Northumberland construction company Merit has sealed a deal to build a new 48-bed health service unit – and it will complete the site in just five months.
The Cramlington-based off-site specialist designs and manufactures facilities for the bioscience, pharmaceutical, healthcare, semiconductor, EV battery and aviation sectors, building more than 75% of its project wins at its North East factories before shipping them to their final destination.
Now Merit has been appointed by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust to design and deliver a multimillion-pound 48-bed therapy-led unit on the Norwich Community Hospital site in Norfolk. The Willow Therapy Unit is being created to improve the transition of patients from hospital care to the community, a move designed to ease the pressure on local hospitals.
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The 21,500 sq ft unit will include a reception area and staff facilities alongside single bed and four-bed bays, treatment areas, an assessment kitchen and self-service cafe area, where patients can make drinks for themselves and their families.
The project is the first of its kind using a new pre-assembled model, which is a new version of a pod Merit has used in other healthcare, biotech and pharmaceutical projects. The Merit team will use advanced 4D BIM (building information modelling) technology to deliver the new unit by June of this year.
Tony Wells, CEO at Merit, said: “We’re delighted to be working collaboratively with Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust to deliver this new facility, which will bring improved healthcare services to the local community. Merit’s new V6 UltraPOD SFS variant is ideal for this project, bringing enormous advantages in terms of speed, quality, a sustainable centric design, enhanced infection control and affordability.
“At Merit, we’re continually looking for new ways in which to innovate and optimise our product offering, so that we can provide the go-to choice for swift and efficient project delivery. The traditional construction business model struggles with quality, affordability and accessibility, we believe our new UltraPOD SFS variant will solve a range of customer problems, whilst simultaneously increasing overall UK healthcare building capability through our automated industry 4.0 factory solution to provide healthcare facilities of the future.”
Matthew Winn, CEO of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, added: “We are extremely pleased to be working with Merit on this important project for the Norfolk and Waveney health and care system. Therapy-led care provided at the Willow Therapy Unit will help bridge the gap between hospital and home and allow local residents to seamlessly move from hospital back into their communities.
“Merit’s experience delivering similar projects for the health and care sector will be invaluable as we look to construct these beds quickly and help to relieve pressure on our local acute hospitals.”
Recent project wins for Merit include Berwick’s new £35m community Hospital, Solihull Hospital’s new Elective Hub and a new sterilisation services and decontamination centre for Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
