Adanac Sterile Services and Aseptic Pharmacy

Delivering a vital facility as part of the masterplan.

Prime’s work on the University Hospital Southampton (UHS) masterplan continues at pace, with the construction of a Sterile Services Department (SSD) and an aseptic pharmacy following the development of a staff Park and Ride and Costa Coffee. The SSD is a specialist facility providing sterilisation of medical equipment, whilst the aseptic pharmacy is a separate controlled environment where staff prepare injectable medicine and other life-saving drugs. Spread over three storeys, the sterile services department is located on the ground floor, the aseptic pharmacy on the first floor and the second floor dedicated to office space. The current sterile services and aseptic pharmacy areas at the main hospital site will be reconfigured for patient-focused services.

There were several development innovations on this project where Prime added real value. Technically, merging two highly complex uses of sterile services and the aseptic pharmacy into one building was challenging and innovative. The Aseptic Pharmacy is an MHRA-licensed pharmacy, with sterile medicines manufactured for UHS and other NHS providers in the region. Meanwhile, the SSD sterilises surgical tools and equipment for use by UHS; these services are delivered at the new location by strategic provider IHSS.

Commercially, Prime put two separate occupiers together with separate capital streams. Working in partnership with the Trust, IHSS and the funder, we utilised NHS capital in a tax-efficient way as part of a wider construction contract. It meant a third-party investor could fund the BREEAM Excellent project shell and allow UHS to acquire the property at the end of the lease term.

As part of UHS’s goal to reach Net Zero Carbon by 2045, sustainability was at the forefront of Prime’s work on this project. The development includes around 1,500 metres of solar PV panels on the roof, while state-of-the-art air source heat pumps heat and cool the UHS areas. The project is next to the Park and Ride, so staff can travel to and from the hospital without the use of cars, in turn reducing the impact on air quality in the city centre. By freeing up space on the hospital site and being served by an outstanding new SSD and aseptic pharmacy, Prime supported the Trust in continuing to improve services for the county at a time of ever-increasing demand.