Chelsea and Westminister Hospital extension of ICU and NICU

5th Floor ICU Extension & Refurbishment – Two Phased Project

The intensive care unit (ICU) at C&W has been recognised worldwide for its clinical quality, teaching and research output since its conception.

The need now is to develop and support the intensive care service with the necessary investment to meet the demand and the challenges ahead and to meet the current best practice standards in terms of; infection control, spatial provision, clinical segregation, and general support accommodation needs.

The ICU services need to expand to deliver the new activity resulting from the Shaping Healthier Futures (SaHF) programme and the expanded estate at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The SaHF programme and expanded ED will result in a third more ICU activity (1,920 bed days) from 2017. A feasibility study was undertaken to explore options to expand the current ICU with planning permission obtained to expand onto the roof. The unit currently has 10 beds a 4 bedded bay for level 2 patients and 6 beds for level 3 patients.
This expansion will provide a dedicated critical care service for 20 patients. This includes 5 single isolation rooms with lobbies and 15 single bed rooms.
The proposed works involve expansion of the current ICU space into the 5th floor roof space facing the Fulham Road. A new plant room will be located above the 5th floor expansion space.


3rd Floor NICU Extension & Refurbishment - Three Phased Project

A feasibility study was undertaken in 2012, which outlined 3 proposed options, which were presented to the trust executive team. The team supported option 3 which created a separated 13 cot SCBU and a reconfiguration of the HDU/ITU space in NICU to provide 31 cots, which would again have given the hospital a total of 43 cots and ability to reduce occupancy levels. Funding for the build was not available however and this was suspended whilst suitable funding and clarity on number of cots was sought, in light of the regional changes proposed under the Shaping a Healthier Future (SaHF) programme.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit includes 42 cot spaces plus an additional treatment room, that are segregated into three primary categories: Intensive Care (14 cots), High Dependency (12 cots) Special Care (16 cots) with one Treatment Room.
In April 2016, a full business case approval was granted by The Trust Board for approval of both the NICU and ICU schemes.
The proposed works will include extending into the vacated plant space on top of the Netherton Grove Extension (a recently completed two-storey extension that was constructed over a remodelled A&E Ambulance parking bay to provide additional facilities).