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Healthcare

MRI Facility for Glenfield Hospital, Leicester

University Hospitals of Leicester appointed Actiform as Principal Contractor to design and build an extension to Glenfield Hospital’s existing MRI department. The facility included basement-level accommodation, an enclosed rooftop plant area and the enabling infrastructure required for Siemens to install its specialist MRI equipment.

Expertise
  • Modular healthcare construction
  • MRI and specialist clinical facilities
  • Principal Contractor delivery
  • Live hospital-site logistics
  • Groundworks, drainage and enabling works
  • Stakeholder-led design development
Deliverables
  • Extension to the existing MRI department
  • Basement-level clinical accommodation
  • Enclosed rooftop plant area
  • Associated groundworks and drainage
  • Enabling works for Siemens MRI equipment
  • Piled retaining structure maintaining partial road access

Challenge

Solution

  1. 01/

    Challenge

    University Hospitals of Leicester needed to expand its existing MRI department with a specialist facility capable of accommodating new Siemens imaging equipment. The building, associated plant and enabling infrastructure all had to be carefully coordinated within a live hospital environment.

    Solution

    Actiform was appointed as Principal Contractor to design and build the extension. The scope included basement-level accommodation, an enclosed rooftop plant area, groundworks and drainage, together with all enabling works required for Siemens to install the specialist MRI equipment.

  2. 02/

    Challenge

    Construction work risked restricting an important access road used by hospital staff, visitors and patients. A conventional groundworks solution would have increased disruption and added time and cost to the programme.

    Solution

    Actiform developed a piled solution using reinforced piles cast in situ to create the retaining structure. This allowed the road to remain partially open during construction, minimising disruption across the operational hospital site while reducing the programme and saving the Trust approximately 6% on groundworks costs.

  3. 03/

    Challenge

    The project brought together the Trust, its incumbent suppliers, clinical and estates stakeholders, and Siemens as the specialist equipment provider. Design decisions and key installation stages needed to be agreed early to protect the demanding 16-week on-site programme.

    Solution

    Actiform held fortnightly design meetings with all stakeholders and established a detailed programme identifying each critical stage. Early engagement and integrated working enabled risks and value-engineering opportunities to be identified during design development, supporting the successful delivery of the MRI building.

Our Approach

Actiform worked directly for University Hospitals of Leicester and coordinated closely with the Trust’s incumbent suppliers throughout the project. As Principal Contractor, the team managed the design-and-build process alongside the groundworks, drainage and specialist enabling works needed for the MRI installation.

Fortnightly design meetings created a consistent forum for stakeholder decisions, while a detailed programme established the sequence and responsibilities for each key stage. This collaborative approach allowed the requirements of the Trust, hospital teams and Siemens to be integrated before construction progressed.

Actiform’s healthcare experience informed the site strategy. Recognising the importance of maintaining access on an operational hospital campus, the team replaced a more disruptive groundworks approach with a reinforced piled retaining structure. This solution kept the road partially operational, reduced the construction programme and delivered a cost saving for the client.

Early engagement and close coordination resulted in a successful delivery and established a strong working relationship between Actiform and the project stakeholders, leading to further project opportunities.

The Results

16Weeks, On-site delivery period

6%Saving, achieved on groundworks costs

Working closely with our estates and clinical leads, Actiform supported the design and build of a new modular emergency care unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow. The team helped us move away from traditional, siloed structures towards a flexible, technology-enabled space, working hand in hand with our design team to deliver a future-focused build, fully integrated into hospital operations.

Pasqualino Risi

Associate director of Estates and Facilities, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust