Northern Alvsborg County Hospital, Trollhattan, Sweden

The need 

This emergency hospital conducts nearly 9,000 planned and emergency operations every year. The approximately 30-year-old building was starting to show its age with a leaky roof and other serious issues which eventually forced the closure of one of the operating departments. To maintain its status as an emergency hospital, a certain number of operating rooms had to remain in service.

Rather than years of renovation, the hospital wanted a faster alternative to enable them to maintain the flow of operations. 

The plan

The plan involved the use of modular operating rooms as temporary replacement facilities. Q-bital designed and installed four modular operating theatres, with corresponding preparation rooms, a material storage room, (50m²), a sterile storage room, (25m²) and disinfection rooms. Two corridors would provide a link to the existing building, allowing the hospital staff to maintain a similar workflow as before; one corridor used to transport patients plus another for staff and sterile material to pass through.

The solution

The utilities for the four operating theatres were connected to the existing hospital building, including heat, cooling, gas, hot and cold water, automatic sprinklers, drains, electrical power, telecom data and fibre optic cable. Ventilation and an uninterruptible power supply are located on a maintenance floor above the operating theatre complex. 

The operating theatres were fitted with the latest technology, including image processing software and 3D communications with monitors. Large screens recessed into the walls and built-in cameras provide clear monitoring of operations. Staff familiarity and comfort were important considerations, skylights were used to provide natural light. 

The outcome

Despite the complexity of this project, we were able to keep to the tight schedule and budget that was initially set. Every team member involved on this project was solution-oriented and did their utmost to keep the project on track. 

Our partnership with NCC AB

Q-bital Healthcare Solutions partnered with NCC AB for the construction of the operating theatre complex. NCC AB are experts in managing complex construction processes and take pride in creating buildings that have a positive impact on customers and the wider society. 

The hospital and clinical teams at the Northern Alvsborg County Hospital were familiar with NCC AB and suggested that we partner with them on this project.