Healthcare Estates 2025 -21st and 22nd October - Manchester Central’s Post

A Wake-Up Call: Rebuilding India's Public Health Infrastructure 80% of Public Health Facilities in India are Substandard: A Critical Analysis A recent government survey paints a concerning picture of India's public health system. A staggering 80% of public health facilities fall short of minimum standards for infrastructure, manpower, and equipment. This revelation, from the National Health Mission's (NHM) self-assessment, serves as a stark wake-up call, highlighting the urgent need to address the shortcomings that plague these vital institutions. The ramifications of this subpar infrastructure are far-reaching. Patients seeking care encounter inadequate facilities, potentially lacking essential equipment or proper sanitation. Staff shortages lead to longer wait times and potentially compromised care. This substandard environment not only discourages patients from seeking preventive care but also hinders effective treatment of existing conditions. The government's response, however, offers a glimmer of hope. The NHM's initiative to bring 70,000 facilities up to code within 100 days demonstrates a commitment to swift action. This ambitious goal, coupled with surprise inspections, indicates a seriousness in tackling the issue head-on. Achieving long-term sustainability requires a multifaceted approach. While the NHM covers 60% of the costs, state governments must shoulder their responsibility and ensure adequate funding for ongoing maintenance and upgrades. Attracting and retaining qualified healthcare professionals in rural areas remains a challenge. Incentive programs and improved working conditions can play a crucial role in addressing this gap. Looking beyond immediate improvements, a focus on preventative care is essential. Investing in public health education campaigns and promoting healthy lifestyles can significantly reduce the burden on the healthcare system. Empowering communities to take charge of their health is key to long-term success. Recommendations for Improvement: Increased Funding Strengthening Primary Healthcare Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) Capacity Building and Training Monitoring and Accountability In conclusion, the NHM survey's findings are a wake-up call for India's public health system. While the government's plan for rapid improvement offers hope, a multi-pronged approach is necessary to ensure sustainable progress. By investing in infrastructure, manpower, preventative care initiatives, and community engagement, India can rebuild its public health system to effectively serve its vast population. Only then can the nation truly strive towards a future where quality healthcare is accessible to all. India’s public health facilities face significant challenges, but concerted efforts can transform them into centers of excellence. By prioritizing infrastructure, human resources, and technology, we can ensure that every citizen receives quality healthcare, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status.

**Productivity-Boosting Projects for North-West NHS Trusts** 🔵gbpartnerships consult has successfully completed productivity-boosting projects for two major NHS Community and Mental Health Trusts in the North-West of England. 🏢These projects were pivotal to the Trusts' productivity programmes, focusing on hybrid/agile working and the rationalisation and relocation of corporate and clinical offices. 📌Rationalising the estate is key to delivering the same or more activity with less capacity, and our team identified how both Trusts could use their sites more effectively. 📝We highlighted opportunities for estate rationalisation and space reduction, pinpointing potential recurrent savings. Both Trusts embraced our recommendations, leading to the rationalisation of their sites and spaces, the relocation of hundreds of staff, and the implementation of efficient room booking processes and systems. These changes have resulted in substantial real estate revenue savings. 🏥In one project, we facilitated the relocation of clinical services to enhance patient experience, consolidating patient-facing services from seven properties to four. The new clinical environment is designed to meet diverse patient needs and foster collaborative workspaces for staff. ⭐We are proud to support these Trusts in their journey towards greater productivity and efficiency! ➡️ Read more about our work here: https://lnkd.in/ez6sURd7 #Productivity #Healthcare #NHS #HybridWorking #AgileWorking #EstateRationalisation #CorporateRelocation #ClinicalRelocation #GBPConsult

