Modern Methods of Construction are being employed by MTX to achieve faster and more-efficient completion of a new general surgery operating theatre at Yeovil District Hospital.

The external shell of the building was installed at the end of September in a prepared site on a carpark at the hospital, with fitting out of furniture, fittings, and equipment and all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing elements of the project now underway.

The single-storey unit includes a theatre suite with recovery rooms, reception and waiting areas, office space, and a dedicated staff facility. 

And a plant equipment enclosure located on top will contain air handling units and electrical supply panels to serve the self-contained 420sq m building.

Rapid completion

MTX is working on the project with Simply Serve, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yeovil Hospital, which provides a broad range of services to the hospital and other organisations, including management of capital projects.

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are increasingly chosen by NHS trusts to provide additional facilities in shorter time scales, with the proven advantages of more-rapid completion, cost savings, and a greener build with less waste and a reduced carbon footprint.

Chief operating officer at Yeovil Hospital and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Matthew Bryant, said: “The theatre currently being built on the site at Yeovil Hospital using Modern Methods of Construction will be fundamental in reducing the wait time for patients needing procedures in five specialties – breast, general surgery, dermatology, ENT and trauma, and orthopaedics – and who can go home the same day.

“The pace at which MMC builds go up enables us to make significant strides in increasing the hospital’s footprint to meet the ever-growing needs of the communities we care for.”

Cost effective

MTX managing director, David Hartley, adds: “Proven expertise in employing MMC enables us to quickly deliver high-quality new hospital facilities cost effectively.

“The operating theatres and other facilities we create for NHS trusts are specifically engineered for medical use, with ventilation systems designed to optimise clean air flow and meet clinical needs.

“In the case of Yeovil District Hospital, supporting plant and electrical equipment are self contained within the build.” 

Delivery of the external building shell and the crane lift onto the foundations previously prepared by MTX was timed to minimise impacting other vehicle movements on the site, including ambulances.