Back in March when the coronavirus pandemic was just beginning to grip the UK, concerns around hospital capacity were emerging across the nation. In south-east Wales the need was immediate: for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, whose area then accounted for more than half of Wales’ confirmed covid-19 cases, it was imperative to increase the number of available beds. The region was already home to Wales’ biggest ever health infrastructure project, the £350m Grange University Hospital near Cwmbran, but that was not due to open for another 12 months.

As March drew to a close the hospital project team, led by architect BDP, project and cost manager Gleeds and main contractor Laing O’Rourke, were approached by the health board to see if anything could be done to accelerate completion of the facility, which was being delivered using offsite and design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA).

They agreed to fast-track the build programme so that 350 new beds could be made available as soon as possible to coronavirus patients if required …