and provides a range of facilities for acute emergency care. These include:
four-bed wards- single ensuite bedrooms
- an isolation ward
- high dependency beds
- consulting rooms
- ward manager's office
- waiting areas
- quiet room
- staff changing facilities and rest room
- an interview room.
Roof lights were incorporated into the design to increase the amount of natural light in the centre of the unit, and it has been equipped with the latest technology. Wireless workstations are available for use at patients' bedsides and this is one of the first units in the country to have an electronic information board.
Comments from the Client and Project Team
Kevin Oxley, Director of Estates, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust:
"This is a fantastic building. We are impressed with the benefits of the off-site approach, its accuracy and the speed of construction, which has a direct impact on the patient experience.
The faster completion allowed us to increase capacity and introduce a new model of care at an earlier stage, and benefit from operational efficiencies. There was also less disruption to the hospital during construction because of the shorter time on site.
The installation process went very well and the building is defect-free. The unit has the feel, quality and appearance of the best traditionally-built building and is allowing the Trust to achieve the highest levels of clinical care possible in any environment."
Dr Nick Roper, Consultant, Emergency Assessment Unit:
"After much planning, it is brilliant to see the new unit up and running. We have designed in features such as isolation rooms, ensuite bathrooms, no-touch taps and bespoke window blinds. The final result is a spacious and calm working environment, which is properly equipped to look after patients with emergency medical needs."
Shaun Paramor, Project Manager, Interserve Project Services:
"Yorkon were selected for their reputation and experience in the healthcare sector - and I am pleased to report they performed very well. They delivered a quality building, constructed to Interserve's high standards. The modular approach shortens the programme time which has cost benefits and gives the client earlier beneficial use of the building. It is also a clean and efficient way of constructing a building, despite working through the winter months."
Steven Taylor, Trust Project Manager for the EAU scheme:
"The Trust's brief to the project team was to provide a modern, welcoming healthcare environment with a strong emphasis on designs that promote the high standards of cleanliness and control of infection. A key factor was also that the building would be robust enough to cope with the demands of a very busy Emergency Assessment Unit."
"I am happy to say that the project team has met the Trust's expectations. This building has certainly raised the bar in terms of quality of finish and compliance with NHS standards in a modular building."
