JANUARY 2006

DESIGN PROGRESS

The pace of work has increased in recent weeks, with staff from all of the disciplines making up the design team fully focused on the goal of being ‘on-site’ before the end of the summer. Steady progress is being made in all of the areas:

From next month, as well as this regular progress report on overall design progress, the update report will include a more detailed section focussing on the work of one of the disciplines making up the team. Next month’s focus will be on the work of the medical planners, seen below, who are from Capita Percy Thomas in London.

APPOINTMENT OF CONTRACTORS

The second question and answer session with the shortlisted contractors was held on 19^th December 2005. The contractors submitted their proposals on 17^th January 2006, with interviews being held on 26^th January.

ARTS PROJECT

The new hospital Arts Project has been awarded a National Lottery grant of £23,145 by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The grant is for stage 1 of the project, which will involve selecting the artists who will produce the artwork for the new hospital. This part of the project is due to begin in February 2006.

EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT

The process of identifying and selecting equipment for all wards and departments in the new hospital has begun in earnest. The Trust is working with staff from the Regional Supplies Service (RSS), who will purchase the equipment on our behalf once specifications have been agreed with user groups.

PROJECT NURSE

The Trust will be advertising in February for a specialist project nurse to join the new hospital project team. The purpose of the post is to provide professional nursing support and advice to the project team during the final stages of the design process for the new hospital and during the initial stage of the construction process. During the latter stages of the construction process the focus of the post will shift to the actual commissioning of the hospital.

APPROVALS

Final decisions by the Department of Finance and Personnel regarding the addendum to the Outline Business Case are expected before the end of January 2006.

PLANNING

A final series of meetings with officials from Planning Service is due to be held later this months to finalise the outstanding issues in connection with the planning application for the new hospital.

SECURITY

The project team has begun work with a specialist ‘crime prevention design officer’ from PSNI, who will assist the design team in ensuring that the new hospital provides a safe and secure environment for staff, patients and visitors.

Contact Details for the Project Offices are:

New Downe Hospital Project Offices

1st Floor McFadden House

Downe Hospital

Downpatrick

Co.Down

BT30 6JA

Tel: 028 4461 3866

Email: newdowne@dltrust.n-i.nhs.uk