Project progress: July 2024
On site, we are continuing to make progress and swiftly moving toward Brymor’s completion of the building next month. At this stage there is a lot going on and it’s a feat of coordination as lots of smaller jobs are being worked on, with each one bringing us a step closer to the finish line.
Tradespeople have been working to install more of the visual elements of the wards, including light switches and face panels, while the decorators have completed the rooms on second floor and moving down to make further progress on the rooms on the first floor.
Ceiling grids are being installed ready for the ceiling tiles that will cover all the pipework and wiring in the final stages of the project. Workers are also installing the bathroom items and integrated plumbing systems (IPS), which will conceal the pipework and toilet cisterns within a small void between the toilets and wash basins.
We’ve been finalising work to install the medical gas pipelines and complete the ductwork and building energy management system (BEMS), which is an integrated, computerised system for monitoring and controlling services such as heating, ventilation and lighting.
As we move through these different project areas, we aim to be dust free in the site by August 5, which means all major drilling and cuttings works must be complete by then to allow the atmosphere to settle and to ensure the last elements to install and finish are not affected by dust and particles in the air.
The building will be accessible through the main Western Hospital, and we’ve been working on the connection between the two buildings, that will be a walkway just before where the existing Snowdon ward is located. Part of this work includes connection to the hospital’s existing plant room and generator room, and as part of this remodel for the walkway we are relocating the Snowdon ward’s kitchen. The new kitchen is currently going through the first fix, which are the early elements of plastering and installing the necessary cables and pipes for power and water supply.
Outside, ground workers are continuing to landscape the external areas around the building and in the courtyard we have installed the ‘living’ walls on the panels between windows to create a fresh feel that will be complemented by planters in the area when the building is open.
The new centre will open in mid-October and detailed planning has been undertaken to make sure that patients, equipment and patients are safely moved with minimum disruption. To do this, we will manage a gradual reduction of patient admissions to the existing wards from September, so that we move a maximum of 19 patients to the new wards and can do so in a single day.
We continue to welcome visiting staff for site tours on Friday afternoons, which can be booked through Sam Vincent sam.vincent@solent.nhs.uk. They start at 12.45pm where we join a short safety briefing with Brymor colleagues before taking a full tour of the rehabilitation building, and all PPE is provided. To see what you can expect on a tour, you can watch our video here.