A 32-bed short-stay ward for Northwick Park Hospital London is being created above the existing A&E department by modern methods of construction specialist MTX in one of the most complex build programmes ever undertaken by the company.
More than 50 structural steel modules manufactured offsite will be used to construct the new ward on a steel deck installed on existing concrete stub columns that were part of the original A&E department build.
The challenging location in the midst of the busy hospital site requires the use of the UK’s largest crane to lift the modules into place and MTX is currently constructing additional site infrastructure including high strength concrete foundations and piling to support the crane.
MTX has huge experience working on hospital sites and the team pride themselves on being able to deliver contracts with minimum disruption to the vital services provided by the medical staff. At Northwick Park this means maintaining safe access to the A&E Department for both pedestrians and ambulances throughout the build programme. They also prioritise the safety of their own staff and contractors which in this case entails building a pedestrian bridge over a busy road on site to enable access to the build location.
The new unit will incorporate 32 short-stay beds and ancillary areas and will be finished to the high quality build standard that has established MTX as a leading supplier of new healthcare facilities. The programme includes designing and installing mechanical modules pre-manufactured offsite to control the ventilation and the environment of the wards, with a dedicated integrated plant facility provided within the new building as part of the M&E specification.
The new first floor construction will link to the existing hospital buildings via a 20 metre-long suspended connecting corridor. It will also link to two existing stairwells to provide access for staff and visitors.
Northwick Park Hospital situated on the outskirts of Harrow in North West London is managed by the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. The new £20 million state-of-the-art short-stay ward is designed to enhance the quality of care provided to patients at Northwick Park, and is part of an NHS England initiative to meet the growing demands for general and acute beds across the country.
Using modern methods of construction (MMC) and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles enables MTX to deliver new facilities faster, safer, greener and more cost effectively than with conventional building methods.
MTX Managing Director David Hartley explains: “We have worked with the Trust on previous projects and we are immensely proud to have been awarded this contract to deliver the new facility. Our team at MTX recognises that these new beds are urgently needed at Northwick Park and we are working closely with the Trust to progress the build programme as swiftly and safely as possible. With such a major development within the busy hospital site there will inevitably be some disruption to existing access and traffic management arrangements but our close collaboration with the Trust team aims to ensure it is kept to a minimum, and mitigate any impact on patients and staff.”
