A Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) designed to reduce waiting lists and deliver more-rapid treatment for patients has been created at Milford Community Hospital as a design and build project by MTX Contracts.

MTX used Modern Methods Of Construction (MMC) to complete the fully-compliant facility faster, safer, greener, and more cost effectively than using conventional building techniques.

The CDC includes two MRI scanners and a CT scanner, along with consulting rooms and offices and is set deliver an extra 11,000 MRIs and 9,500 CT scans as part of a one-stop-shop for Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust.

MTX faced considerable challenges undertaking groundworks on the site adjacent to the Milford Community Hospital.

Development of the site required rerouting water and gas mains and amending the plans for the foundations after the discovery of substantial sandstone deposits.

However, the MTX site team worked with the trust and P+HS Architects to overcome the issues, creating a poured concrete slab which forms a stable base for scanning equipment which is highly sensitive to movement or vibration.

With the slab formation and concrete pour completed, MTX craned into position 27 precisely-engineered structural steel modules which were factory-manufactured offsite while the groundworks were underway to speed up project delivery.

The groundworks package also included hard landscaping to the building entrance, a filtration pond, and work on a new access road.

The CDC incorporates particular features, required because of the sensitive equipment, including a Faraday cage installation around the MRI rooms to avoid interference with other electrical equipment, and a lead lining to the CT Scanner room.

The building also has roof-mounted solar panels to provide green energy.

And an independent link corridor constructed by MTX connects the new CDC to the main Milford Community Hospital.

Ross Dunworth, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust deputy chief executive, said: “We were pleased to work in partnership with MTX on this project as they have extensive experience of constructing similar facilities at other NHS trusts.

“This unit will improve health outcomes by helping to speed up diagnosis and access to potentially life-saving treatments, while providing a more-convenient service to patients closer to home.”

Milford is one of five Community Diagnostic Centre projects completed by MTX in the space of 18 months.

MTX managing director, David Hartley, said: “MTX has been privileged to partner with a number of NHS trusts which recognise the benefits of using modern methods of construction to ensure rapid delivery, high quality, and good value.

“Our team brings a huge amount of experience and expertise to these CDC projects and, while they often share characteristics, each facility is designed and built to prioritise the requirements of the individual NHS trusts.”