ModuleCo Nominated for Healthcare Modular Building Award

ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare), as part of a delivery team led by Costain Limited, are nominated for a Major Award at the Better Healthcare Buildings Awards taking place at the Metropole Hilton London on 2nd November 2006.

The Better Healthcare Buildings Awards is an annual event organised by Wilmington Conferences, publishers of HD (Hospital Development magazine). There are 16 much coveted awards. Costain's project supported by ModuleCo was for a modular constructed (off-site) facility of 2,700m2. The client was the Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust and the modular facility was built at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. The award category is "Better Patient Environment".

ModuleCo supplied two modular operating theatres, a 6-bed modular recovery ward and a 2-storey modular neurosurgery ward. Some particular features which contributed to the nomination were:

-  Fold down beds for parents
-  Sun pipes to give extra natural light
-  Child-friendly pictures embedded into the vinyl floor finishes

The Costain Project Manager John Williams commented "I wish to congratulate ModuleCo for the quality of the installation and the building as a whole. The theatre suite has gained considerable appreciation by the clinical staff and it has exceeded their expectations of modular theatres".

Healthcare Estates Exhibition a Success!

ModuleCo Ltd (formerly PKL Healthcare) recently attended a successful two days at this years Healthcare Estates Conference and Exhibition in Harrogate. ModuleCo exhibited to promote their healthcare modular buildings along side part of the foodservice division (Kitchen FM) of associate company PKL Group (UK) Ltd.

Kitchen FM allows a hospital to have a fully functional and maintained catering capability without the need for capital spend. Regular servicing, routine & emergency maintenance and technical support are all included in the Kitchen FM contract. It gives the hospital peace of mind of knowing exactly how much their catering facilities will cost each month and is flexible enough to be expanded or reduced at any time.

Steve Tilley, ModuleCo's Sales Manager, commented, "We had a tremendous two days. Not only do you meet new contacts, it is a great opportunity to catch up with previous clients and contacts to let them know about our recently completed healthcare modular building projects."

ModuleCo will be exhibiting again at next years Healthcare Estates Conference and Exhibition.

ModuleCo heads back to its roots providing operating theatres to the US Army in Afghanistan

ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare) has recently completed one of it's most challenging projects to date. A field hospital supplied to the US Army at it's air base near Bagram in Afghanistan. This is not the first time PKL has worked for the armed forces, the healthcare division's first project was providing an operating theatre to the British Army in Kosovo in 1999.

The Afghan facility was fabricated at the factory of a modular partner in Dubai complete with the maximum amount of Mechanical and Electrical fit out. The units were then shipped across the Arabian Sea to Karachi in Pakistan. From here the 86 modules were transported by road on a 16 day journey through Pakistan and Afghanistan before arriving at Bagram, 27 miles north of Kabul.

The 2,500m2 facility has three separate buildings with servicing plant areas and consists three operating theatre suites, a trauma unit and an intensive care unit, all supported with associated ancillary areas.
One of the benefits of using modular construction on this project is that it can be easily relocated to another army base should it be required elsewhere. This is exactly what happened with ModuleCo's first operating theatre following the end of the conflict in Kosovo in 1999.

Modular Theatre Relocated in Six Weeks!!

At the end of October ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare) will be permanently relocating an operating theatre suite to it's new home at Halton Hospital in Runcorn. As part of a 'spend to save' scheme, North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust are reconfiguring the services of their two hospital sites. The modular operating theatre with 2-bed recovery is the first step in this reconfiguration and will be ready to receive it's first patient on the 4th December.

The total programme for re-installation is only six weeks, which includes some changes the layout and the creation of an extra modular building link. This short programme is made possible due to the modular design of the theatre suite. The features of which include, a fully enclosed and fitted out plant room module, breakable service connections on module joints (where allowed), and rooms that are contained within single modules are completely fitted out before delivery.

ModuleCo have now provided over 65 dedicated healthcare facilities for a range of requirements on a temporary and permanent basis.

ModuleCo's Central London Medical Centre at Imperial College

This two-storey, stand alone building totalling 1,000m2, had to be installed with minimum disruption in the prestigious area of South Kensington, London. The facility accommodates a GP Surgery and Dental Practice on a temporary basis (for 2 years) while the permanent healthcare facility is built as part of the Princess Gardens Residence. At the end of the hire period (August 2007) the facility will be available to be relocated to a new client for hire or sale.

