Relationship with Leeds Hospital Trust continues with a vison to further improve patient care

I&G have started work on multi-million-pound improvements to the Ophthalmology Unit at St James’s Hospital, on behalf of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The Ophthalmology service has outgrown its current space in Chancellor’s Wing and other sites, so the £5.5m project will see a reconfiguration of existing space within the Gledhow Wing of St James’ Hospital to bring multiple ophthalmology services under one roof.

Works include:

• Full strip out and refurbishment of existing office and secretary space,
• Huge reconfiguration of the area to make way for multiple eye care departments,
• Creation of new consultation rooms, staff rooms, laser surgery, treatment, and storerooms,
• Modernisation of the space to bring it more in line with the latest NHS standards,
• Improved accessibility for those partially sighted including voice activated lifts and bespoke colour schemes.

The improvements come as a response to growing patient numbers and a need to increase capacity, as well as improve staff welfare and efficiency by providing them with a more functional space to work in.

Garry Higgins has been a Site Manager for I&G for 20 years and has worked closely with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust since. He said:

“I’ve worked on multiple projects on behalf of the Trust over many years, building a strong relationship with the team, so I was delighted when the opportunity to work on another hospital improvement project for the Trust came about.

“We’re currently in the demolition phase of the eight-month programme, and so collaboration between partners is key to ensure we minimise any disruption to staff and patients as much as possible to allow the hospital to continue to operate as normal.

“Schemes of this nature are extremely challenging, but that’s what I&G thrive on – albeit complex, the whole process is extremely rewarding for all involved!”

Once existing services have been decanted from the old ophthalmology unit on Chancellors Wing, works will begin on creating a brand-new emergency unit to increase ED services and improve the patient flow throughout the busiest department within the hospital.

Shelagh Yates, Project Manager at the Trust added:

“As a business, I&G understand the requirements and complexities around working in a highly sensitive, live hospital environment and work closely with us to ensure there is minimal disruption to the day-to-day running of the hospital.

“The expansion of the ED department is dependent on getting the ophthalmology finished within a limited amount of time, and there’s no one I trust more than Garry and his site team to do this. There’s a mutual understanding of how essential these works are, so it’s a good job we’ve had years of practice working together!

“We have an enormous space to work with – equivalent to almost three wards – and so we must ensure it is utilized in the right way to create better flow across the multiple services that will soon be provided all under one roof. We’ll be consulting with the end-users throughout the project to create an accessible, user-friendly space that will make a difference to not only our patients, but staff too.”

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust have invested a great deal in improving facilities for patients across its sites over many years, and as specialists in this sector, I&G has been at the forefront in delivering many of these improvements.

Read the case studies below to find out more:

Space to enhance patient care – I&G Contractors (iandgltd.co.uk)

Helping to restore function and build confidence – I&G Contractors (iandgltd.co.uk)

Remodelled research labs help provide enhanced service to patients – I&G Contractors (iandgltd.co.uk)