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Project to deliver the Newmarket Community Diagnostic Centre reaches new heights
On Thursday, 1 August, the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and its project partners gathered together to mark an exciting milestone in the project to deliver a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at the Newmarket Community Hospital.
A centuries-old practice in the construction industry, the ‘topping out’ ceremony commemorates the building reaching its tallest point, where branches are traditionally left on the last beam or highest point.
With ground having been broken in January this year, the construction phase of this project has progressed quickly and is now well over halfway done, with the building now completely watertight and works thoroughly underway to transform the interior of the building into its final form.
This new facility will provide patients living in the west of the region with quicker and faster access to a wide range of tests, such as MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, lung function and cardiology. This means waiting times will be reduced for patients, and a decrease in the length of time between being referred for tests, having appointments, getting results, and beginning any necessary treatment.
Moving forward, the site will soon welcome the teams that will deliver and install the new, state-of-the-art CT and MRI machines, with other equipment such as X-ray, ultrasound, heart and lung scanners arriving shortly after.
Nicola Booth, head of development for the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Despite the challenging weather conditions in the earlier part of this year, all the teams involved have worked incredibly hard to make sure we remain on track to deliver this project as planned, and it’s incredibly exciting to get to this point.
“The CDC will expand the services available at the Newmarket Community Hospital, so that our patients living in the west of the region will have quicker and easier access to the care they need.”
To help the Trust meet the NHS 2040 net zero targets, the CDC has been designed to use low-carbon prefabricated materials, as well as incorporating sustainable methods of construction such as neutralising the water used in concrete production with specialist equipment, reducing the building energy use through modern design and building simulation techniques, and offsetting further energy use with renewable sources. Both on the CDC and across the Newmarket Community Hospital site, more than 120 solar panels have been installed, which contribute towards a minimum of 46% on-site energy generation for the CDC. This is also supported by heat pumps that will provide heating and cooling to the building year-round.
During the construction phase, modern methods of construction such as offsite fabrication, material selection and use of modern building techniques, have so far resulted in a reduction in carbon equivalent to heating almost 21 houses for one year. This will only increase as the project continues.
To ensure the building meets the needs of all, engagement took place with public, patients and staff to ensure the interiors of the building are accessible. Additionally, these groups were also engaged on the themes of the décor, where the CDC will reflect the landscapes of Newmarket and its proud racing heritage.
The construction phase of the project is expected to be completed in early-November, and the first patients are due to be seen before Christmas.
Alister Broadberry, Morgan Sindall’s eastern counties area director, said: “The topping out ceremony at Newmarket Community Hospital’s new Community Diagnostic Centre marks an exciting milestone in the project. Once complete, this facility will provide a wide range of valuable health and well-being benefits for the local community, bringing key services closer to the people that need them.
“Collaborating closely with the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has been central to the construction, to ensure that the new centre is tailored to the needs of both the staff and patients. Our sustainability focused approach to construction also matches the Trust’s environmental commitment, which has seen us drive down emissions by using offsite manufacturing and employing technologies such as air source heat pumps and PV panels.”
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