15th July 2024

Perega uses surgical precision on £14m hospital expansion

Perega’s engineering expertise has been crucial in completing a new £14 million, 3-storey theatre block at East London’s King George Hospital. This state-of-the-art ‘elective care hub’ adds two theatres next to an existing block, enabling an additional 100 patients to be treated weekly and helping to reduce a waiting list of 6,000 people in need of inpatient surgery.

Perega was appointed by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust in October 2021 to provide civil engineering and structural design consultancy for all stages of the project, and later novated to the main contractor Neilcott Construction, guiding it from the preliminary stages to its completion in April of this year. The new structure, adjacent to Block 5, involved demolishing an existing single-storey extension and knocking though the external wall of Block 5.

The team’s oversight included the construction of three distinct floors. The ground floor, designated for clinical use, changing areas, and storage, is built on a ground-bearing reinforced concrete (RC) slab. Operating theatres are the main focus of the first floor, which has therefore been designed to withstand heavy medical equipment, while the second floor houses essential plant units beneath a metal deck roof engineered to support photovoltaic panels. Importantly, the concrete floors are vibration-compliant, a crucial feature for delicate surgical procedures.

The striking new block features a two-storey concrete frame from the ground level, transitioning to a steel frame from the second floor to the roof. The internal staircases, lift shaft and pit are constructed in RC extending to the roof level, capped with an RC lid. Meanwhile, the new external steel staircase is installed on the existing RC link corridor and provides access to the new plant room and roof level. The steel staircase is designed as an independent structure and takes into account the existing lateral movement connection of the existing link corridor.

Our structural engineer, Michael Metaxakis remarks, “The meticulous design and construction reflect Perega’s dedication to meeting modern healthcare facility standards. We were committed to improving King George Hospital’s capabilities with innovative structural solutions tailored to the unique demands of medical infrastructure.”

For more information about Perega’s work on critical healthcare infrastructure, vit our “Healthcare Engineering” section.