Manchester Nightingale

Everyone involved in this fantastic facility are history makers and you will always have our respect and admiration.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

A 750-bed COVID-19 emergency hospital delivered by IHP under the ProCure22 Framework. Constructed in 13 days in the historic grade II listed Manchester Central Convention Complex. Working 24/7 our dedicated team of up to 1000 delivered in a timescale of less than 30 minutes a bed.

IHP had no hesitation in responding to the call to deliver this COVID-19 surge facility.

Facts and figures

• Client: NHS England & NHS Improvement via Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
• Client project managers: Mott MacDonald alongside Archus
• Design team: BDP as architect and M&E designer
• M&E installer: NG Bailey
• Type of facility: COVID-19 Emergency Hospital

Instant start and rapid delivery

• Instruction to proceed: Saturday 28th March 2020
• Site works commence: Monday 30th March 2020
• Project completion: Sunday 12th April
• Duration: 13 days

Key features

• Design approach was like reverse engineering. Not design and build. More like build and verify by design.
• Bed bay mock-up was assembled on day two confirming dimensions needed by the nursing team and partition system layout. Configuration was checked for services at every bed, handwash facilities and nurse space. It was live beta testing of a full-scale working model.
• Change control was – see a problem, develop an answer, test it, build it – with auditable document trail and it worked.
• Clinical liaison provided the go-between, the translator and fixer joining up the thinking of the clinical teams and the IHP team.

NHSE/I, the Trust and the Army set P22 and IHP a challenge that was Manchester Nightingale Hospital. We met that challenge by removing all barriers and working as a single team with common purpose. It was an honour to be called upon and we are proud to have delivered.

Alan Kondys, IHP Framework Director

Project achievements

The team focus was on solutions, speed, and delivery and to keep on thinking differently to get the job over the line on time.

John Fowler, VINCI Construction and IHP Contract Manager

As an emergency hospital it was a requirement and achievement unprecedented in healthcare construction and support services.

IHP, NHS Trust, designers and specialists together working with the Army to build on the plan they had put in place.

We released the right people for the job – pulling them away from existing non-urgent work – made possible as each person and organisation contacted did not hesitate.

Off-site manufacture (OSM) commenced on day one and included the 3.4 kilometres of partition system and building services gantry framework carrying 7.24 kilometres of medical gas pipe.

Flooring contractors across the North West worked together to complete the 14,500m2 finished inside of the first week.

Partition installation teams followed, and the 3.4 kilometres metres were erected within days with over 50 men in two shifts working 24/7.

Oxygen systems were a major challenge. We had six lorries making a continuous circuit collecting pipework, delivering it to the factory for OSM, and taking finished framework sections to site and then returning to the supplier to begin again. In the second week we had a team installing 30 metres of medical gas pipe every 150 seconds – by day nine all the beds were connected.

The teamwork, culture and commitment are an exemplar in what can be achieved. The solution drove the process and everything else followed and empowered everyone to deliver.

There was great feedback from the client:

Just heard that everything has been signed off and approved for opening tomorrow. Absolutely great work guys, great team effort and thanks for the brilliant job you and your teams have done!

Tom Myers, NHS England & NHS Improvement – Regional Delivery Director NW

Building this hospital in just a couple of weeks has taken the determination and boundless energy of people from many organisations who have come together to ensure our NHS has the necessary capacity during the pandemic, in what is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented crisis.

Chief Executive of NHS Nightingale Hospital North West Michael McCourt