In July 2020, ModuleCo Healthcare, delivered a bespoke modular Sterile Services Department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Proclaimed by John Abbot, the hospital’s Director of Surgical Care as “the newest and most modern Sterile Services Department in the NHS”, the build used modular construction techniques to reduce build time and provide a more sustainable solution that would ensure the future resilience of the facility.
ModuleCo Healthcare managed the entire project from order to handover; working alongside manufacturing partner ModuleCo and a team at equipment provider MMM Medical to deliver the facility in 37 weeks – around half the delivery time of a traditional build.
The brief:
Sterile Services Departments (SSD) are a vital facility for hospitals, ensuring that the instruments used within theatres and clinics are sterile and readily available.
Alan Wilson, Managing Director at ModuleCo Healthcare says: “We’ve been creating modular facilities for NHS trusts for almost 20 years, but this was the first time we’ve been commissioned specifically to develop an SSD.
“The main objective was to find a solution to replace the hospital’s previous SSD, but this needed to be delivered as quickly as possible to minimise service disruption across the hospital.”
Given the technical intricacies of the facility, MCH worked closely with medical equipment provider, MMM Medical, and manufacturing partner ModuleCo, to provide a joint proposal for an 800m2 building that would be constructed offsite at ModuleCo’s factory in Gloucester.
MCH managed the entire delivery of the project from order to handover, including the demolition of the existing facility as well as the management of complex groundworks and asbestos removal on site.
The programme of works which also encompassed the detailed design and development of the facility, factory assembly, delivery, installation and commissioning needed to be completed with tight deadlines.
MMM Medical took the lead on the initial concept design of the new SSD facility with a strong emphasis on workflows and efficiencies across the department, with the added complication of avoiding any possibility of cross-contamination during operations. This work adhered to the standards and directives of HBN 13 and HTM 01:01 – two critical pieces of legislation relating directly to the provision of sterile services in the UK.
Working within these guidelines was particularly important to ensure the size of the new facility was carefully considered, with future resilience a crucial part of the project to deliver stability, sustainability and growth of the department for years to come.
“The initial tender for this project suggested a purpose-built facility was needed, but we knew if we could find a more innovative solution to get the service up and running quicker, that would be a key factor in the decision making for the trust”, said Brian Mitchell, Managing Director of MMM UK.
“Traditional builds can often mean you’re looking at something like 70-90 weeks for completion and that was too long. As we were replacing the existing SSD, we wanted an option that could get the facility up and running as soon as possible to ensure it delivered value for the Trust and could support its work caring for patients for years to come.
End-to-end project delivery
At the site, there were significant works that needed to take place before the new facility could be installed; including the demolition of the original SSD. These works, including groundworks, were all managed by ModuleCo Healthcare who were able to make the site facility-ready within the required timeframe.
“The demolition works required some really specialist skills but that’s something we’ve had a lot of experience in, so we were able to work through some tough challenges to keep everything on track”, said Alan.
“Not forgetting that we also had the challenge of COVID-19 to contend with – not just the problems connected to the construction elements of the project, but also the need to make sure the hospital was fully accessible at a time when demand for NHS services was incredibly high.”
Alan said, “Despite having to update our policies and procedures and adapt quickly to the challenges that Covid-19 presented, there was very little impact on the programme, and we were able to stick pretty rigidly to our initial timetable.”
ModuleCo Healthcare and MMM UK continue to provide ongoing service and maintenance work as part of a Managed Service Agreement. The SSD at Stoke Mandeville has been structured over a 15-year agreement with all the associated elements incorporated into the monthly charge. All the new equipment provided by MMM UK was also wrapped into the hire agreement.
Revisiting the facility one year later
The facility has been a huge success for the Trust. A crucial element of the new Sterile Services Department was to ensure future resilience, both for Buckingham Healthcare NHS Trusts and local Trusts too. The efficiency of the new facility has meant that Stoke Mandeville can offer contingency to neighbouring NHS Trusts as needed.
With the former facility relying on an ageing plant and using deteriorating equipment, the upgrades made possible through this project have had a positive impact all round. The additional capacity and increased efficiencies afforded by the new facility have also allowed the hospital to treat more patients. In November 2020, the Trust was able to treat 450 more patients when compared to the previous period.
Opting for a modular method
The modular Sterile Services Department at Stoke Mandeville was a highly anticipated project for many working at the Trust. The main driving factor behind choosing a modular approach was speed of assembly and delivery of the project.
A modular approach allows for regular progress updates as well as close collaboration on design considerations. Offsite construction in a controlled factory environment means that the modules are brought on-site and installed in a matter of weeks, therefore reducing disruption to the hospital
MCH’s Managing Director, Alan, said, “The requirements of this project aligned closely with what we at ModuleCo Healthcare can deliver. We were able to provide a bespoke solution for the Trust, meeting budget constraints and also encompassing the ongoing service management of the facility.”
“This project has been a real example of the capabilities of modern-day modular construction. We understand that many people can be put off by a modular approach, held back by old perceptions involving portable cabins in the schoolyard.”
“This project shows that modular builds have come a long way from these draughty, temporary buildings and really can be used as a cost and time-effective solution for NHS Trusts.”
Opting for a modular building via a Managed Service Agreement has meant the Trust could benefit from their new facility straight away, without parting with any precious capital that will be allocated to other areas of the Trust.
