Morgan Sindall Construction has secured £19m works to deliver an extension and improvements to the emergency department at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust selected the main contractor for the scheme through the Southern Construction Framework; a collaborative delivery vehicle which Morgan Sindall has held a place on since 2006.
The SCF is run by Hampshire and Devon County councils.
Morgan Sindall Construction will work closely with the trust to ensure minimal disruption to the hospital during the build process, which will be carried out in compliance with current coronavirus restrictions.
Plans were submitted to expand the hospital’s busy A&E last year, due to significant service pressures.
The new build will help to meet with projected demand, and provide a modern healthcare facility for the east Devon population.
The new three-storey development will be located adjacent to the current building on Barrack Road. At 3,500 sqm, the building will enable the hospital to expand its clinical services with a state-of-the-art treatment environment.
As a teaching hospital, it will also provide high-quality education and training space for future generations of medical students.
Inside will be eight new resuscitation bays, which will be served by a new plant room. There will also be a specialist children’s emergency department with paediatric bays, and a separate reception area, housing a larger waiting area with natural light.
The current fracture clinic will be relocated from the main building, and an operating theatre built in its place. There will also be a renewed specialist bereavement suite complete with tranquil garden space, offering privacy and comfort for families and loved ones.
Outside, there will be five additional ambulance bays to add extra emergency capacity. There are also plans for a new road configuration to help lower the response time for emergency vehicles.
Separately to the emergency department works, the main contractor has also been selected to deliver a new four-storey building to house a new ICU plant room.
Valued at £4m, the steel-framed building will be used to hold equipment including chillers and air handling units for heating and ventilation, which are vital to keeping the ICU running safely and efficiently.
Collaborating with a skilled local supply chain
Brian Rice, area director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “We are very proud to be delivering this key project for Royal Devon and Exeter Foundations NHS Trust.
“The expansion will add vital extra emergency capacity to a hospital which so many communities in the region depend on.
“At a time when the importance of our NHS has been brought into sharp focus, everyone involved in this project feels the responsibility to deliver.
“We’re well versed with the requirements of working around a live hospital site and will be collaborating with a skilled local supply chain to ensure the work is carried out safely and efficiently.”
