The new building links to the existing endoscopy unit

Portakabin has completed a specialist decontamination building for an established endoscopy suite at King George Hospital in Ilford, London.

The building, which was constructed offsite, is seamlessly linked to the existing endoscopy facility on Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust’s estate.

The trust required the building to link directly with the Juniper Endoscopy Unit (JEU), which consists of two procedure rooms and one recovery area.

And decontamination facilities were in need of major improvement and with space at a premium on the site, a modular building from Portakabin would allow a new facility to be made available almost 70% quicker than a traditionally-built solution.

Portakabin designed the building to be raised to be level and integrate with the existing unit, removing the requirement for ramps or lifts.

Now complete, it will play an important part in improving standards of care at the hospital as well as increasing overall surgical capacity.

Utilising offsite construction methods enabled the building to be delivered 70% quicker than a traditional building

From technical design stage through to a full-service building design, the Portakabin team managed every stage with the support of its in-house team and a few select partners.

The building footprint was designed in conjunction with a fire tender track, something which is open 24/7 to allow emergency services to move unhindered throughout the hospital estate and was rerouted and rebuilt around the new facility.

The Portakabin team also designed a dedicated seating area for staff into the raised area which links the new and existing building to make best use of available space and was finished with a bespoke canopy.

James Pearson, divisional managing director at Portakabin, said: “This decontamination building is the perfect example of the flexibility you can get from a modular building.

“Constructing offsite means we can focus on challenging and complicated groundworks at the same time as fitting out most of mechanical and electrical services (M&E) into the modules before they arrive on site.

“Working with specialist suppliers for the testing and commissioning of the state-of-the-art equipment has allowed us to deliver a building which will make a real difference to patient experience for the trust.”

Vikki Butler, director of clinical services reconfiguration at the trust, added: “The bespoke facility provides a light bright space for staff to carry out this vitally-important decontamination procedure.

“The design blends elegantly into the overall site architecture, with the bonus of some outdoor seating areas for staff to enjoy.

“Modular construction allowed for a rapid on-site build and we are very pleased with the final result.”