Project progress: November 2023

As we move towards the end of the year, we continue to make great progress across the site and November has seen activity in a number of areas – including welcoming our first groups of staff visitors to tour the site and see developments up close.

Site tours take place every Friday afternoon, and to date we have welcomed colleagues from the rehabilitation teams working in the Western and the Royal South Hants hospitals, from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Hayden Kirk, Consultant Physiotherapist and Clinical Director Adults Southampton said: “Walking around the developing shell of the new state-of-the-art rehab centre provides a fantastic insight into the environment where patients will come to rehabilitate after what can often be life changing events. I can’t wait to welcome the first patients in August 2024.”

Developments on site

This month, we took the first delivery of roof insulation and began installing it, as well as fitting the base layers ready for the cladding panels. We have been describing the cladding as the thermal underwear of the building, because it slots together to form an outer layer that will keep heat in and inclement weather out.

Brickwork has been continuing all month. Initially, much of this work wasn’t visible as the ground and first floors took place behind the hoarding boards but it is now completed up to meet the roof, finishing a key part of the external structure.

Internal courtyard cladding, a series of grey boards, installed on the walls of the building.   A photo of a person wearing a white hard hat and a high vis vest finishing the top of a section of brickwork on the external wall.  Image of part of the floor inside the rehab unit with screed laid in the central walkway

Internally, screed has been laid on the concrete floors to prepare for the final flooring layer and room partitions have been installed with dry lining fitted to develop the layout of each floor. Tradespeople have also been putting waste pipes, the mechanical containment system and electrical systems in place, with each action completing another part of the giant jigsaw puzzle that will create a state-of-the-art rehabilitation unit ready to welcome patients later in 2024.

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