Work is approaching completion on a major new state-of-the-art ambulance station off Clough Road in Hull ahead of its opening later this summer, with construction company Hobson & Porter on track to hand over the project in the coming weeks.
The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire company is working on behalf of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust on the station’s internal fit-out, which includes installing ceilings, partition walls, flooring, kitchen units, internal doors and glazing, as well as decorating and creating numerous feature walls. Hobson & Porter is also overseeing and coordinating all the building’s mechanical and electrical services.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has invested £6m in the project, with Hobson & Porter’s contract worth £2.8m. Once complete, the new facility will bring staff together from ambulance stations and bases in Hull East, Hull West, Sutton Fields, Hamburg Road and a fleet workshop, into one modern site.
Glen Adams, Associate Director of Fleet & Estates from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “This new facility will improve the efficiency of our services, support our staff and ultimately enhance the quality of care delivered to patients across the city and wider region.
“Having our team in one central location will deliver a wide range of operational improvements, including scheduling, vehicle availability and recruitment, as well as supporting a dedicated team providing ambulance vehicle preparation (AVP) services.
“Ambulance stations are predominantly operational bases for our staff, who start and finish their shifts there and return for rest breaks. Most of our crews are mobile during their shifts, responding to incidents across Hull and East Yorkshire according to clinical priority.
“Providing a new, modern ambulance station supports our staff, who have very challenging roles. The improvements delivered by this new station will support their health and wellbeing and will ultimately ensure we are better positioned to respond to the needs of our community and deliver improved patient care.”
Mark Tomlinson, senior construction manager at Hobson & Porter, said: “We’re very proud to be working on our first project for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, helping to create a high-quality facility that will support frontline ambulance teams and benefit communities across Hull. By transforming a former warehouse into a modern ambulance station, the project will provide the Trust with a purpose-designed base to enhance the services it delivers across Hull and the wider area.
“We started work on the project at the beginning of January and are now entering its final stages, with more than 60 members of our team and our specialist subcontractors currently on site as we approach handover. This is an exciting milestone for everyone involved, especially because we all understand how important this facility will be for Hull and how it will contribute to saving lives.”
Hull’s non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS) will also be based at the new station, providing the opportunity to invest in electric vehicle charging infrastructure for its growing fleet of electric PTS vehicles.
The new station also includes an on-site fleet workshop, meaning staff will not have to transport vehicles to external workshops for maintenance, reducing the time vehicles spend off the road. In addition, the new station includes dedicated training space, supporting the delivery of development and clinical training for staff locally, reducing costs and travel.
