Accident and Emergency wait times are set to reduce at Maidstone Hospital now that the project to develop a new Urgent Medical and Ambulatory Unit (UMAU) for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is under way.

The contract, which was awarded to Kier Construction through the Scape National Minor Works framework, sees the redevelopment of the existing Monckton Ward at Maidstone Hospital to create the new unit. The UMAU will comprise three four-bed wards, two single bedrooms, two four-trolley recovery wards and a Medical Elective Day Unit area for ambulatory care, along with an assessment room and nurse and doctor support space.

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With a very tight schedule in which to deliver the new facilities, the project was procured through the Scape framework, saving the client over one month in project timescales. Allan Cowie, director at project consultants Pick Everard, advised the Trust to procure the works through this route. He commented: "The Trust needed all the works to be completed within 17 weeks, which would have been impossible to deliver had the work been traditionally bid. With the Scape framework, due to it being a public sector pre-procured framework, Kier was able to start on the project the very next day.

"My client can take comfort that 100% of projects delivered under the Scape framework have been delivered on time and on budget."

Scape is a local authority controlled company that helps the public sector deliver cost and time savings on projects across the whole of the UK. Scape appointed Kier as the sole provider to its Scape National Minor Works framework, which delivers value for money on construction projects and programmes up to £2m.

(CD)