COVID, 2-years on…
Back in March 2020…
Before the unprecedented global pandemic hit and disrupted everyone and everything, it was business as usual here at Helix CMS and we were proudly working on a project at Hull Royal Infirmary (HRI), which was initially a 13-week fit out of a modular building, designed, and developed to be two new general wards. But little did we know what was to come…
As a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, unequivocally, the requirements needed to change mid-project, to support not only HRI and the incredible key-workers but also the people of Hull, with an influx of critical care patients being admitted to the hospital. This meant we had to quickly re-evaluate our plans and mobilise our teams, as the two wards we were working hard on delivering were to be updated, becoming a specific respiratory ward and dedicated COVID-19 ward.
As requirements changed part way through the build process, our agile team applied their extensive experience and expertise in order to deliver these specialist requirements, which included:
The design and construction of a double lift structure including lift pits
The design and construction of a two-storey plant room accommodating the district main provided heating (steam plant), medical gases, air handling unit
Further redesign of the building’s air handling system was required to accommodate the respiratory ward
Pivoting projects during a pandemic
Casting our minds back to March 2020 with the rising threat of COVID-19 and the levels of uncertainty it brought with it, the Helix CMS team, much like everyone else - were concerned for their health, their families and their life. Despite this, as the world locked down, we couldn’t have been prouder of how the Helix CMS team responded, continuing to work on the HRI site to build and deliver such an integral project, during a time of crisis.
Our team, led by Mark Pearson, showed commitment, dedication, drive and determination. Throughout both the pandemic and the project, our team showed resilience and acted with consideration for key-workers, patients and visitors alike at every turn, working extremely hard to deliver excellence in construction under such difficult circumstances.
Joe Fletcher, Senior Site Manager, remembers operating through 2020, “Working at the hospital was quite scary and there were many times we didn’t really quite know what we were up against. Nobody did. The virus. The rules. The regulations. It was a whole new experience.”
Facing challenges through challenging times
Helix CMS faced many challenges throughout the pandemic; physically, emotionally and operationally. Ensuring we had Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our staff to wear onsite, as well as strictly managing social distancing between our team and onsite subcontractors was an intensive process. We had an obligation to consistently implement the government’s ever-changing COVID rules, which on a live construction site within a clinical environment, was a daily challenge. But we did everything in our power to ensure our sites were kept as safe as possible, considering infection control, staff requirements and patient safety every step of the way.
One of the main challenges throughout the pandemic was the availability of materials, we had to navigate our way through a shortage of building materials to ensure none of our projects were affected. As a rule, we always choose to support local suppliers to procure our materials wherever possible. Pandemic or not - this is always the case for Helix CMS. It’s only through the best supply chain and collaborative and transparent relationships with our subcontractors and clients at every stage, that we’re able to manage risks and complete projects on time and within budget.
Client feedback
It is our promise to commit to our clients’ success. We promise to deliver every Helix CMS project to the highest standard in collaboration with trusted partners through transparent, innovative and modern ways of thinking and working - which is exactly what we delivered and demonstrated with the COVID wards. The project is a true testament to our team, leaving a lasting legacy.
“Helix CMS delivered the COVID-19 wards and felt immensely proud of being able to support the NHS. The staff at Hull Royal Infirmary were extremely grateful, as were the Trust and playing a part in helping the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic was an honour.” - Duncan Taylor, Director of Estates, Facilities and Development for the Hull University Teaching Hospital NHS Trust.
March 2022: 2-years on…
Whilst COVID-19 remains widespread across the UK and will need to be managed for some time to come, for Helix CMS it is of paramount importance that the Construction Leadership Councils guidance and rules are continued to be followed, to continue to minimise risks around the spread of COVID-19. Many of the guidelines that were implemented as a result of the pandemic have now become business as usual for Helix CMS.
Navigating our way through the pandemic required us to adopt essential practices to ensure complete safety – and as a result, we will be continuing to be extra vigilant, reviewing and revising risk assessments on existing and new projects in-line with COVID-19 measures. These procedures have helped us to implement very good practices over the last 18 months, including more organised sites, enhanced welfare facilities, increased ventilation and improved communication with the workforce. All of our staff are trained on infectious diseases and throughout every one of our sites, you will see employees and subcontractors continuing to wear a mask and PPE.
The ‘pandemic projects’ we built for the Hull University Teaching Hospital Trust back in 2020 at Hull Royal Infirmary continue to operate as COVID wards, providing the trust, the hospital and the community with clinically safe facilities to enable all healthcare staff to manage COVID-19 cases as they arise within the city.
Although we’re very much in the process of ‘living with COVID’, even two-years on, new pandemic-related problems become apparent and as a result, Helix CMS have since been invited back to the wards, to carry out continuous improvements as and when required to meet the needs of both hospital employees and patients. For example, we have created walkways to ensure the COVID wards are accessible to and from the main hospital and have made waiting rooms and family rooms bigger to ensure that patients and visitors alike are adequately supported when using the hospital facilities.
Overall, as a company, the pandemic has certainly been both a learning and educational process. Before the pandemic, as a construction company that specialises within the healthcare industry our standards were already always high, but now, we have even more stringent protocols in place to ensure risks are mitigated at every opportunity.
When we established the business in 2020, the healthcare industry was at breaking point but our knowledge, experience, dynamism and determination in supporting the healthcare sector enabled us to not only survive, we’ve been able to thrive - with more projects in the pipeline, here’s to a future of providing excellence in construction projects that make a positive difference.
Read more about our COVID ward projects in our portfolio, here.