A new 28-bed unit has been opened at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, helping to ease mounting pressure on hospital services during its busiest periods.
Taking just six months to manufacture and install, the new unit is linked to an existing building via a purpose built hybrid link. Portakabin supplied a modular unit within a tight timeframe to Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to help release the on-going pressure on acute care wards. Now named the Overton Unit, the unit is situated to the rear of the Sherborne Building at the hospital and contains a total of 28 beds.
With an emphasis on delivering healthcare facilities in a fraction of the time of site-based construction, offsite solutions can help to protect consistent patient care for health service providers such as the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Working within a tight building footprint, the unit was installed directly outside the existing Sherborne Building, complete with a 15m custom-built hybrid walkway for continuation of care and to protect patient flow. By pre-empting any initial groundwork, the modules were able to be craned in while the hospital remained fully open throughout.
Regional Hire Manager for Portakabin, Craig Stewart commented: “As healthcare design specialists, we understand how important space is to providers at the busiest of times. This unit reduces front pressures, easing admissions and releases beds around the hospital for when the very sick patients need to be admitted and also allows pre-planned surgeries to go ahead.”
Alex Whitfield, Chief Executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “The Overton Unit provides step down care for patients who no longer require the high level of acute care provided in hospital, but are awaiting a care package that will enable them to return home. Opening the unit has enabled us to release space on our acute care wards for very sick patients when they need to be admitted to hospital.
“I’d like to say a big thank you and well done to everyone who worked hard to ensure that the unit was open in time for the busy winter period.”
Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital is run by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs hospitals in Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester.
