17th May 2010
Harsco Infrastructure on top of the Worle!
Harsco Infrastructure (formerly SGB) has supplied one of its ROVACABIN® modular buildings to North Somerset Primary Health Care Trust to help boost GP services for the people of Weston Super Mare. The town's Worle district was recently identified by the Department of Health as amongst the bottom 25% of "under-doctored" areas in the country and was awarded guaranteed funding for a new doctors' surgery. To deliver this extra capacity without delay GPI (the development partner which, with Malling Health, won the PCT contract to run the new practice) secured planning permission for a temporary surgery at Pastures Avenue, Worle, in September 2009. GPI sought tenders for a temporary building on the site and ultimately awarded the contract to Harsco Infrastructure, whose cabins and modular buildings team offered the most comprehensive package within the budget. The temporary building measures 9.6m wide by 27m long and comprises nine modular bays combined to provide two consultation rooms, two treatment rooms, an administrative suite and associated facilities including toilets, stores, utility rooms and patients' waiting area. One of the main considerations for the developer and contractor was the poor ground conditions as the site is on a level, low-lying area with a high water table and very soft and unstable soil. "Even though our modular buildings are essentially light structures, the ground was so poor that normal slab foundations would not have supported them" says Harsco Infrastructure Branch Manager Duncan McKenzie.
To ensure a solid foundation for the temporary surgery, a concrete raft foundation was laid on top of the soft ground in preparation for the delivery of the ROVACABIN® modular building. "We weren't involved in this stage of the scheme" says Mr McKenzie, "but we were very keen to be kept informed because this was the first time we have been required to install our units on a floating concrete slab". By mid-January 2010 the site was ready for delivery of the ROVACABIN® modular building. These were quickly installed and connected to the necessary services ready for handover to the client later that month. Internal fit out took just two weeks and the new surgery was ready to see its first patients in February. For the client, the temporary surgery provides more than just a stop-gap to meet an urgent need. Crucially, the temporary surgery secured the funding to deliver the permanent medical centre, which will start to take shape on an adjacent site very soon. The ROVACABIN® modular building will remain in place for 18 months, when the permanent surgery will then open. This will provide space for at least 4 additional doctors, 5 nurses plus support staff and an adjoining pharmacy. With these new facilities in place it is hoped that they can help bring Worle out of the "under doctored" category it is in at the moment and start to benefit the community. In the meantime, the ROVACABIN® building is providing much-needed facilities to a satisfied customer. Nick Moore, Regional Director with GPI, says: "Harsco Infrastructure were competitive in their price and facilities and were prepared to 'rentalise' extras rather than us having to make a capital payment". "The speed of turn-around from installation to handover was key to this contract and it was essential that our supplier could stick to the tight schedule." adds Mr Moore.
