Topping Out ceremony at The Royal Oldham Hospital

Date published: 02 August 2012

Construction staff from VINCI UK joined hospital staff to host a Topping Out ceremony for the new £44 million women’s and children’s facility at The Royal Oldham Hospital on Tuesday 31 July.

The ceremony took place on the roof-top garden of the new five-storey women’s and children’s facility to mark a key milestone in the construction of the hospital.

A spade, which is traditionally used to signify the initial start of construction, was presented at the ceremony to represent the last shovel of turf soil to complete the unique green roof.

The new facility includes a paediatric theatre, two obstetric theatres, delivery suites, post natal wards, gynae outpatients centre, an endoscopy unit, paediatric day and case wards, A&E observation unit, surgical triage and a 30-bed assessment unit.

VINCI Construction UK also refurbished 2,700m² of the existing first floor wards. The wards included the ante-natal clinic, wards and day case, a gynaecological assessment unit, early pregnancy unit with overnight stay and a midwife led unit (MLU).

Vincent Boodea, project manager, VINCI Construction UK, Building Division – North, said: “Today marks a key milestone in the construction of the hospital, as now that we have completed the roof of the new department, the project is coming into the final stage of completion. Our aim has been to construct a facility that offers Greater Manchester the highest standard of healthcare and we are confident the new department will serve the Trust and local community well.”

Mark Thomas, Regional Director, VINCI Construction UK, Building Division – North, added: “Today is a very exciting day and it is great to see the excellent progress on this project. The building will serve as a modern and cutting-edge healthcare facility, which will stand to serve the local communities of Oldham for many years to come.”

The Royal Oldham Hospital is the fourth project VINCI Construction UK has undertaken for The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

John Jesky, Chairman of the Trust congratulated Vinci Construction UK and its staff on the building of the development. He said: “This is a fantastic building that has been carefully thought out in its design and construction. I know our staff here are extremely excited about the new building and the improved services we will be able to provide for women and children in the future.

"This new unit will mean so much to our patients, particularly those from Oldham, Rochdale and surrounding areas. In particular, mothers and families with babies who are sick and in need of specialist neonatal care will be treated nearer to home rather than having to travel to central Manchester. We look forward to being operational from December this year. The countdown has begun.”

Once the new development is complete in December this year, The Royal Oldham Hospital will be one of three regional centres providing the highest level of intensive care to the smallest and most vulnerable babies. The new unit will house 37 neonatal cots and 110 expert staff will treat around 550 babies each year from Oldham, Rochdale and the surrounding areas.