Emergency Department, Worcestershire Royal Hospital

The transformation of Worcestershire Royal’s Emergency Department (ED) was paramount to improving patient waiting times, capacity, service delivery and meeting modern standards.

Initial enabling works included isolating, diverting and terminating services, followed by floor remedial works and an internal strip out of the ground and first floors of the Aconbury East building. In addition, the site team has managed the diversion of external high voltage diversions and internal gas diversions to accommodate the layout of the new Emergency Department.

The main construction was delivered across two phases, with the Emergency Department (ED) expanded to create an ’emergency village’, which now hosts a wide range of diagnostic and treatment services. Phase 1 incorporated sectional works to the first floor, which was followed by the extension of the ED and fit out of the ground floor in Phase 2.

As well as expanding the ground floor, improving provision of services and providing a new dedicated entrance for ambulance transfers, the project had a specific brief to decarbonise the existing building through improvement of fabric and MEP systems, including replacement of windows and external wall insulation, which met BREEAM Very Good standards. The scheme involved overcoming structural, operational, and design challenges, including:

• Setting in the middle of live hospital estate, surrounded on all sides.
• Integration of new, critical services with existing was incredibly complex, and involved a high level of BIM clash detection to avoid programme delays.
• Coordination within a live hospital environment (during covid) was incredibly complex and ever-changing. For example, construction of a link corridor through the construction site to transport patients, waste disposal, supplies and meals to upper floors.
• Two live wards above A&E, sometimes designated as COVID/red wards meant works had to halt. Link corridor used for access to these floors.

The expansion of urgent care facilities will further contribute to the improvements being led by local health and care organisations to reduce waiting times, improve ambulance handovers and also introduce new and innovative models of care in and out of hospital.

Awards: Constructing Excellence West Midlands Awards: Regeneration & Retrofit (finalist)