6 March 2023

Construction work on Portsmouth’s new multi million-pound Emergency Department is well underway and the hospital Trust is making sure the build is as environmentally friendly as possible.

Concrete and steel materials from a recently demolished car park at Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA) have been recycled and reused in the construction of the new Emergency Department.

Over 3000 tonnes of concrete has been crushed and retained on site at the Cosham hospital. This crushed material is now being used to build the groundwork and foundations of the new Emergency Department.

By reusing the recycled concrete, additional heavy goods vehicle journeys haven’t been required to bring in extra materials on site and no concrete needed to be sent to landfill. The reduction in vehicle use has helped to reduce air pollution produced by vehicles.

Around 321 tonnes of reinforcing steel and the steel car park frame structure have also been recycled and sold to a local steel plant, who will melt the steel down and reform it into something new. This sale has contributed to the costs of demolition.

Mark Orchard, Chief Financial Officer at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said: “We’re excited to be able to recycle these demolished car park materials and find ways to reuse the concrete and steel in the new build.

“The Trust recently launched its Green Plan, which sets out how we will achieve a lower carbon footprint and initiate a range of long-term changes that contribute to environmental sustainability. This recent recycling of old materials for the new Emergency Department is a great example of our commitment to improving our environmental performance.”

The Emergency Department programme received £58 million of national funding in October last year and the facility is planned to open in Winter 2024.                        

Some of the new features of the department include:

  • Double the current resus capacity from four adult bays to eight for patients needing treatment for critical conditions
  • Two further paediatric resus bays for children and increased privacy and dignity for patients with treatment in single bay rooms.
  • Faster access to radiology teams for scans and tests
  • A designated ED drop off zone with disabled car parking
  • An accredited Changing Places accessible facility
  • Dedicated rest areas for staff.

You can take a virtual tour of the facility with our fly through video to see how the design will help our staff to work in a more streamlined way, continue to improve patient safety and provide the best possible care.

If you would like to be kept updated or get involved as we develop our new Emergency Department, please email us at bbec@porthosp.nhs.uk.