MTX completes £49 million diagnostic and inpatient building at Frimley Park Hospital

A £49 million state-of-the-art diagnostic and inpatient centre at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey has been completed in a design and build project by MTX Contracts Ltd.

MTX secured the contract with Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) through a two-part tender process, initially working with the Trust to provide pre-construction design services to RIBA stage four, then tendering for construction of the facility using modern methods of construction (MMC). 

MTX also installed a new substation to provide additional power security for the facility. From starting on site, the complex and fully compliant building was delivered in 16 months.

The three-storey building includes four new inpatient medical wards spanning two floors, a dedicated one-stop breast care unit and a diagnostics centre delivering increased capacity and capability, with three CT scanners, two MRI scanners and two gamma cameras.  

The inpatient wards provide a total of 74 additional beds, which will help the Trust to reduce its elective waiting lists, improve patient flow through the hospital and allow it to better cope with busy seasonal pressures.  

The state-of-the-art diagnostics unit will increase the number of appointments available and improve patient care across the region. A specific requirement for the centre was the creation of radio frequency-shielded areas that prevent external electromagnetic radiation from distorting diagnostic images and are a critical consideration for optimal functioning of the MRI systems.  

To ensure the new facility was delivered in the shortest time, MTX progressed groundworks on site while at the same time 145 structural steel units which make up the building were manufactured offsite within a controlled production environment. Using MMC principles alongside Design for Manufacture and Assembly disciplines and proven hybrid construction processes enables MTX to complete fully compliant healthcare facilities faster, safer, greener and more cost effectively. 

The use of MMC principles can reduce a build schedule by up to 50% compared with the conventional building methods while off-site manufacturing techniques can reduce waste by up to 60%.

Alongside the contract to build the diagnostic and imaging centre,  MTX installed a new primary substation and generator.  Advanced diagnostic equipment and the new ward facilities require substantial power which was not available through the site’s existing electrical infrastructure.

MTX carried out all the work to create a new substation with a 3200amp HV transformer  within a GRP enclosure, managing the connection beneath a hospital access road. The substation safeguards against power outages or disruptions, and ensures a reliable, efficient power supply, directly enhancing the hospital's ability to provide uninterrupted care.

Lance McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) said: “This represents a significant investment in the services and facilities we can provide for our local communities. The additional beds, including far more single rooms, will help us manage the increases in urgent care demand we have been experiencing in recent years, reduce waiting times for planned care and reduce the disruption caused by the ongoing remedial work to keep safe areas affected by RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete).  The new building will help us to continue delivering high standards of care for our patients as we drive hard towards a new Frimley Park Hospital.”

MTX Managing Director David Hartley explained: “The contract at Frimley Park is another important milestone in our continuing collaboration with health trusts across the UK on the creation of new facilities designed to reduce waiting lists and improve patient care.

“The ability of MTX to undertake the provision of critical infrastructure and enabling works provides significant support for hard-pressed facilities management and site maintenance teams.  Careful management of the project combined with MMC principles also limited disruption and ensured more rapid delivery, minimising the impact on patient care at Frimley Park Hospital during the construction period.”