HEADLINES
ONE OF THE UK’S BUSIEST MATERNITY WARDS
WORKED CONSIDERATELY AND FLEXIBLY IN A LIVE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT
CREATED SYSTEMS TO ENSURE CONTINUOUS CONTINGENCY POWER
EXTENSIVE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION WITH HOSPITAL AND CONTRACTOR
DELIVERED A CLASS-LEADING NEWBORN UNIT
| Project Title | Women’s and Newborn Unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary |
| Services | Mechanical, Electrical & Public Health Design and Build |
| Value | £2 million |
| Client | Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
| Contractor | Tilbury Douglas |
| Duration | 22 months |
OVERVIEW
The newbuild, re-purposing and refurbishment of the Women’s and Newborn Unit saw G&H deliver an intensive mechanical, electrical and public health (MEP) scheme at one of the country’s busiest maternity wards.
CHALLENGE
A two-storey 326 sqm extension was built at Bradford Royal Infirmary featuring two new maternity operating theatres and a rooftop plantroom.
SOLUTION
The project for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was delivered in partnership with the main contractor Tilbury Douglas.
Initially, a two-storey 326 sqm extension was built at Bradford Royal Infirmary featuring two new maternity operating theatres and a rooftop plantroom.
The new unit replaced existing operating theatres and improved the overall obstetric and labour ward facilities.
G&H carried out the full design and build for the project, which required intensive planning and coordination to ensure power remained live and secure at all times given the importance of the fully functioning hospital.
Heating, ventilation, lighting – which included medical pendant lighting – isolated power supply, uninterrupted power supply, data, a nurse call system, access controls and a fire alarm were installed.
Other services included two air handling units and a medical gas compound that were integrated into the hospital’s existing systems.
Generators were used for contingency while power was turned off, connected to the main infrastructure, and then turned back on.
Phase two of the scheme saw two existing maternity theatres overhauled and transformed into high dependency units.
This consisted of a complete removal of existing mechanical, electrical and medical supplies from the redundant theatres before turning them into extra medical care suites with ensuite bedrooms.
Building services included the design and installation of new lighting, essential and non-essential power, fire alarms and a nurse call that linked to the system installed in phase one.
Mechanically, we refurbished the existing AHUs and medical piped gasses served from newly installed AVSUs, replacing the pre-dated system.
The work required us to work in extremely tight conditions due to the rooms backing onto a live corridor between the maternity ward and the new born unit.
We operated considerately throughout and with great flexibility given the hospital’s need to deliver pre-arranged and emergency medical procedures.
RESULTS
The project was delivered on programme, transforming the Women’s and Newborn Unit, equipping it with the best modern day facilities to help improve safety and the experience when giving birth in the hospital.
