During the height of the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown, Darwin Group has continued delivery of new modular respiratory wards at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.
The two-storey build provides an additional 54 beds split across two floors, providing two distinct additional areas for critical respiratory care.
Using Darwin Group’s modern methods of construction and complete in-house service, the modular build was designed, manufactured, and built in less than 12 weeks.
Part of the construction was built offsite at the company’s factory facility in Shrewsbury. The team then progressed the build on site within a live hospital environment.
Social distancing measures and this offsite approach enabled work to continue despite the restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to a high-quality structure, the new ward also features an air handling unit built specifically for highly infectious diseases, which supplies in excess of 10 air changes an hour to protect patients and staff.
Stew Watson, head of estates development at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: “The new wards have been constructed to very high quality standards having also taken account of emerging COVID-19 design guidance mid development.
“This was an ambitious project, within demanding time frames together with a challenging site location during the height of the pandemic, but we do not feel that the fast-track programme we set has in any way been compromised.”
Charles Pierce, managing director at the Darwin Group, added: “This is our second of three permanent hospital wards we are delivering this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Each site has its individual needs and it’s thanks to the team’s expertise and consideration of their environment that we are able to deliver sites in such tight deadlines.
“It was our pleasure to be able to play our part in supporting the national healthcare sector’s response to the pandemic and we hope that the new ward provides them with the extra space they need to continue doing a remarkable service.”
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