Critical Care Unit, Torbay Hospital – New Build

Torquay, Devon

Project Details

Client
South Devon Healthcare
NHS Foundation Trust

Project Manager
South Devon Healthcare
NHS Foundation Trust

Architect
Avanti

Contractor
Interserve

Value
£9.1m

Contract Period
90 weeks

Procurement Type
Design & Construct

Form of Contract
NEC (Option A)
with activity schedules

Size
2625m2

Local SME’s employed
60% within 30 miles
20% within 60 miles
20% over 60 miles

Project Brief

This major investment project for the hospital delivered a 14-bed Critical Care Unit that has all the associated technology and equipment required to provide a modern, patient focused environment. A dedicated facility for relatives recognises the emotional effect on families and friends that can occur when loved ones are in hospital. This is transforming the delivery of care for patients, visitors and staff.

A warm and inviting new main entrance was built with pleasant waiting and café areas, a shop and additional public amenities. A new health and wellbeing zone offers the opportunity for advice, support and carer liaison services.

The project was delivered on a very busy hospital site and adjacent to the Accident and Emergency department. The building has been designed and constructed with the future capability of extending upwards to provide an additional two ward floors.

“Teamwork has been the essence of our project, we’ve worked together on creative problem solving, value engineering, involving the clinicians, the clinicians have all had the phone numbers of the Interserve team so have been able to ring them any time. The organisation could not be more pleased with the outcome, we’ve got a fantastic building, high quality, a fantastic outcome for the patients and it was delivered on time and within budget.”

Community Engagement

Key Challenges

We relocated the main entrance of the hospital to Level 2 (instead of Level 4) temporarily whilst the works were carried out, this included redirection of traffic whilst ensuring the ambulance route remained free at all times.

All works were carried out in strict coordination with the Trust’s Estates department, and included consultation with stakeholders to implement logistics planning and out-of-hours working. Liaison with ward matrons to agree mitigation measures, i.e. infection prevention procedures, took place prior to works being undertaken. The welfare and absolute minimisation of disturbance to patients, visitors and hospital staff was of paramount importance throughout the contract programme.

Project Takeaways

Our Success

  • Open and honest collaborative team approach played a large part in the success of this project.
  • The access road passing the compound and to the main work site is an emergency blue route and therefore could not be obstructed at any time. The hospital complex is exceedingly busy and access roads are very narrow. Both of these points were always highlighted in orders placed with subcontractors, again repeated via phone calls to the subcontractors and through site inductions. A traffic management plan was circulated to suppliers, timed deliveries were put in place, non-critical materials were delivered to compound, a lay by for lorry waiting was put in place, we had banksman supervision and there was no parking on the road with contractor parking in the compound only.

Our Learnings

  • A more robust solution in terms of floor screeds could have improved the building.

Value Added

  • The Framework processes put in place enabled a quality on time delivery.
  • £9.1 million facility

KPI’s & Statistics

ContractGateway 3 Contract FormationGateway 4 Final AccountVariation
Cost£8,813,488£9,912,651 £1m – change in glazed screens with integral blinds
Time3/2/1724/2/173 weeks due to a large void being found during enabling works.

Average CCS Score: 41
Cost per sqm: £3445

Contact:
Email: