This means work can now begin on installing all of the necessary infrastructure, electrics, cabling, oxygen supplies, dividing walls and so much more. Once the extension has been completed early next year, the team will relocate the current Emergency Department into the new building, so that the existing building can also be reconfigured, rebuilt and joined onto the new building to create a state-of-the-art department that is fit for the future.
To celebrate the milestone, Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan, visited the building site and met with the team from GRAHAM who are constructing the new department.
He said: “It really is magnificent to be able to visit the site and see all of the hard work that is taking place behind all of the hoarding. A massive thank you to everyone involved, and also to our amazing patients and staff who are being so understanding and allowing all of this to take place on a very busy hospital site. It is not an exaggeration to say that without their support and co-operation none of this would be possible.
“I am personally blown away by the scale of this project. This new build is just half of the transformation. Once it has been completed it will enable us to then relocate and look at the existing department.”
Ronan Hughes, Regional Director at GRAHAM, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating Pilgrim Emergency Department reaching this important construction milestone. Drawing on our significant healthcare experience, we will deliver new medical facilities that will transform the quality of care for patients, not just for now, but for the future.”
Visitors to the hospital might also have noticed that the crane has also been taken away from the site over the weekend.
Scaffolding around the four-storey building to the left of the main hospital entrance has also been removed. Over the last two years, this building has been gutted, upgraded and repurposed as additional clinical and office space as part of a £3 million investment. This has seen the renovation of two whole levels and the clearing of a third, upgrades to electrics and infrastructure, as well as the controlled removal of some asbestos by a specialist company.
Andrew added: “These works have enabled us to relocate some of our administration teams and some services within the site. This meant we were then able to clear and demolish the necessary areas to enable the expansion and transformation of the Emergency Department.
“These works have seen around 1,000 square metres brought back into use, including five rooms for minor procedures, two treatment rooms, 21 clinic rooms, waiting areas, offices, staff rooms, as well as creating valuable space on the top floor that is ready to be repurposed in the future as the need arises. This is a real opportunity for us as space is always at a premium. It has been brilliant to see the scaffolding coming down and more and more of the building coming back into use.”
There is still a lot of work to be done before the fully operational Emergency Department opens in 2026. Once completed, the department will:
- More than double in size
- Include state-of-the-art innovations and infection prevention control measures
- Have a much bigger resuscitation zone for the sickest patients
- Have more cubicles in which to treat patients
- Have a separate area dedicated to providing emergency care for the hospital’s youngest patients and their families
- Have a much better environment for patients and staff.