Healthy start to 2013

Stewart Milne Timber Systems, the UK’s leading provider of timber system building solutions, has started work on the site of Ryhope Hospital, a state of the art mental health facility in Sunderland.

The 122 bed hospital has been designed for Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust by healthcare specialists, Medical Architecture. It is being built by contractor Laing O’Rourke under the Trust’s Procure21 Partnership. The high specification timber build system was chosen for the £40m project thanks to its build speed and the high quality delivered through offsite manufacture.

During the 30 weeks on site, Stewart Milne Timber Systems will supply and erect pre-insulated closed-panel external walls with factory fitted windows. Pre-insulated roof cassettes will be delivered to site and pre-tiled on jigs prior to build. The scaffoldless build of the timber frame will be completed using Mantis Cranes and mobile elevating work platforms, which will minimise health and safety risk and reduce costs.

Ryhope will include six, 18 bed wards for urgent care assessment and treatment, elderly patients, and rehabilitation services; and a 14 bed psychiatric intensive care unit.  An existing 15 bed unit on the site will also be retained.  A new central facilities hub and dedicated facilities management building will accommodate estates, facilities and information technology services.

Alex Goodfellow, group managing director, Timber Systems, said: “It is incredibly important that healthcare projects are delivered on time, as delays can have major implications for patients and medical provision in the community. Due to the level of offsite construction employed with timber frame, build time is dramatically reduced compared to other materials. Quality is also improved through factory controlled manufacture and waste is decreased, which in turn saves money.”

The hospital forms part of a wider scheme known as PrIDE (Providing Improved Mental Health and Learning Disability Environments) for Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust.

The design concept is inspired by the name of the site, Ryhope, which describes a riven valley cutting sharply through the landscape to the sea. The layout aims to foster a site-wide sense of community and relaxation, with inpatient wards offering long views to the coast and surrounding landscape.