Four operating theatres delivered by MTX at Royal Bolton Hospital helps minimise surgeries backlog

MTX has completed a project to deliver four state-of-the-art operating theatres at the Royal Bolton Hospital using Modern Methods of Construction principles and modular offsite techniques to ensure faster, greener, safer and more cost effective delivery.

The company was initially awarded the contract to deliver two new theatres at the hospital but the ambition of the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust was always to create four new theatres to enhance patient care and help minimise the backlog of surgeries resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In December 2022, the Trust announced success in its bid for £19.6 million funding to significantly increase its theatre capacity by creating all four new theatres and refurbishing existing day-case theatres to create a bespoke day case paediatrics theatre hub.  

The first two theatres were already well advanced before MTX began construction of the first floor extension to the initial single storey development – to create a total of four new theatres with ward accommodation and dedicated plantrooms.  

Building on top of the initial construction required a complex and innovative programme to ensure the integrity of the ground floor was not compromised, along with careful management of introducing more than 50 additional structural steel modules on top of almost 140 already in place to create the ground floor.  

Making optimum use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) principles enables MTX to minimise build times by up to 50% while creating high quality fully compliant facilities, and reduce waste by up to 60%.  For the Royal Bolton Hospital project MTX  used off-site manufactured structural steel units and mechanical and electrical modules assembled on site to streamline delivery of the new facilities.

David Hartley, Managing Director at MTX, explained: “The latest contract award continues a five-year relationship with the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and we are proud to be partnering the Trust in its vision for improved patient care.  Challenges on site threatened the schedule for the project but in the spirit of collaboration with the Trust MTX refused to allow those to significantly impact the project.  Careful onsite management by the MTX team has minimised the impact on patient care during the construction period and enhanced the speed of delivery. 

“Our continued collaboration with the Trust is testament to the hard work and expertise of the MTX team, and the effectiveness of MMC and Design for Manufacture and Assembly principles that are at the core of our business success.”

The new theatres will provide enhanced capacity for both Bolton and Greater Manchester and help to drive down waiting lists in the city-region. They have been built on the former staff car park near the Princess Anne maternity unit.

Annette Walker, Director of Finance at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Being able to increase the capacity of our theatres will enable us to provide even better patient experience and help us to tackle the backlog of elective waiting lists throughout Bolton and Greater Manchester.”

The four ultra-modern theatres have been designed to work flexibly and adapt for inpatient and day case adult patients, including ear nose and throat, oral, urology and general specialities.

Annette added: “Creating brand new and modern spaces at our hospital will be crucial as we continue to provide the highest levels of care for patients in Bolton both now and well into the future.”