The new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit at Bedford Hospital has taken a major leap forward in recent days as seven PODs, designed to make up the structure of the new building, were delivered to the site from Northumberland.
A mega crane, bearing around 250 tonnes, could be seen from far and wide as the PODs were moved into position after a journey from the north where the vast majority of the new facility has been built.
Melanie Banks, Director of Redevelopment and Strategic Planning at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, praised the work, which the hospital says will help ease the strain on its A&E department.
“The Trust is pleased to be delivering this new facility, which will provide critical improvements in both emergency capacity and patient flow through our extremely busy Emergency Department at Bedford Hospital”.
“The true extent of Merit’s off-site manufacturing is beyond what we have seen with other modular manufacturers and has dramatically reduced both the extent and duration of the impact to our operational site from the construction process.
“We look forward to continuing our ongoing work with Merit on what is a fast-tracked project with a limited budget.”
90% of the facility has been constructed off-site by the contractor, Merit, in Northumberland to make sure minimal impact on the Bedford Hospital site.
The SDEC unit will enable patients to be assessed, diagnosed, and treated, where appropriate, on the same day of arrival, rather than being admitted to the hospital.
The SDEC model is designed to alleviate pressure on the Accident & Emergency department and inpatient wards, with the ultimate goal of improving the patient journey.
The new unit is due to be fully open in the “early autumn”.
