Cauldwell Out-patients Centre

We were delighted to be awarded the contract to design, build and refurbish the Cauldwell Building at Bedford Hospital, carrying out the works on a live hospital site.

This project was a fast-track procurement under the NHS SHS Framework to enable a pre-christmas appointment so that work could commence on-site in January 2022.

As part of our works to the highly serviced two storey project, we made substantial improvements to the existing unused mental health facility to create a new outpatients department on floors 1 & 2. It provides 27 outpatient rooms, four e-consult rooms and three treatment rooms across two floors.

During the demolition and asbestos removal works it was found that the existing asbestos register and surveys were incomplete. This as a result required further analysis, notifications and works to be carried out to provide for a safe working area, which also affected the timeline of the project. These areas were subject to notification and the programme duration was increased significantly due to the additional works associated with asbestos removal and the existing services isolations.

Upon completion of the demolition works it became evident that the existing structure was in a poor condition and would require approx. £500k of remedials works undertaking before the new installation could be completed. Each of the following items required review, design development and scope clarification prior to costing and consideration being given to the impact on the programme of works: Once instructed we took on board the additional remedial works and still completed this within the original programme (in fact 2 weeks early), thus demonstrating our ability to adapt to an ever changing project scope.

• Repairs and replacement of existing screed
• Repairs to structural concrete
• Installation of additional and replacement of fire protection
• Installation of wind posts to provide structural stability
• Removal and replacement of windows to the 3rd and 4th floor
• Removal and replacement of the existing roof finish, upstands and any repairs that become apparent to the roof area where the new chiller and AHU units are to be located.