Integrated Health Projects is an established joint venture between VINCI Construction UK Limited and Sir Robert McAlpine Limited.

The Harbour

A new 154-bed low secure mental health inpatient unit containing dementia, functional acute, advanced care and PICU wards, as well as a Section 136 suite, indoor and outdoor therapy and social spaces, and a cafe. The building is mainly single storey, with a small administration facility located on the first floor.

Facts and figures

  • Client: Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
  • Design team: Gilling Dod as Architect, Hoare Lea as MEP Engineer, Alan Johnston Partnership as C&S Engineer
  • Type of facility: Mental Health
  • Building size: 12,647m2

Key Features

  • Inherited scheme redesigned increasing bedroom numbers whilst reducing GIFA by 10%
  • 10% cost reduction whilst still meeting the clinical brief
  • Off-site manufacture of bathrooms through design standardisation
  • 70% of construction cost spent locally
  • Brief to deliver ‘Hotel’ feel achieved
  • Rainwater attenuation system provided a natural wildlife wetland

Project Achievements

Designed with extensive input from service users and clinicians, and based on good practice guidance and ‘safety by design’ to ensure that it can provide high quality care, IHP and their PSCMs delivered ‘more for less’ by increasing the bedroom numbers from 143 to 154, whilst making a 10% budget saving during the pre-construction stage.

That this project progressed so smoothly has enhanced IHP’s reputation in the adjacent residential and business communities and also assisted the Trust and the wider NHS maintain its reputation for supporting health and wellbeing of its citizens.

ALISTAIR ROSE, PROJECT DIRECTOR, LANCASHIRE CARE NHSFT

All areas of the design were reviewed to achieve this, with a reduction in GIFA (through efficient layout), standardisation, revised structural solution, earthworks remodelling, construction resequencing and specification review, all contributing.

The project was delivered on time and under the revised budget, and went on to win the 2015 BBH Innovation in Procure21+ Award.

Patient experience, staff satisfaction, morale and retention all improved dramatically once the new facility was opened.

Further reading