The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Acute Assessment Unit

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist cancer care, research, and education facility in Manchester.  The Christie were reviewing the option of converting a blank floor space in the relatively new four-storey Proton Beam Building located on the Christie site, into a new 26-bed Acute Assessment Unit.

S I Sealy were first asked to create a stage 2 report to identify and assess feasibility options and budget costs for the MEP services associated with the proposed development and identify any key risk areas regarding MEP services.

S I Sealy were then approached to join forces with their P22 Contractor IHP (Vinci & Sir Robert McAlpine) to carry out the full design and installation of the project in 16 weeks.

This project involved fitting out an existing shelled fourth-floor space within the proton beam building to form a new acute assessment unit (AAU). The new development is a 1850m2 area and consists of the ward and bedded areas as well as staff facilities and office space. The new AAU utilises existing mechanical and electrical infrastructure to provide HTM compliant services to the new areas with additions as required.

All team members met the next day on 20^th March and 3 days later were on site putting the carcass of the new unit together. The new AAU’s full design and installation was escalated and completed in five weeks. It is a fully operational Oncology Unit. During the current Pandemic, the ventilation has been adapted for ventilation pressures which offer a short-term facility to cater for the unit.