Space to enhance patient care

Overview

The Brief

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a regular, long-standing client for I&G, and approached I&G for the Trust’s latest project knowing that the project team had vast experience within this sector. The relationship that has been built over time also meant that the client new if they needed a crucial project delivered within a tight timeframe, I&G are the ones to call.

The brief was to create more capacity for patients, as well as a larger, more efficient staff base all within the same space on L25. The purpose of the scheme was to construct a separate ward and bed base with its own staff base, dirty utility and en-suite rooms.

The Solution

The scheme had to be split into two phases to minimise disruption to patient care as much as possible. The space chosen for reconfiguration combined two existing, separate bed-bases, with an interlocking staff office base in the middle to allow easy access and more efficient working between the two areas.

Phase one ran over three weeks and consisted of installing new and creating an additional storage room. Phase two of the works was the reconfiguration of the existing rooms and the open area to create a new staff base, dirty utility room, and shower room, plus the redecoration of the existing bed base.

Works to this phase also included new electrical fittings, installation of new floors and suspended ceiling to existing bed base. The purpose of the scheme was to create a separate ward / bed base with its own staff base, dirty utility and en-suite rooms.

The Challenges

• Working within a live clinical environment,
• Ensuring live working areas were sealed so no dust and other residue could escape into live patient areas,
• Infection control,
• Keeping disruption to patient care and recovery to a minimum,
• Tight timescales,
• Difficulties with access and egress – having to walk through hospital corridors to access the site, as well as disallowing public access to one of the lifts so that it could be used for the site team to access the site floor,
• Other logistical challenges that come within a sensitive area,
• Delays to works if too noisy – was required to stop noisy works at different times in the day depending on patients / staff needs and requirements.

The Results

The purpose-built enhanced care Higher Observation Area in Neuroscience offers an intermediate level of care between a general ward and High Dependency Unit.

The HOBS has created additional capacity on Adult Critical Care and patients will now benefit by being provided with the right care, by the right people, at the right time.