Northern Ireland modular construction firm wins award for delivering vital ward space at Birmingham Hospitals during pandemic

Northern Ireland modular construction group, McAvoy has won Healthcare Project of the Year at the 2023 Offsite Awards for delivering urgent ward space at two of University Hospitals Birmingham’s (UHB) hospitals.

Receiving the largest number of Covid-19 patients in the country at the peak of the pandemic, the two modular 48-bed wards at UHB’s Good Hope Hospital and at Heartlands Hospital was instrumental in enabling the Trust to boost capacity and tackle waiting lists following the impact of the pandemic.

McAvoy worked collaboratively with the Trust to design and configure the SmartCare modular solution to make the best use of the available space on both sites.

The ward buildings, which have been delivered on a 10-year rental contract to the Trust – thereby saving significant capital expenditure outlay - utilised the very latest in precision manufacturing techniques and further reinforces McAvoy’s credentials for high quality, fast delivery, and sustainability in the healthcare sector.

It took just 14 weeks from the delivery of the first module to handover of the wards at Good Hope Hospital, with the Heartlands project completed in 18 weeks. Speed of delivery was crucial to minimising disruption to patient care, with both projects being delivered on live hospital sites.

Richard Truman, estates development manager, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The modular wards were the right choice for us to provide additional ward space to enable us to provide much needed additional care to our communities following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a huge achievement to work with McAvoy to deliver the project so quickly and with minimal disruption, which was vital to us as the wards were being installed in a live hospital environment, so I’m pleased that the project has been recognised through the Offsite Award as Healthcare Project of the Year.”

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is recognised as one of the leading NHS trusts in the UK, employing more than 20,000 members of staff across its locations at Good Hope Hospital, Heartlands Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, and Solihull Hospital.

Tomas McNicholl, senior contracts manager at McAvoy, explained: “We are delighted to have won this award in recognition of the important role the new wards play in enabling the Trust to cope with the increased demands on its services and the impact from Covid-19.

“The use of our SmartCare modular solution ensured rapid delivery of healthcare facilities that are high-quality, sustainable and flexible. It also provides the Trust with increased flexibility, allowing for relocation of the modules in the future, if necessary.”

This is the latest in a series of major projects delivered by the leading offsite manufacturer across the Health and Education sectors including Merstham Park School, a pioneering ‘Low Carbon Pathfinder’ project for Department for Education, two SEND classroom blocks for Southampton City Council, a GP Out of Hours surgery for Southern Health and Social Care Trust in NI and a four classroom SmartClass block at Castlepollard Community College in ROI.