As one of its most complex projects to date, MTX has completed the £20m, short-stay ward constructed above one of London’s busiest A&E departments
A £20 million, 32-bed short-stay ward has been constructed above London’s busiest A&E department at Northwick Park Hospital by specialists in modern construction methods MTX. MTX describes this project as one of its most complex to date.
Northwick Park Hospital, located on the outskirts of Harrow, is managed by the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. The new short-stay ward aims to enhance patient care quality and is part of an NHS England initiative to address the growing demand for general and acute beds nationwide.
Trust chief executive Pippa Nightingale explained: ‘We have one of the country’s biggest and busiest A&Es, so this is a welcome and much-needed addition to our capacity.’ The construction involved using 32 offsite-manufactured structural steel modules, assembled on a steel deck supported by the existing concrete stub columns of the original A&E department. The challenging location in the heart of the busy hospital site required the use of a 40-metre-high tower crane with an 80-meter reach, one of Europe’s heaviest. Every component, including 200 tonnes of steel and nearly 2000 construction boards, had to be lifted onto the deck. Over 150 days, the team completed more than 2000 lifts without any safety incidents. Additional site infrastructure, including high-strength concrete foundations and piling, was constructed to support the tower crane.
MTX prides itself on minimising disruption to medical services during construction. At Northwick Park, this involved maintaining safe access to the A&E department for pedestrians and ambulances throughout the build. The company built an ultrastrong crash deck above the A&E entrance to protect staff and visitors, and constructed a pedestrian bridge over a busy road to ensure continuous access to the build location.
Project lead Ian Brook highlighted the critical factors considered throughout the build, which included working above London’s busiest A&E department. He explains: ‘There were a number of critical factors that had to be considered throughout the build – working on top of London’s busiest A&E department, interacting with the public and staff, and ensuring the large number of deliveries and vehicle movements did not impact on the ambulance routes and access to the clinical areas.
The new unit, which includes 32 short-stay beds and ancillary areas, is finished to a high standard. The project involved designing and installing premanufactured mechanical modules for ventilation and environmental control, with an integrated plant facility included in the M&E specification. The new first-floor construction connects to existing hospital buildings via a 20-metre suspended corridor, with two additional 10-meter bridges linking to stairwells for staff and visitor access. MTX managing director David Hartley commented: ‘We have worked with the Trust on previous projects and are immensely proud to deliver this new facility. Our team recognises the urgent need for these new beds at Northwick Park and worked closely with the Trust to progress the build programme as swiftly and safely as possible.’
