Premier Construction

Papworth Hospital

Papworth Hospital
Written by Roma Publications

New Papworth Hospital

Construction of the new state-of-the-art Papworth Hospital in Cambridge is continuing to progress on time ahead of its opening in 2018. The hospital will offer cutting-edge facilities in a bespoke building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

One of the UK’s largest specialist heart and lung hospitals, Papworth will be moving 13 miles west into the new £165 million building. The new facility will cover a 40,000m2 area and contain 310 beds, with a high percentage of single rooms. In addition, it will boast seven state-of-the-art operating theatres, six inpatient wards which will have sub-specialties within them, a 24-bed day ward and a centrally-located outpatient unit to incorporate a wide range of diagnostic and treatment facilities.

In 1979 the UK’s first successful heart transplant was carried out at Papworth and the current Papworth Hospital treats more than 23,000 in-patients and 65,000 outpatients each year. It continues to operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week while the development continues.

The project was originally made public in 2013 with planning permission for the move granted a year later by Cambridge City Council. Main contractor Skanska began construction on the world-class healthcare facility in March 2015.

The new hospital will be better positioned to cater to an ageing population with evolving demands and its proximity to the neighbouring Addenbrooke’s Hospital will allow for greater collaboration of specialist care. The site also has greater accessibility, particularly by car and public transport.

Funding for the £165 million project is being provided by a combination of private finance and public sector funding. Additionally, a joint venture between Papworth and the University of Cambridge will see a Heart and Lung Research Institute built adjacent to the new hospital.

In terms of construction, the new hospital has been designed using the latest building information technology to maximise energy efficiency and ensure the hospital offers long-term flexibility. The construction techniques currently being used will also allow for reconfiguration of the hospital over time, making sustainable fit for purpose in the future.

When completed it is hoped the hospital will gain an Energy Performance Certificate ‘B’ rating, making it the first hospital in the UK to gain such an achievement. The implementation of a large-scale ground-source heat pump system is just one of the measures being used to reduce carbon emissions.

As a whole, the building encompasses a large amount of glass giving it a clean and sleek look as well as flooding the space with natural light. Taking the building floor by floor, visitors and patients will enter on the ground floor where a large number of basic services such as a restaurant, a shop and a pharmacy are located. The first floor is dedicated for interventional services with a floor plan that helps to keep distances between departments as short as possible.

The second floor is for plant machinery whilst the third and fourth floors are divided into quadrants, each providing a particular specialist service. The fifth and final floor is wholly allocated to surgical patients.

Landscaping of the surrounding area has also been a key consideration for the project. An iconic pond at the current site will be replicated along with substantial greenery. All rooms will offer outside views to maintain links with the outside world for patients.

Most recently on the project there was a celebration of two significant milestones. At the end of October 2016 construction on the building reached its highest point of 29 metres whilst the beginning of December marked the start of the 500 day countdown to the hospital opening.

To follow live progress of the project please visit http://www.papworthhospital.nhs.uk/nph/.

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Roma Publications