Cleartech

Forth Valley Royal Hospital

Cleartech delivers major Scottish hospital on budget and ahead of schedule

Scottish Commissioning and Water Treatment specialists Cleartech have delivered their section of work on Phase 1 of the Forth Valley Royal Hospital (FVRH) in Larbert on budget and on schedule.

The flagship £300 million hospital is the biggest construction project in Scotland, and Cleartech worked for delivery partner Laing O'Rourke and Crown House.

Cleartech's role involved the planning, co-ordination and delivery of HVAC commissioning and water treatment activities as well as managing all other aspects of building services commissioning.

Cleartech's contract value will be £1 million at completion of Phase 3 and their management team and engineers handed over that section of the building to Laing O'Rourke and Crown House more than one month ahead of schedule.

Project Director Lindsay McGibbon of Laing O'Rourke said: "Cleartech were thorough, professional and appropriately challenging of the team, striving for high standards and clarity around complex system integration"

Jim McGuigan, Managing Director of East Kilbride-based Cleartech, said: "FVRH is the largest contract Cleartech has worked on to date. Our close working relationship with Laing O'Rourke and Crown House were essential in our ability to influence all commissioning activities and increase our team's efficiencies, resulting in the premeditated handover plan being achieved with distinction.

"We know there will be very tight constraints on public spending in the years ahead and it will be essential that all major projects are managed properly to avoid overruns that will cost the tax-payer more money. We are particularly proud that Cleartech have delivered this section of the hospital ahead of time and on budget and feel that our involvement in this project will stand us in good stead for similar opportunities in the healthcare sector throughout the UK."

The team building the hospital for NHS Forth Valley is a consortium led by John Laing Social infrastructure (formerly Equion) and involves Laing O'Rourke Group leading the design and construction contract, supported by Keppie Architects , DSSR and WSP.

Work began on the hospital, built on a 360 hectare site on the grounds of the former Royal Scottish National Hospital, in May of 2007. It is being delivered in three phases, and includes 860 inpatient and day beds and a full range of acute hospital services including a mental health facility and a women and children's unit.

First Minister Alex Salmond carried out a topping out ceremony in April 2009, the first patients will begin moving in, in summer 2010.