A new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at the Newmarket Community Hospital has been completed by Morgan Sindall Construction, and handed over to West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT).
Morgan Sindall’s Eastern Counties business was appointed to the WSFT project via the CWAS2 / ProcCure23 (P23) framework for the design and construction of NHS capital projects. The new facility will faster and more streamlined local access to a wide range of tests, such as MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, lung function, and cardiology. Having opened last December, the CDC saw 2,800 patients, and conducted at least 3,500 tests and scans, in its first eight weeks in operation.
Tier one contractor, Morgan Sindall, employed its ‘Intelligent Solutions’ approach during the 1,000 m2 facility’s design and construction, harnessing modern building techniques – such as offsite manufacture, to speed up construction, and deliver ‘a factory quality’ finish.
Offsite-manufactured elements included the structural framing system for the external walls, which were pre-designed and manufactured, arriving as an assembly kit which could be quickly installed. The intumescent coatings on the steel frame were also applied off site, ensuring optimum coverage and drying conditions, while removing a step on site, and allowing other trades to start work sooner.
Many internal components were also manufactured and prefabricated offsite – including the doors, all furniture, fixtures, and equipment, and sink pods, with the hygienic sink systems pre-plumbed so they only had to be connected to the water services to start working.
The CDC has been created using low-carbon prefabricated materials and sustainable methods of construction. Measures taken included neutralising the water used in concrete production with specialist equipment, reducing the building energy use through modern design and building simulation techniques, and offsetting further energy use with renewable sources. In all, this saw a carbon reduction equivalent to heating almost 21 houses for a year.
Air source heat pumps provide heating and hot water, and 123 photovoltaic (PV) panels have been installed both on the CDC and across the Newmarket Community Hospital site. The building’s temperature is regulated through constant air volume (CAV) heating and cooling, with heat recovery units to ensure consistent, efficient temperature control.
The combined ‘green building’ features will generate at least 46% of the CDC’s energy, 36% above the original target.
The Newmarket CDC forms part of a national programme to improve local access to diagnostic testing, with almost £15 m of funding secured from the national CDC programme to help reduce health inequalities in the region by providing patients with access to care closer to home. Engagement took place with public, patients, and staff, to ensure that the interiors of the building are accessible and on the themes for the décor, with the CDC reflecting the landscapes of Newmarket and its proud racing heritage.
