Progress continues on new urgent care department at Chesterfield Royal Hospital
The ‘super structure’ of the £24m Urgent and Emergency Care Development (UECD) at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has now been completed.
The UECD, due to open its doors in Spring/Summer 2023, has now reached the next stage in its build with the final concrete floor slab, now in place thanks to the expertise of specialist tradespeople.
The final section will be the base for offices, changing facilities and staff rooms.
Berenice Groves, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, said: “This is a great landmark moment for the development. It means we have completed a pivotal stage, without issue or concern and the structural elements are now in place. As we move forward, we’re focusing more on how the building will function and truly benefit our patients, colleagues and visitors.”
The concrete used is steel fibre reinforced concrete. The steel fibres reduce the need for traditional reinforcing bars and mesh as the fibres, making the process more effective and efficient. The concrete was pumped through a mobile concrete pump to the work site before being vibrated, and ‘floated’. ‘Powerfloating’ essentially polishes the surface of the concrete to achieve a smooth uniform finish to a high level of accuracy.
Though the concrete can now be walked on, having been poured on Friday, 11 March, it will continue to set for a further 56 days.
Berenice added: “The move to complete our structure of the UECD is a hugely positive and welcome one. The concrete – like many of the elements of the building – was managed by professionals, who are specialists in their area and we are very pleased with the process to date.”
The Trust recently went out to patients, colleagues and the public to ask about the colours and artwork for the new development – the results of this will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
