New fast-track Addenbrookes theatres part of national surgical hub strategy to reduce patient waiting lists
Three new orthopaedic operating theatres being built at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge by MTX using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are part of a national scheme to deliver more than 50 new surgical hubs across England.
MTX employs MMC processes to deliver faster, greener and more cost effective completion. MTX is currently preparing the site in a former car park with delivery of the factory-manufactured building sections scheduled for early 2023. Once they are assembled with floor screeds, internal and external finishes, FFE (furniture, fittings and equipment) and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) elements of the project will be completed.
The Addenbrookes theatres will be used primarily for orthopaedic operations to help ease waiting lists for routine knee and hip operations. They are located opposite the Rosie Hospital and will connect with P&Q wards to provide dedicated surgical beds for patients recovering from planned operations. MTX is also upgrading the ventilation systems for the P&Q wards originally built as part of the COVID-19 response.
The overall size of new building is more than 2500m² including the self-contained plant room located on top of the unit. It will house seven air handling units to serve the three theatres and deliver the clean air so vital for rapid recovery of orthopaedic surgery patients.
As the main contractor, MTX is working with multiple partners to create the new operating theatres including Howarth Air Technology for the clean air systems within the theatres.
The site of the new operating theatres is close to the hospital’s helipad, so special care has been taken in designing site movements and in the use of cranes. MTX has extensive experience of minimising impact on existing clinical services and patients while working in busy locations within hospital sites, and has worked closely with other construction companies located around the site to produce logistics plans.
NHS Trusts are increasingly using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to provide new facilities in shorter time scales. MTX Managing Director David Hartley explains: “Operating theatres and other facilities created for NHS Trusts by MTX are specifically engineered for medical use with the unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital equipped with ventilation systems designed to optimise clean air flow and meet clinical needs. Our expertise in more effectively applying MMC principles are proven to deliver high quality new hospital facilities more quickly and cost effectively.”
Addenbrooke's Hospital is an internationally renowned teaching hospital and research centre, with strong affiliations to the University of Cambridge.[3] It is based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and is run by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The new surgical hubs across England will focus mainly on providing high volume low complexity surgery, as recommended by the Royal College of Surgeons. Located on existing hospital sites, surgical hubs bring together skills and expertise of staff under one roof – reducing waiting times for some of the most common procedures such as cataract surgeries and hip replacements. Improving quality and efficiency means patients have shorter waits for surgery, are more likely to go home on the same day, and are less likely to need additional treatment