A project to create a Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit at James Paget Hospital in Gorleston within just 16 weeks has successfully been completed by Morgan Sindall Construction.
The new unit provides emergency medical care and treatment to patients without the need for hospital admission, allowing them to be assessed, diagnosed, and treated on the same day they arrive.
The tier one contractor was appointed by James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (JPUH) and the development was procured via the Pagabo construction framework.
The project saw the hospital’s existing fractures clinic transformed into an SDEC unit, with the creation of a new reception area, clinical area, 12 chair bays and eight bed bays, a drug preparation room, and three nurse stations within the existing hospital building. The hospital’s fractures clinic was relocated to a new base on the hospital site.
The SDEC unit had a number of new patient care facilities installed including a nurse call system, the infrastructure for a medical gas distribution system, and a digital lighting and ventilation system called Mymesh. This allows lighting to be dimmed in individual bays to aid patient care.
Due to the location of the new unit, which was in the centre of an active hospital and underneath a high intensity unit, it was vital that the building work didn’t disrupt staff, patients or their families. Clinical hoarding was installed to segregate the area and a dedicated route kept open to allow for movement between the hospital’s A&E and surgical theatres.
Morgan Sindall’s team had to constantly keep noise to a minimum, with a noise monitor used to ensure that acoustic levels never exceeded a set limit. A communication process was also implemented to provide clinicians on the wards above with a direct link to the construction team and could ask them to pause work to accommodate sensitive clinical situations or end-of-life care.
As work had to stop for variable durations of time on an intermittent basis, as dictated by clinical needs, the project had to be delivered under an enhanced acceleration programme. Staff worked in shifts on a 24/7 basis to ensure the new unit would be delivered in time for JPUH’s deadline.
In line with Morgan Sindall’s sustainable approach, a waste champion was appointed to ensure that any recyclable waste materials didn’t go to landfill. The project was also delivered in line with Morgan Sindall’s ‘10 Tonne Carbon Challenge’, an initiative which encourages the implementation of carbon-saving solutions wherever possible.
The Morgan Sindall team alongside subcontractor LDD was keen to maximise the impact of the project on the community. This included transforming the hospital’s Sandra Chapman Centre garden, which supports patients with malignant and non-malignant conditions, including blood disorders and cancers.
The project team refurbished the garden’s seating area, replaced the paving slabs and the pergola, repaired some damaged guttering, and put in new plants whilst ensuring that any plants and items donated in memory of patients weren’t disturbed.
Morgan Sindall also helped bring festive cheer to the maternity and children’s ward. A Christmas tree was donated and project manager Danny Branson handed out gifts to the wards’ younger patients whilst dressed as Father Christmas.
Long-term social value was generated during the project by supporting the personal development of two apprentices who worked on the site and providing valuable work experience for students from a nearby school.
Alister Broadberry, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Eastern Counties, said: “Delivering a project of this complexity within an active hospital environment requires more than just technical skill. It demands a significant amount of sector expertise and an incredibly close collaboration with the client.
“By working with the clinical teams, we were able to maintain an accelerated 24/7 pace while remaining completely adaptable to the immediate clinical needs of the hospital. Thanks to this approach, James Paget Hospital’s new Same Day Emergency Care unit was ready on time and to the high standard the clinical teams expect.
“I’m also proud that we simultaneously capitalised on every opportunity we could to support the local community and the patients we are building for."
Charlotte Dillaway, James Paget Chief Operating Officer, said: “The aim of our new SDEC unit is to give our patients quicker access to the care they need, while reducing pressure in our Emergency Department and ensuring that beds on our wards are available for those that need them.
“The project was completed on time and at pace to ensure it would be operational by the winter, with the new unit created in space vacated by our orthopaedic outpatient services department, which is now based in new modern accommodation on the hospital site.”
