Medway Hospital - Ruby Ward

Marcon Construction was appointed under a JCT Intermediate Contract with Contractor’s Design Portion (CDP) to deliver Ruby Ward—a new, purpose-built cardiorespiratory facility at Medway Maritime Hospital. Funded by NHS England, this £5 million project marks the first phase of the Trust’s long-term plan to establish a Cardiorespiratory Village and expand critical care capacity across the hospital.

Scope of Works

The project involved transforming a previously vacant space into a state-of-the-art ward, including:

• A 30-bed cardiorespiratory ward
• A dedicated seven-bed Respiratory Support Unit (RSU) for high-acuity patients
• Installation of new IPS panels and medical gas systems
• Upgraded sanitary facilities and mechanical and electrical infrastructure
• Fire compartmentation, fire doors, and associated builders’ works
• Walls and partitions were reconfigured to suit the clinical layout, and specialist infection prevention measures were integrated throughout the design.

Challenges and Solutions

• Crane Lifting New Plant into a Courtyard Over a Live Building
  • One of the significant challenges was the installation of a new Air Handling Unit (AHU) into an internal courtyard surrounded by live hospital departments. This required meticulous planning and coordination to ensure patient and staff safetyThe AHU was craned into position during carefully scheduled times to minimize disruption, with all necessary safety measures in place.

• Working in a Live Hospital Environment
  The works were delivered within a live hospital environment, directly adjacent to operational wards. This required:
  • Close coordination with clinical staff
  • Careful scheduling of noisy works
  • Strict adherence to infection control and patient safety procedures

Client Testimonial

“This is a really significant development for our hospital, which is set to benefit the community in Medway and Swale for years to come.

We hope the new ward will play a role in improving our services, with the availability of more beds helping to treat patients sooner.

It will also stand us in a better position to deal with any further pandemic outbreaks.

I want to give a special mention to our colleagues and contractors involved in this project – thanks to their hard work and dedication over the last four months, we have been able to open the ward in record time.”
— Jayne Black, Chief Executive, Medway NHS Foundation Trust