Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has opened a new £24.3 m Outpatients Department at Stepping Hill Hospital, delivered in partnership with Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) specialist MTX Contracts Ltd.
The hospital, which is one of four specialist hubs for emergency and high-risk general surgery in Greater Manchester, will use the new facility to modernise outpatient services and provide improved care for the 500,000 patients who attend each year.
The new building unifies outpatient services back and offers multiple consulting rooms, procedure and treatment rooms, as well as waiting areas and ancillary facilities.
Services to be delivered from the centre include orthoptics, optometry, dentistry, cardiology, neurology, oncology, pain management, podiatry and rheumatology.
A total of 72 structural steel modules were manufactured offsite lifted by crane into position in late 2024, creating the shell of the new unit. Once assembled, the structure was made weatherproof and concrete floors installed. Mechanical and electrical elements, including air-handling units, were also prefabricated in factory conditions before being fitted onsite.
MTX said the use of MMC shortened the construction programme by enabling site clearance, groundworks and module manufacturing to take place simultaneously. The site presented a number of challenges, including the removal of asbestos-containing structures, an abandoned underground plantroom and the diversion of live utilities.
The company added that its hybrid construction techniques can reduce carbon emissions by up to 45 per cent compared with traditional methods, while the use of lighter weight materials and reduced transport requirements supported the Trust’s Joint Green Plan with Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Karen James OBE, Chief Executive officer of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is excellent to see this fantastic new building open, and that our outpatients service will be available under the same roof once more, in a greatly improved environment.”
Paul Williams, Project director at MTX, added: “Our vision was to create a modern, welcoming and efficient space that would improve the experience for patients and staff alike – and I believe collectively we’ve achieved exactly that.”
