Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust appointed ACA for a modular COVID ward design within Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI).
The Brief
The Trust commissioned ACA to design HRI’s latest COVID wards. Therefore ACA’s design team started work immediately on the new covid ward design; whilst under pressure to rapidly respond to the pandemic and a potential threat of a second wave.
The Design
The proposed new building structure includes as follows:
– Ground & First Floor: 2 single-sex 7-bed wards, 3 4-bedroom wards, five en-suites, one staff WC, a patient toilet, clean and dirty utility, nurse base, nurse office, staff accommodation, 1 kitchen ward, disposal storage and storage areas.
Now fully operational, the new wards are separate from HRI, located at the back of the tower block. Namely, wards 37 and 38 are in the new, modular, two-storey building connected to the existing Ward 36. Furthermore, this connection allows the seamless delivery of care from the staff in the new and existing wards.
Crucially, the architectural design of wards 37 and 38 provides more circulation space for staff and patients. This means that staff can easily manoeuvre around each of the wards and work around the flow of patients entering and exiting the ward. Moreover, there is an improved mechanical ventilation system and also glass doors. This helps to protect those within the building from infection, by improving the wards’ ventilation and preventing further spread of the virus.
