6 December 2011

One of the largest hospital moves ever undertaken in Europe will take place Tuesday 6 December when the first of more than 3000 employees and 11,000 boxes move into the new Royal London Hospital.

Years of planning by a specialised logistics team will come to the fore as the Diagnostics and Imaging department becomes the first area to settle into the world class facilities in Whitechapel.

Barts and the London NHS Trust Medical Director Dr Steve Ryan said other wards would continue moving into the brand new 17 storey building over a period of 12 weeks until the hospital opens fully on 1 March 2012.

Already a striking addition to the London skyline, the new hospital’s world class facilities will be home to London’s air ambulance, the UK’s leading trauma and emergency centre and a highly-acclaimed children’s hospital.

Dr Ryan said: “We have a team of experts who have been working around the clock to organise the logistics involved for transporting employees, equipment and hundreds of patients over three months.

“A specialist Move Management Centre has been setup for a dedicated team of 30 staffers to coordinate the move and will be a hive of activity.

“Given it’s the first time the Royal London Hospital has moved from its current premise since 1757, it’s a significant challenge and the beginning of a brand new chapter in our Trust’s history.”

52,000 pieces of new furniture and equipment have already been installed in the new hospital, along with more than 1000 toilets and 23 large theatre rooms.

More than 12,000 keys are ready to unlock the hospital’s doors and 75,000 bedsheets, 28,000 towels and 3000 new pillows are prepared for the first patients.

This will be the 26th hospital move that David Grey from business removals company Harrow Green has project managed over the past 11 years in the United Kingdom.

Mr Grey said: “Moving a hospital is always a challenge as there is zero room for error when very expensive medical equipment and sick people are involved.

“Planning and organisation are key but we also need to be flexible. For example, we won’t know how many people need to move in a ward until 24 hours beforehand because it depends on the ward’s capacity.

“Moving house is meant to be one of the most stressful things a person can face so you can imagine the details involved with moving an entire hospital.”

The new Royal London hospital will provide the people of east London – among some of the most deprived communities in the UK - with one of the best-equipped and most comfortable hospitals anywhere, reflecting at last the outstanding clinical excellence of staff.

More than 40% of the ward accommodation will be provided in single rooms with en-suite facilities, with the remainder as roomy four-bedded bays, also with en-suite bathrooms.

Theatres are a third larger than in the current hospital and patient accommodation is on the outside of the building to maximise light and views.

Wards will have separate treatment rooms for minor procedures and there will be increased isolation facilities, including negative and positive pressure rooms.

Facts and figures for the new Royal London Hospital:

• 6000 rooms
• 727 beds
• 52,000 pieces of new furniture and loose equipment
• 75,000 bedsheets
• 28,000 towels
• 3000 pillows
• 12,000 keys
• More than 3000 staff to move
• Approximately 300 patients to move
• Occupies an area equivalent to 40 football pitches
• 97% of materials from demolished buildings are recycled
• The tallest building is 284ft, the same height as Big Ben
• The building has used 7000 km of metal reinforcement (the distance between London and Miami), and 175,000 tonnes of concrete.

- ENDS –