Member Article

York's Portakabin wins £13.5 million contract

YORK-BASED Portakabin Hire has won its biggest ever contract - a £13.5 million scheme to expand a hospital’s ward and theatre accommodation.

The firm will construct a complex 4,000 square metre, two-storey building in less than four months to increase capacity for orthopaedic services at Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Due for completion by the spring, the purpose-designed facilities will include 56 new in-patient beds, two theatres, recovery room, ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ utilities and single rooms with en-suite bathrooms.

There will also be staff changing rooms, reception, kitchenette, offices, and an integral plant room.

John Simpson, Director of Corporate Services at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said Portakabin had been appointed for its capabilities to deliver a challenging scheme on time and on cost, and he had been very happy with its performance so far.

“It is being built to a very short construction programme so we can have the new facility up and running as early as possible, meeting the increasing demand for services and enhancing patients’ experience,” he said.

“The company’s manufacturing centre in York is an impressive operation which maximises off-site working.

“This is important to help us minimise disruption to patient care on a fully operational and highly constrained hospital site.

“Seeing the building in manufacture also gave us the reassurance of the resources, the quality of the Portakabin approach and their commitment to delivery on programme and on budget,” he added.

The building will be craned into position as 124 steel-framed modules which will be delivered to site complete with wall finishes, internal partitioning, M&E services and flooring already in place, further reducing work and disruption on this busy hospital site.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Robert Beaumont .