University College London is a major public research university, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It is the largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment, and made up of a number of institutes and teaching hospitals in London.
Client Requirements
Having undertaken a number of projects for UCL in recent years, including the recent the relocation of the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital; Pickfords were asked to propose a plan to relocate the UCL’s Eastman Dental Hospital from Grays Inn Road and other sites, to a new state of the art building in West London.
The new centre which would be the new home to both hospitals would be one of the largest specialist centres for the treatment of conditions relating to the head and neck, including dental, ear, nose and throat (ENT), and hearing speech and balance.
Solution
One key aspect of this project was co-ordination of the various sub departments to ensure that the moves were carefully planned, according to a realistic programme.
Pickfords Project Manager chaired regular team meetings, producing detailed minutes, which formulated the move plan. The move plan was tailored to UCL’s departmental needs for when full operation was required, and allowed us to be flexible with our resources onsite. So when we were requested by UCL to delay the move of one department, our move plan was able to identify different areas where our crew could be deployed.
We worked with hospital staff to ensure that patients were not aversely impacted by the relocations taking place. This included arranging appropriate manpower to make sure that moves took place after patients breakfast, and were finished by the evening.
The removal of one department was fully set up before another department began, ensuring a sequential removal process which ensured the hospital continued to run throughout.
We also supported Eastman Hospital staff by providing pre-packing assistance.
Loading/unloading points were all pre-agreed to ensure minimal disruption to patients, and Pickfords vehicles were marshalled to ensure that blue light traffic was not compromised.
Following the relocation, we made sure that the building was cleared and all furniture or weee that required disposal was done so in an environmentally friendly manner.
The project involved the relocation of;
- Lab equipment - We safely packaged and moved all bench-top and freestanding equipment
- Hazardous materials - Which included chemicals including, Hydrochloric acid, Flux, and Butane Gas
- Personal belongings of staff
- Furniture – Furniture needed to be de-commissioned, and re-commissioned. Our specialist fitters were on-site for each move to support this service
- IT/Phones/Filing/Safes/Plants/Fridges, and Freezers
- Crates - Crates were provided before the moves.
Result
However, they all have the same common theme, and that is to achieve the pre- agreed desired outcomes.
Many projects face challenges and issues that can cause projects to overrun, but the Team we put together for this contract, already knew the common challenges that UCL face, and had the support of resources in place to counteract any issues encountered.
Pickfords’ removal teams completed all the moves on time, while also working within UCL’s safety guidelines to ensure the safety of all. This included the safe use of PPE, frequent washing and sanitising of hands, and the daily washing of uniforms.
We have worked with UCL many times in recent years, and so we already knew that their projects can be unique in nature and differ from project to project.