BUILDOFFSITE MEMBERS PARTNER IN £350 MILLION GRANGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL PROJECT
Gleeds and Laing O’Rourke have completed works on several sections of the £350m Grange University Hospital in Gwent, allowing part of the hospital to open almost a year ahead of schedule. The Grange University Hospital in Gwent can now help Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s (ABUHB) tackle Covid-19.
don’t need to open the extra beds just yet. I would urge people to keep following the government guidance to protect themselves, to ease the pressure on our NHS services, and to save lives.” With more than half of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Wales reportedly falling within the region, the completion of the hospital has been fast-tracked in order to make 384 new beds available to patients battling the disease if required. Collaboration
Chief executive Judith Paget, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak we needed to plan for the worst-case scenario. “I would like to thank Laing O’Rourke and Gleeds for the great amount of effort and skill they have shown to get these areas of the hospital ready for us to use. “Thankfully the general public have observed the advice on staying at home and social distancing, so we 4
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Victoria Head, project director at Gleeds, commented: “Since its inception the Grange University Hospital project has always had a true collaborative ethos at its heart – working together for a shared goal. “Gleeds led the leadership team of Laing O’Rourke and the health board in its commitment to supporting the health board during this national crisis and we’ve stuck to that, proudly tackling every challenge to complete the hospital in record time by
adopting a solution-based approach.” Just four weeks after the health board asked the team to respond to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, on 27 April, it took possession of 50% of the space within the Grange University Hospital. With takeover of the majority of the ward blocks, the ground floor of the diagnostic & treatment departments, including pathology, pharmacy, FM and mortuary, as well as car parking zones and plant areas, NHS staff now have the capacity to treat at least 350 patients, should it be required. Mike Lewis, Laing O’Rourke project director, said: “Aneurin Bevan University Hospital Board had the foresight to ask us to bring our construction programme forward, creating 384 bed spaces as part of their preparations to tackle coronavirus in Wales. I am humbled by the tremendous effort shown by all in our project team and I thank them for their commitment. “Our motivation to deliver key parts of The Grange for use a year ahead