Ipswich Hospital is part of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust which serves a population of almost one million. Just before the pandemic, we were appointed to assist with the design of a new Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC). This was part of a £35 million scheme. The architects, KLH had worked on many healthcare projects, including the design of another facility in Ipswich – the Two Rivers Medical Centre. Leading the project were Castons chartered surveyors.

Our input as acoustics consultants was to review the scheme for compliance with the Department of Health design guidance, HTM 08-01 Acoustics. We ensured that the local authority’s planning conditions would be met, along with criteria for BREEAM 2018 credits HEA05 / POL05. We assessed the design proposals and advised on changes to meet stringent acoustic criteria within the operational constraints of a busy working hospital department. It was necessary to avoid adverse noise effects on properties in the area surrounding the proposed Unit.

We built a computer model using CadnaA software and completed our design work by May 2020. Due to the impact of Covid-19, the opening date for the Unit is likely to be early 2023, but we are pleased to play a role in this important addition to the hospital’s facilities.

The new dedicated UTC will offer significant benefits in-patient care. As the Trust’s website puts it: “Hospitals can be a scary and disorientating experience for some of our patients, so the Ipswich Hospital teams want to make it as easy as possible. All of our walk-in patients will come through a single door ‘walk-in service’.”

Client: North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Architect: KLH

Contractor: Castons

Contract value (overall scheme) : £35m

Image credits: KLH / Adrian James Acoustics