The scheme will rejuvenate the Royal Sussex County Hospital site in Brighton and deliver a modern, clinically-renowned and world-leading teaching hospital.
Procured using the P21 Capital Construction Framework, the re-development is the largest that the site has seen since it opened in 1828.
Since our appointment in January 2021, we have been working alongside the scheme’s contractor, Laing O’Rourke, to provide construction supervision, cost management and project management services to manage the execution of the NEC2 contract.
Split over three stages, the 3Ts redevelopment will deliver a regional centre for teaching, trauma and tertiary care.
The scheme will see the replacement of all buildings at the front of the hospital site with two new clinical facilities, a new logistics yard and will also provide an on-site helideck atop the existing Thomas Kemp Tower (TKT).
Once complete, this redevelopment project will provide a modern, fit-for-purpose environment for more than 40 wards and departments: benefiting patients from across Brighton and Hove, Sussex and the wider region.
Performing a key role as the flagship of the Government’s Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) – a £3.7 billion programme of health infrastructure investment launched in September 2019 - the 3Ts redevelopment aims to set the standard for the nationwide rollout of the remaining hospital builds over the next decade.
This major redevelopment project is split into three key stages:
Stage 1
The 62,000 square metre, stage 1 building consists of fourteen storeys and will provide a total of 316 hospital beds across a mix of single rooms and four-bed, isolation and critical care wards. Once its specialist internal fit out is completed, it will provide more than ten times the floor space of the buildings it replaces. In total, 74,686 cubic metres of earth and rock will have been removed to prepare for Stage 1, equating to approximately 30 Olympic size swimming pools. It is currently in construction and due to complete in November 2022. This phase of development also includes completion and handover of the Helideck and the associated improvements in the TKT building, as well as the relocation of the 165-year-old, Grade II listed chapel to its new location in the main building. This is the oldest operating chapel in a healthcare facility in the UK.
Our role on Phase 1 involves preventing delays and construction overspend through oversight of the contractor and management of the NEC2 contract. Careful liaison with relevant stakeholders, delivery of a robust change management process and reporting to the correct level of detail have all been established during our commission. The team is responsible for checking compliance of the build with the specification and the witnessing of services. The cost management team oversees all applications for payment in collaboration with the NEC2 PM, reviews all quotations and produces monthly updates on the cost plan. The client is kept constantly informed on the cost position on this challenging build.
Stage 2 & Stage 3
Stages 2 and 3 are set to provide 30,000 square metres of clinical space: including a new and expanded cancer centre and FM logistics space. It is a two-stage design and build contract with the design stage due to commence in 2022, following approval from the Government’s New Hospital Programme. Demolition of the Barry Building - which at 190 years old is the oldest acute ward building in the NHS estate still seeing patients - is due to commence in early 2023 following handover of the Stage 1 building.
Challenges & Solutions
1. Design assessment and compliance
Multiple aspects of the design were interrogated and assessed to ensure planning permissions were granted as well as considering items such as infection control, access management, medical gas provision as well as providing compliant facilities.
2. Value and cost management
A technology review and benefit analysis were produced, with a focus on modern construction techniques and technologies providing flexibility and cost savings, allowing a best value for money solution for the Trust.
3. Logistics, phasing and construction management plan
The success of the project depended on the project phases aligning the traffic, delivery, and site operatives available. We carefully reviewed the construction plan to avoid clashes and interface between phases and the existing building.
4. Covid-19 Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic presented a number of challenges but through a collaborative approach - instilled into the project team by McBains - we have overseen vast improvements in the quality assurance processes, programme management and client-contractor relationships – all during a period which has experienced reduced resources, increased levels of home working and reduced availability from suppliers.
Project News
- Client:
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Services Provided:
- Quantity Surveying
Project Management - Sector:
- Healthcare
- Location:
- Brighton, Sussex, UK
- Period:
- 2013 – Present (Final Handover - 2027)
- Value:
- £610 million
