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To deliver a high quality community diagnostic centre, expanding hospital facilities.
Originally built in 1924, Congleton War Memorial Hospital, in Cheshire, provides a range of local healthcare outpatient services to the residents of Congleton and surrounding areas.
The hospital has a rich history, having originally been paid for by the local community as a memorial to the 243 local people killed in the First World War and is a much-valued community asset. Now over a century old, the hospital can no longer manage demand, resulting in limited services being available and pressure mounting on existing facilities to accommodate patients.
As part of the NHS Community Diagnostics Programme, the hospital was awarded funding to build a brand new community diagnostic centre (CDC) in place of an older building that was due for demolition. The new CDC needed to provide a high quality facility for patient diagnostics, as well as link seamlessly to the existing hospital building to provide more services onsite within the same footprint.
After winning the project through a competitive tender, Premier Modular was appointed by the East Cheshire NHS Trust to design and deliver Congleton’s CDC.
Congleton’s new CDC is a single-story building, comprising 13 modules that were sustainably manufactured offsite, reducing onsite waste and minimising disruption to the live hospital.
Features of the building include:
Patient experience was factored into the design of the building. A vaulted ceiling – pitched to one side – was not only aesthetically pleasing, but also created a bright, airy waiting room for patients. The front of the building features full-height glass curtain walling to maximise natural light entering the space. For the exterior, a traditional brick-skim along with roof and wall cladding was used to ensure the building had long-term durability, as well as matching the exterior of the surrounding hospital buildings.
Futureproofing was also critical, allowing the CDC to be able to provide quality care for patients for years to come. To ensure the building met this goal, we designed a fully-integrated internal link to the existing hospital that was fitted with specialist weatherproofing to ensure longevity. Modular buildings are flexible, which means that the CDC can be reconfigured or expanded at a later date should the hospital need more space.
Working within a fixed budget
As Congleton’s new CDC was funded by the NHS Community Diagnostics Programme, it was essential that we kept closely within budgets. We worked collaboratively with the East Cheshire NHS Trust to create a bespoke design that would balance high quality clinical space with cost-effectiveness.
To achieve this, we drew up multiple design options with cost reviews at every stage. We ensured that the design choices made and the materials used were optimised to ensure the best operational performance without compromising the long-term durability or aesthetics of the building – all within the allocated budget.
The main road to the hospital site had a weight restriction, which impacted heavy goods vehicles transporting the modules. To overcome this challenge, we re-routed delivery through the neighbouring residential estate. This took careful logistical planning; as there were no parking restrictions on the estate, residents were contacted directly in advance of the delivery date and given parking guidance to avoid congestion and ensure that modules could pass through safely.
The hospital is a much-valued community space, so residents were more than happy to work with our delivery team to enable a quick delivery without delays.
To find out more about our permanent building solutions, speak to our specialist team today.
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