13 December 2010

Costain’s record of successful work with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has continued with the early completion of a new child and adolescent mental health unit.

The project involved refurbishing and altering a former old people’s home to enable the Trust to increase the provision of adolescent mental health services in the area. The building will also provide highly specialised assessment services for those with learning difficulties and mental health problems.

The £6.5 million project required Costain to prop up sections of the roof in the 6,000m² single-storey building so internal walls could be demolished, creating larger rooms, plus education and therapy areas, said Project Manager Dave Johnson. External landscaping rounded off the project.

As often the case when working in hospitals, a major problem facing the team was to carry out the work while hospital services carried on around it. “The phasing and logistics had to be carefully planned to ensure the building remained safe for patients, parents and staff,” said Dave. Mechanical & Electrical services also had to be kept live.”

Work started in September last year and the building was handed over six weeks ahead of schedule this autumn.

It was the third successful project in a row carried out for the Trust. The level of customer satisfaction can perhaps be gauged from the fact that a further contract has just been awarded to Costain to create two new operating theatres in a new building, as well as refurbishing the Accident & Emergency department. Early feasibility work is already underway.

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