Name: Justin Penhallurick
Employer: Midas Construction
Project: Princess Alexandra Maternity Wing, Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, Treliske, Truro
Contract: JCT 1998
Justin Penhallurick’s hospital project might best be described as a bed of nails. As well as demanding the budget, quality and programme superlatives that apply to every project, the scheme posed formidable technical challenges, the users had real clout, and the stakeholders were legion. Despite the ever increasing workload this imposed, Justin demonstrated a can-do mentality that motivated the entire team.
The technical installation covered water, electrical and ventilation systems along with medical gases and alarm systems. It was made particularly testing by the need to provide all services to temporary decant accommodation as well as the rest of the hospital while the maternity wing’s facilities were upgraded. Justin embraced the fundamental demands of the medical infrastructure elements essential to the hospital’s safe and efficient working and encouraged the site team to do likewise.
During the works there were 10 major decants of patients from the delivery suites, theatres and neonatal intensive care unit. In each case Justin consulted ward staff in exhaustive detail to ensure all essential life support equipment was available wherever and whenever required.
Justin engaged with the clinicians and nursing staff throughout, giving them confidence that there would be no loss of any inpatient services or facilities at any time, and maintaining standards of patient privacy and dignity. He ensured his team were equally and acutely aware of these factors on a daily basis.
In the complex live environment each project move affected an extensive number of stakeholders. Justin had to consult repeatedly with nine separate hospital departments − everything from infection control to health and safety. His preparedness to listen built considerable trust and confidence, which was of enormous importance for user sensitivity around maternity issues.
As well as satisfying the exhausting panoply of communications demands, Justin provided excellent input into design issues. When it became apparent that three specified air handling units could not fit in the existing plant room, he suggested raising the roof with hydraulic jacks to accommodate them, avoiding the need to strip and rebuild the roof.
The client was more than satisfied and declared him “an example to the construction industry of the ideal site manager for a project that has demanded extreme extra effort and personal commitment”. The hospital has since awarded additional works to Midas as long as Justin and his team are involved.
Value: £3m