The main entrance to the facility is actually on the upper floor due to a difference in ground levels, this meant an integrated disabled lift and staircases were needed inside the building to allow access to the lower floor. Both surgeries have separate patient waiting and staff areas, enabling them to work independently of one another. The dental surgery includes four dentist rooms, reception, waiting and staff areas. The GP surgery benefits from GP, nurse, treatment and therapy rooms, two-bed sick bay, clean and dirty utility, 64 persons waiting, staff, record and administration areas.

Fabricating the facility off-site in the factory and delivering it to the Imperial College site almost complete, resulted in minimum disruption to this prestigious central London location when compared to a traditional building project. Yet, it was built to permanent building standards, designed to provide safe, bright, comfortable and functional accommodation, and completed in only 18 weeks!

ModuleCo facility still going strong...

In August 2003 ModuleCo Ltd (formerly PKL Healthcare) completed one of its largest single schemes to date. The 2-storey, 4,100m2 facility at South and Formby District General Hospital combined a theatre, wards and offices. It was linked to the main hospital building via a purpose built corridor with the large open-plan administrative area on the ground floor, and an orthopaedic theatre supported by two 28-bed wards on the first floor.

Taking full advantage of the benefits of off-site construction for healthcare facilities, the unit was handed over to the client in a number of phases with the theatre and one of the wards handed over in just 16 weeks! The overall programme for completion totalled 30 weeks.

Three years on the building is still being used to it's full potential and has proved a complete success. ModuleCo has provided a further 50 projects since that time meaning it's portfolio contains over 60 successfully completed specialist healthcare facilities to date, more than any other modular healthcare provider in the UK.

ModuleCo Ltd Build Modular Mortuary Facility

At the beginning of this year, ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare) completed their first modular mortuary project. The 380m2 facility is on hire for 1-year to Hull City Council providing temporary accommodation whilst the permanent mortuary is relocated. The design, installation and commissioning was completed in just 11-weeks with the prime equipment being transferred from the existing mortuary over a weekend, keeping the disruption of service to a minimum.

The new temporary mortuary includes refrigerated storage for 28 bodies and forensic storage for 8. The autopsy room has 5 autopsy tables and an isolation autopsy area. These areas are supported by offices, public viewing area, and staff facilities.

The mortuary manager commented: "We have moved into a temporary mortuary facility designed and built by ModuleCo. As the manager of this facility, I have no hesitation in complimenting ModuleCo on a job well done."

PKL Group (UK) Ltd rank 2nd in the Fast Track 50 Companies in the South West

The Western Daily Press have published today, (now in its fourth year) the Fast Track 50 Companies in the South West within a special publication. It pinpoints the fastest-growing firms in the area measured by their growth in turnover over four years, PKL Group are ranked 2nd.

PKL Group was established in 1985 and became an AIM listed PLC in April 2004. They are a niche support services company designing, providing and maintaining specialist facilities for foodservice and healthcare providers.

PKL Healthcare is a division of PKL Group and has been a key factor in the growth. PKL Group launched its healthcare division in 2001 and since this date have completed over of 60 healthcare projects, all of a technically complex nature to various NHS Trusts and other healthcare organisations in the UK and internationally. PKL Healthcare only use modern off-site (modular) construction and believe that this method offers great advantages to the healthcare sector, including shorter build time, minimised disruption on hospital sites and improved quality control.

Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge is one of PKL Healthcare's biggest projects so far, reaching over 3000m2, and valued at approximately £5 million. It provided a suitable solution for a hospital with restricted space. The new five-storey Emergency Assessment Unit was required to be positioned within a confined courtyard beside the existing Accident & Emergency department.

New Aseptic Suite for Oncology Centre

A 1st floor extension was required to be designed and manufactured to fit on top and link to the centres existing building. ModuleCo provided this facility using off-site construction methods.

Some of the advantages Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology benefited from, in choosing this modern method of construction are:

-  Less on-site disruption
-  Fast-track programme
-  Specialist exterior finish, in-keeping with the existing architecture
-  Enabled the facility to sit on top of an existing building therefore utilising the space available.

This cytotoxic pharmacy and dispensary comprises two aseptic suites, a gene therapy suite, 5 office suites, a storage room and a disabled access lift. One of the features is the brick cladding that was sampled and matched to the surrounding architecture. A specific request was that sheet cladding covered the steel work and original roof to give a maintenance free facility. The project was also manufactured, delivered and fully commissioned to provide a full turnkey solution.

"Another high quality facility, composed to exact specification and within our clients budget"

Pete Brookes - Site Manager - ModuleCo

Oral Maxillofacial Unit now complete

Located at Northwick Park Hospital, London, totaling in size to 1000m2 and only taking 16 weeks; ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare) designed and provided a modular healthcare facility using modern methods of construction.

