The Operating Theatre Journal - Flipbook - Page 12
Fast track build of operating theatre at Yeovil District
Hospital achieved using modern methods of construction
Modern Methods of Construction have enabled MTX to achieve faster
and more efficient completion of a new general surgery operating
theatre at Yeovil District Hospital.
The single storey unit includes the theatre suite with recovery rooms,
reception and waiting areas, office space and a dedicated staff facility.
Offsite fabricated steel sections of the external shell were craned into
position on the prepared site of a former car park at the hospital before
concrete screed floors and premanufactured walls were installed.
Once the single storey structure was complete, the MTX team began
installation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing elements, and
fitting out including furniture and specialised equipment.
A plant equipment enclosure located on top of the building
accommodates air handling units and electrical supply panels to serve
the self-contained 420m² building within the original footprint.
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are increasingly being chosen by
NHS Trusts because they meet Government requirements for adopting
offsite construction techniques. They provide additional facilities more
quickly with time on site reduced by up to 50%, reduced costs and a
greener build with offsite construction reducing waste by up to 60%.
The new theatre will principally help reduce waiting times for patients
needing day-surgery procedures; – breast surgery, dermatology, plastic
surgery and other general surgery.
Caroline Osborne, a consultant breast surgeon at Somerset NHS
Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil District Hospital, said: “We’re so
pleased to have opened our new day theatre, which means our team of
surgeons can perform many more operations at Yeovil. With the day
theatre located away from the main hospital building, it has freed up
space in our main hospital theatres for the more complex procedures,
helping us to reduce the waiting times for patients across Somerset
who need operations.
“There has been a real change in the way we perform many operations
in Somerset with some specialties able to offer day surgery, where
patients can be assessed, treated and go home on the same day as their
surgery, rather than staying overnight in hospital. We’ve had great
feedback from patients on this approach.”
MTX worked on the project with Simply Serve Ltd, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which provides a broad
range of services to the hospital and other organisations, including
management of capital projects.
MTX Managing Director David Hartley explains: “Proven expertise in
employing MMC enables us to quickly deliver high quality new hospital
facilities cost effectively. The operating theatres and other facilities
we create for NHS Trusts are specifically engineered for medical use
with ventilation systems designed to optimise clean air flow and meet
clinical needs. Offsite construction takes place while the site is being
prepared, enabling the two activities to be carried our concurrently.”
MTX has extensive experience of working in busy locations within
hospital sites, and its staff are skilled in optimising progress while
minimising impact on existing clinical services and patients.
Above: Photos of the new unit at Yeovil Hospital
Are You Linkedin ?
The former car park at Yeovil District Hospital includes an access route
used by ambulances, so specific measures were put in place to manage
site movements. For example, the crane lift onto the foundations was
timed to minimise impacting other vehicle movements on the site,
including ambulances.
Join our Group
The Operating Theatre Journal
12
in
TM
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust runs both acute hospitals in Somerset
– Yeovil District Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, along
with a quarter of Somerset’s GP practices, services from 13 community
hospitals, community-based services and mental health and learning
disability services.
www.mtxcontracts.co.uk
THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL
When responding to articles please quote ‘OTJ’
www.otjonline.com