Haywood Hospital Outpatients Building Redevelopment

Construction work on the new outpatients building at Haywood Hospital got underway in January 2024. The main contractor for the work is Key Construction, selected following a competitive tendering exercise.

The following video marks the launch of the construction phase and features MPFT’s Chief Executive Neil Carr:

The construction site is operational at the following times:

• Monday to Friday: 7am – 6pm
• Saturdays: 7am – 2pm
• Sundays and Bank Holidays: site closed

The contractors will also restrict certain operations during term times to aid Haywood Academy. Sometimes there may be a few out of hours work elements with the potential to overrun normal hours of work, e.g. concrete pouring. This will be minimal, but when it is needed, dates will be communicated to the community and immediate neighbours.

Haywood Road will remain open during the work, although on occasion traffic may be slowed by deliveries or construction vehicles. We will make sure the disruption is as little as possible.

Dust and blown waste will be limited by dust suppression in-built into crushers, water bowsers and hoses. Existing hard standings will be used in the grounds and a road sweeper will be employed to minimise mud. Prior to leaving site all wheels will be jet washed if required. Burning of material will not be permitted.

There will be a turn off policy for static plant to reduce noise and emissions. Permanent power to be used where possible to reduce the noise from generators. If complaints are received, these will be recorded, and action taken immediately.

MPFT appointed Armac to carry out the demolition of the existing outpatients building. This work was completed in November 2023.

The demonstration video (below), produced by Armac outlined the process for demolishing the existing outpatients building.

The site plan for the Haywood Hospital demolition phase can be viewed below.

Background

What is Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and where was it present on the Haywood Hospital site?

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is a form of pre-cast concrete plank used in construction in many public buildings. Although considered a revolutionary new building material at the time, RAAC is now outdated and newer construction materials offer more longevity and durability, as well as having lower maintenance cost. There have been recent failures of RAAC roofs and floors.

Within Haywood Hospital, RAAC roof planks were present in the outpatients building. The affected area is marked in the image below in red. This building has now been demolished and construction of a replacement outpatient building commenced in January 2024.

The new building will replace the old in terms of the same rooms and services, but will conform to modern space and energy standards.

Services

What services have been moved?

The following outpatient services are currently relocated from Haywood Hospital; this follows a decision by the Trust in 2022 as a precautionary response to a structural report into the roof over the outpatients building:

• Specialist Neurological Physiotherapy and the Community Stroke Team – relocated to Bradwell Hospital
• Specialist Rheumatology; Occupational Therapy and Podiatry – relocated to Bradwell
• Falls outpatients clinic – relocated to Burslem Health Centre

The following services are currently split between Haywood and Bradwell hospitals:

• Rheumatology Services
• Rehabilitation Medicine Services - this includes the assessment and treatment of spasticity (abnormal muscle stiffness), acquired brain injury and rehabilitation medicine clinics

Out-of-hours and extended access services continue to be provided at Haywood.

The new Dexa screening facility launched at Bradwell Hospital in September 2022, with two new scanners being used to measure bone density and diagnose osteoporosis – replacing the Haywood-based scanners, which were decommissioned.

If services have already been moved to Bradwell Hospital, why can’t they just stay there?

Highly valued multidisciplinary services are now primarily split between two sites (Haywood and Bradwell hospitals, four miles apart across a city centre); detrimentally impacting both staff and patients unable to benefit from the ‘one stop shop’ approach the centre has offered. 

This one stop shop approach has previously enabled patients to access the below during one visit preventing multiple journeys across a number of days or weeks:

• consultant or nurse review
• pharmacy review
• access to diagnostics if required
• access to phlebotomy for blood monitoring on commencement of medication
• specialist therapies including splinting for joint protection/ management
• access to a range of treatment interventions including infusions; epidurals; ultrasound guided injections

This has significantly extended waiting lists for some pathways. We have seen a number of increased contacts to our advice lines, accessed by patients frustrated at delays in appointments or requiring urgent access to an appointment due to the length of time since their previous review or wait for a first appointment.

The space at Bradwell Hospital is not sufficient for service needs and cannot house the services long term.

Will there be any change of services when the scheme is complete?

This scheme will provide a modern, fit for purpose building and is not about changing our services.

Funding

How much money will this scheme cost?

We are currently in the design process, with the estimated cost of the scheme being £27.4m.

Where is the money coming from?

NHS England has allocated MPFT £17.4m through its national RAAC eradication programme. The Trust is seeking to maximise this opportunity by developing a modern, fit for the future outpatients building that will support the best delivery of care for patients. This requires approx. £10m of additional funding, sourced from local capital allocations.

Timescales

What are the next steps?

The Trust received planning permission from Stoke-on-Trent City Council in April 2023, and a Final Business Case for the scheme was approved by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England in December 2023. Construction of the new outpatients building commenced in January 2024.