The new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit at Bedford Hospital has taken a leap towards completion, as the Trust recently received delivery of seven PODs that make up the structure of the building.
The PODs travelled hundreds of miles down the motorway, all the way from Northumberland, and were craned into position by a mega crane bearing around 250 tonnes.
To ensure minimal impact to the operational hospital site, 90% of the facility has been constructed off-site in Northumberland, by construction contractor Merit.
Creating the facility off-site has allowed the project to be carried out in a very fast and efficient way.
The new unit is due to be fully open in the early autumn and will allow patients to be assessed, diagnosed and treated, where appropriate, on the same day of arrival, where they would otherwise have been admitted to the hospital. This will alleviate the pressure on the Emergency Department and wards, and ultimately improve the patient journey.
Melanie Banks, Director of Redevelopment and Strategic Planning at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Trust is pleased to be delivering this new facility which will provide critical improvements in both emergency capacity and patient flow through our extremely busy Emergency Department at Bedford Hospital.
“The true extent of Merit’s off-site manufacturing is beyond what we have seen with other modular manufacturers and has dramatically reduced both the extent and duration of the impact to our operational site from the construction process. We look forward to continuing our ongoing work with Merit on what is a fast-tracked project with a limited budget.”
PODs being craned into position at Bedford Hospital