A new Urology Outpatients Department at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading has been handed over by MTX Contracts Ltd.

The new unit will be used by the Urology, Surgical, and Outpatients teams and has been funded by the NHS Capital for Targeted Investment in Elective Recovery created to reduce the backlog of elective procedures.

MTX employs modern methods of construction to deliver projects faster, safer, greener and more cost effectively than conventional building methods. The use of factory-manufactured structural steel units and services modules assembled on site is part of the MMC-led process, which ensures quality assured construction and speeds delivery.  

A total of 44 precisely engineered structural steel units were craned into position to create the 1400m² facility, which was visited in May by Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Reading MPs Olivia Bailey, Yuan Yang and Matt Rodda, who toured the new facility.

The Urology Outpatients Department is designed to enhance urological care with a wide range of specialised areas, including six consulting/examination rooms, an ultrasound scanner room, and a large treatment room. The building also houses dedicated spaces for essential equipment and services such as a treatment/chemotherapy room, lithotripter room for non-invasive kidney stone treatments, and a flexible laboratory.

Supporting staff and patient flow, the layout for the new facility includes offices, a staff rest room, locker/changing room, and reception and waiting areas.

A dedicated plant room on the first floor of the new facility houses air handling units and other mechanical and electrical service elements that were manufactured offsite as modules, in line with the Government’s Design for Manufacture and Assembly protocols.

MTX has extensive experience of building new facilities on busy hospital sites, and managed construction activity to the highest safety and environmental standards, allowing the hospital’s 24/7 operations to continue without disruption.

Steve McManus, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This unit will provide modern, state-of-the-art facilities for staff and patients, and enable us to perform more surgical procedures and see patients more quickly. It is part of the on-going investment we are making into services at the Trust to ensure our local community can access high quality and safe care as quickly as possible.”   

MTX Pre-Construction Director Adam Robertson commented: “We're proud to have partnered with the Trust to deliver this project; the latest in a series of contracts we have secured to reduce NHS waiting lists and enhance patient experience.”