Skip to content
Contact
This is a mobile onlu button

Healthcare

MRI Facility

Actiform was appointed as Principal Contractor to design and build a new MRI facility extension for University Hospitals of Leicester — delivering a £2M basement-level MRI department, ready for Siemens scanner installation, in 16 weeks without disrupting a busy operational hospital.

Expertise
  • Principal Contractor for NHS healthcare construction
  • Specialist groundworks and basement-level clinical infrastructure
  • Collaborative design and programme management on live hospital sites
Deliverables
  • Basement-level MRI accommodation with enclosed roof plant area
  • All enabling works for Siemens MRI equipment installation
  • Piled retaining structure keeping access routes open throughout

University Hospitals of Leicester needed to expand their MRI department to increase scan availability and reduce waiting times for patients. The project required a basement-level extension to a live, operational hospital — with complex groundworks, tight programme constraints, and the critical requirement that access routes for staff, visitors and patients be maintained throughout construction.

Challenge

Solution

  1. 01/

    Challenge

    Groundworks on a live hospital site risked closing access routes critical to day-to-day operations — for staff, patients, and emergency vehicles.

    Solution

    Actiform identified an opportunity to use a piled system with reinforced piles cast in situ to create a retaining structure, allowing the road to remain partially open throughout the groundworks phase. This approach not only maintained access but reduced programme length and saved the Trust approximately 6% on the cost of the groundworks — a value engineering outcome identified through early engagement with the design team.

  2. 02/

    Challenge

    MRI installations require precise coordination between the structural build and specialist equipment suppliers — any misalignment in programme or specification risks delaying the scanner installation and extending patient waiting times.

    Solution

    Actiform worked directly alongside the Trust and their incumbent suppliers, carrying out all enabling works in preparation for Siemens to install their specialist MRI equipment. Fortnightly design meetings were held with all stakeholders throughout, with a detailed programme agreed upfront that highlighted key stages and interdependencies, ensuring a seamless handover for the equipment installation team.

  3. 03/

    Challenge

    Delivering a technically complex basement-level build within a 16-week site programme required disciplined planning and proactive problem-solving from the outset.

    Solution

    Through early integrated working and close stakeholder engagement — including fortnightly design meetings with the Trust and all suppliers — Actiform identified programme efficiencies before work began on site. The result was a successful delivery within programme, a strong ongoing relationship with the Trust, and further projects secured as a direct result.

Our Approach

Actiform was appointed directly by the Trust as Principal Contractor, taking responsibility for the full design and build scope — from enabling works and groundworks through to structural delivery and handover ready for specialist MRI equipment installation. Early, integrated stakeholder engagement was central to the delivery model, with fortnightly design meetings keeping the Trust, incumbent suppliers, and Actiform aligned throughout.

The team’s experience working on live operational healthcare estates informed every decision, from the choice of piled retaining structure to the detailed programme sequencing. The proactive value engineering on the groundworks scope demonstrated a willingness to find smarter solutions rather than simply deliver to the original brief.

The Results

£2mContract value

16 WeeksFull site programme

~6%Saved on groundworks through value engineering

These scanners will be part of our hospital in daily use, which will increase the availability of scans and speed up the process for our patients.

Rebecca Brown

Acting Chief Executive, Leicester’s Hospitals