The facility includes plaster moulding laboratories, minor operations rooms, dental rooms, offices, wc’s, showers, staff change areas and waiting areas. ModuleCo’s specialist off-site construction includes intensive M&E solutions. The facility links to the existing hospital and incorporates a disabled lift and a separate colourful child’s waiting area.

The facility was required at Northwick Park due to closure of a facility at Central Middlesex Hospital. The client procured the scheme via Procure21 with Interserve acting as Principal Supply Chain Partner, and Fitzpatrick a Principal Supply Chain Member.

Ray Blythe, Project Manager at Fitzpatrick commented: “With completion of the healthcare facility, I should like to take this opportunity to express our thanks for a job well done.

As ModuleCo has undoubtedly been aware, the whispers have been rife with the news of the completed scheme, together with excited compliments about the quality of the workmanship obtained by the builder. What more can I add to that, except to give thanks again on the completion of a successful project which has been brought about with the co-operation of both teams coming together for one aim; Patient care.

It has been a pleasure working with ModuleCo and indeed I hope we shall have an opportunity to work together in the near future”

Helping to cut down travelling time for dialysis patients

Getting Fast-track Renal Units into the community

There has been drive from the Government towards getting dialysis facilities into the community principally because of the travelling time for patients - some patients have to travel to the main city hospitals, and this can be up to 3 times a week, which can be daunting if you don’t live in the city.

ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare) can provide fast-track facilitiies using off-site manufacturing to help drive this Government inititive. The prime benefits of using this modern method of construction are:

· Programme time – reduced
· Reduced on-site activities – less disruption
· Factory environment – Controlled inspections and limited weather/labour restrictions

Below is an example of a facility that ModuleCo have provided and as you will read it has certainly reeped the benefits from both a patients and a business point of view.

Case Study:

A £2.3 million project providing a new nine-station dialysis unit and a new radiology suite at Cromer and District Hospital.

What: Radiology & Renal Unit
Where: Cromer Hospital, Norfolk
Features: 2 buildings – a 9 bed renal unit for kidney dialysis and a radiology unit, which is the new home for the hospitals MRI scanner, x-ray machine and ultrasound unit. The facility also features a specialist pitched roof to coincide with the existing architecture.

The nearest Radiology and Renal Unit was over an hour away and the hospital wanted to cut down on travelling time and inconvenience to its patients. So when they received money from Mrs Bernstein who was a local resident this allowed the hospital to obtain new equipment improve and expand hence cutting time and hassle for its patients.

'Excellent' endoscopy unit for Infirmary

Patients and staff will soon be feeling the benefits of a £3.5 million investment in endoscopy services, designed and provided by ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare).

The new modular endoscopy suite replacing the outdated accommodation in the Brotherton Wing of the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) has now officially opened in the Clarendon Wing.

The new unit – a state-of-the-art facilty designed using off-site construction, was lifted into place using a specially commissioned 250 ft crane – will improve the patient experience and provide staff with first class clinical facilities.

It will also provide the flexibility to expand endoscopy services in the future – for example if the Government presses ahead with plans to introduce nationwide colorectal screening.

Consultant Gastroenterologist Dr Simon Everett said: “The new endoscopy unit provides state of the art accommodation and modern healthcare facilities for diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the gastro-intestinal tract.

“There are spacious, comfortable and dignified patient areas as well as purpose built facilities for the hands-on training of future endoscopists. We believe this will significantly enhance the service we can offer patients in Leeds.”

Endoscopy services were previously provided in a three roomed unit in the basement of the Botherton Wing. The facilities were cramped, with little scope to improve decontamination services in line with new regulations. Because of estates constraints, inpatients and outpatients had to share facilities.

The new unit has four spacious rooms and is equipped with the latest in decontamination technology. Dedicated training areas will allow the Trust to build on its excellent reputation for training the endoscopists of tomorrow.

Trust chief executive Neil McKay said: “We have known for some time that we needed to bring endoscopy accommodation into the 21st century.

“I’m delighted that the reconfiguration of acute services across the Trust has given us with the opportunity to provide this excellent new facility. The unit is a tremendous development, both for our patients and the staff who care for them.”

Official Opening of Endospopy Unit for Leeds Teaching Hospital

This 33 week programme delivered by ModuleCo will have its official opeing tomorrow. The new Endospopy Unit comprises four Endospopy treatment rooms, Endospopy cleaning rooms, and four examination consultant rooms. Stage 1 and stage 2 recovery areas, patient preparation, reception, waiting area. Also a seminar teaching room that connects to the treatment rooms for training purposes.

ModuleCo utilised the site space to enable the facility to be completed. The facility was craned into a confined courtyard area - by one of the biggest cranes in the country and then linked to two sides of the hospital covering nearly the whole diameter of the courtyard area.

The project required a construction of steel support framework between two parts of the existing hospital within a courtyard area followed by transporting the facility units to sit onto the steel support framework via an occupied part of the hospital with a crane.

The Royal Liverpool Children’s NHS Trust, Alder Hey

Working for ACM, ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare) designed and built a new 2-storey modular neurosurgery ward at Alder Hey Hospital – built under ProCure 21 using alternative finance, and includes two theatres and a five-bed high-dependency unit.

The trust had a need for the new service but had no capital to fund it. The answer to this was a £6.5m managed and service facility, paid through the new revenue stream and utilising modular buildings provided by ModuleCo. Modular buildings are classed as temporary, therefore attracting no capital charges.

The building at Alder Hey is of the highest quality and is natural in appearance and it is a great example of the changing perceptions of modular buildings and off-site construction. It is robust and has a design life warranty of 60 years.

New Emergency Assessment Unit opens its doors

Staff at Addenbrooke's Hospital have been putting the finishing touches to the new Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU), and from this week are welcoming the first patients to the new facilities.

The EAU has come a long way since September last year when the 68 modular units or 'building blocks' provided by ModuleCo that made up the unit were dropped into place. Over the last six months PKL Healthcare's building work has continued inside the unit to make it ready to open its doors to its first patients.

The unit will change the way emergency care is organised in the hospital. It will provide one 'front door' for emergencies instead of the current two - the Accident and Emergency department and the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU), which are situated at opposite ends of the hospital.

Patients will be assessed on arrival in the Emergency Department (ED) adjacent to the EAU by an integrated multi-professional team including doctors, nurses and other staff who will make early decisions about treatment and care. This will enable the team to decide whether patients can be discharged, managed within the EAU or need a specialist opinion or possible admission to the main hospital.

The unit will feature medical and surgical short-stay wards and an adult Clinical Decision Unit and a Children's Observation Unit, improved access to radiology facilities and rapid pathology testing, plus rapid access clinic facilities for emergency patients.

The Clinical Decision Unit, an area for observation or treatment and further clinical decision-making, is already open to patients. Over the next few weeks the other areas of the EAU will become occupied and will be up and running. The official opening will take place in June.

Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust - Birmingham Heartland Hospital, Birmingham

ModuleCo (formerly PKL Healthcare) designed and built the UK’s first modular diagnostic imaging suite. The sophisticated facility for a radiology department was constructed to permanent building standards but with the benefits of off-site construction.

The 20-week Programme procured on a 10-year operating lease, features a two-storey building with a pitched roof and brick slip cladding. It incorporates RF enclosure, magnetic and lead shielding protection, concrete bases to bear the weight of the scanners.

"PKL Healthcare provided an innovative solution to the Trust’s requirements to house two MR scanners and one CT scanner within a very tight timescale. The new building has blended well with it’s surroundings and we look forward to a partnership with PKL to ensure that the high specifications required for state of the art Diagnostic Imaging Facilities are maintained and further developed in the future"
Lowri Morus, Clinical Director

New PKL Healthcare unit helps waiting times fall in Swansea

A new £5.2million purpose-built day surgery unit at Singleton Hospital is helping to speed up treatment times for patients in Swansea and bring down long waiting times Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons said today (March 9th).

The new unit, supplied by ModuleCo, which was officially opened today, is open 12 hours a day, five days a week and provides an additional 80 to 100 operations each week.

Built with off-site construction methods, the facility incorporates two operating theatres, four 6-bed recovery units, four assessment rooms, ancillary and staff facilities.

Dr Gibbons said: "Since the day surgery unit opened at Singleton last October patients have seen a huge difference in the way they are treated. The Welsh Assembly Government has given a commitment to reduce waiting times across Wales and by providing £1.8m towards this unit patients in Swansea are seeing this happen.

"One of this year's targets for the NHS is to increase the number of procedures carried out in a day theatre setting so that patients don't have to spend any longer than is necessary in hospital. With this facility patients coming in for cataract surgery spend around two hours at the unit from admission to discharge. This is a huge improvement.

"The unit has also had an impact on general elective waiting times. With patients being treated in the new day unit, main theatre space has been freed up increasing the capacity of the Trust to carry out operations.

"Thanks to the hard work of NHS staff in Swansea there have been some dramatic falls in long waiting times over the last year. With the opening of the new day surgery unit at Singleton I am sure unit these falls will continue."