A Purpose-Built Plasma Donor Centre

Overview

Carmelcrest were appointed by NHS Blood and Transplant to deliver a new plasma donor centre in central Reading. The project involved transforming Reading Bridge House into a modern, purpose-built donor facility, creating an important public health service within the town centre. Located in a busy commercial and residential area close to the River Thames, the project required careful consideration of both the building’s surroundings and the needs of the local community.

Challenges

The project was undertaken within a busy town-centre environment, with Reading Bridge House surrounded by neighbouring businesses and residents and located close to the River Thames. Managing construction activity within this setting required careful planning and coordination to minimise disruption while maintaining safe and efficient site operations.

Working within an occupied building presented additional challenges, particularly when undertaking noisy works in close proximity to building users. Careful sequencing, coordination and consideration of working hours were essential to managing noise, reducing disruption and maintaining a safe environment for those using the building throughout the project.

The conversion also required the integration of specialist healthcare infrastructure into an existing building, bringing additional technical and logistical considerations to the delivery of the new plasma donor centre.

Our Approach

Carmelcrest carried out a full refurbishment and fit out to create a modern, high-quality clinical environment, incorporating specialist M&E installations, building fabric upgrades and healthcare-specific infrastructure.

A detailed logistics and environmental management strategy was implemented to minimise disruption to neighbouring businesses and residents. This includedcontrolled delivery scheduling, dust suppression and noise management, with works carried out in accordance with landlord and local authority requirements.

Close collaboration with NHS Blood and Transplant and the wider project team ensured that the specialist requirements of the plasma donor centre were carefully integrated throughout the works. Programme and site management were central to maintaining progress while respecting the surrounding commercial and residential environment.

Outcomes

The project delivered a modern, fully operational plasma donor centre in the heart of Reading, providing an important public health service to the local community.

The new facility is the first 24-bed multi-product donor centre delivered for NHS Blood and Transplant, extending Carmelcrest’s portfolio of work with the client and demonstrating our ability to deliver technically complex healthcare environments within busy town-centre locations.

The project combines high-quality construction with careful consideration for neighbouring businesses, residents and the wider community.

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