City Managers and Health Outcomes Did you realize that in most communities, the health of residents and even how long they may live can be predicted based upon where in the community they live? Not genetics or the quality of medical care they receive, but rather their zip code. What can a City or County Manager do to positively impact health outcomes and life expectancy in a community? Where does one start? Start with the data. If you are unfamiliar with your community's health outcomes or life expectancy of your residents, you need to be. You might be shocked at how much these vary in your community – there may very well be people living a decade less than others in your community, simply based on where they live! Great sources for this data include community health needs assessments, most often prepared by local health departments or a local non-profit health care provider. Additional resources include County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention What are the Social Determinants of Health? The Social Determinants of Health Outcomes are the conditions in which people are born, live, work and age, that shape health. It is generally understood these conditions influence health outcomes even more than genetics or access to healthcare services. Access to safe housing, education, clean water, livable wages, recreation, and healthy food are a few examples of such determinants that can be influenced by public policies and investments. With a better understanding of the data for your community and how where one lives, works or plays impacts health outcomes, managers are better positioned to guide their community in collaboration with others on programs, projects and initiatives positively influencing health in their community. This may include incorporation of a “health in all” approach with your comprehensive plan, strategic placement or extension of sidewalks – connecting neighborhoods with playgrounds or athletic courts, financial education or literacy programs, lead and mold remediation programs or similar. In many instances, meaningful impact can be achieved simply by doing what you already do in a slightly different, more intentional manner. Like most things with cities, towns, villages and counties, managers cannot achieve much alone. Fortunately, in addition to local partners and stakeholders such as your health department, United Way or health care provider, there are a number of organizations prepared to aid you in your efforts. The National League of Cities, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Hospital Association  are but a few examples. So, what can a City or County Manager do to positively impact health outcomes and life expectancy in a community? A great deal! Start with data, familiarize yourself with the determinants of health outcomes, find partners and change the world - one person, family and neighborhood at a time!

Moving to the UK as a Healthcare Professional: Finding the Best Place to Live and Work Relocating to the UK for a healthcare career can be an exciting step, offering great opportunities and a chance to make a real impact. But choosing where to live and work is just as important as the job itself—it can shape your experience and lifestyle. Here’s a simple guide to help you figure out the best fit for you. Job Opportunities Across the UK Demand for healthcare professionals is high all over the UK, but each region has its own unique offerings. Let’s break it down: London and the South East Why Choose It? Big names like Guy’s and St. Thomas’, Great Ormond Street, and the Royal Marsden mean plenty of opportunities in specialist care and training. Pros: High salaries, access to world-class facilities, and a vibrant, diverse population. Cons: The cost of living, especially housing, is sky-high. Midlands (Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham) Why Choose It? Major NHS Trusts and universities create strong demand for roles in nursing, radiography, and allied health. Pros: More affordable than London, with a mix of city life and rural escapes. Cons: Fewer specialist hospitals compared to London, though there are still advanced opportunities. North West (Manchester, Liverpool) Why Choose It? Growing healthcare hubs with top employers like the Northern Care Alliance and Manchester University NHS Trust. Pros: Affordable housing, a strong sense of community, and diverse roles in hospitals and the community. Cons: Jobs can be competitive as these cities gain popularity. Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen) Why Choose It? Rural areas need healthcare workers, and NHS Scotland has great career pathways for those open to remote work. Pros: Lower cost of living in some areas, beautiful scenery, and supportive work environments. Cons: Rural areas may lack specialist roles, though cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow offer more options. Wales and Northern Ireland Why Choose It? These regions offer strong demand, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Pros: Affordable living, tight-knit healthcare teams, and great work-life balance. Cons: Fewer large hospitals or specialist roles, but a variety of options in community care. Making Your Move Each area has something unique to offer, so think about what matters most to you—career growth, cost of living, work-life balance, or maybe just how close you want to be to nature or nightlife. Wherever you go, the UK is full of opportunities for skilled healthcare professionals! Contact us for: Professional & Skill Development Programme Profiling Application Assistance & Guidance ph: +91 996 483 3509 ph: +44 743 838 2138 email: info@jcrewsolutions.com #HealthcareProfessionals #UKCareers #RelocationGuidance #jcrew #jcrewcareerexperts #nurses #jobs #jobsearch #jobalert #NHS #medical

Health is the state of being free from illness or injury. But being ‘healthy’ is about much more. We teamed up with our friends at Avanti Architects for a joint CPD session to talk about #healthcare architecture. We took the opportunity to share projects that connect traditional healthcare settings with the communities they serve. The projects demonstrate how a healthcentre can provide so much more than a GP surgery. The themes for the day were colocation and engagement, with sustainability, future flexibility and connection to community as underlying commitments to deliver projects that are relevant, long life and fit for purpose. Alasdair Ben Dixon from Collective Works presented three social prescribing projects as well as our scheme for The Quiet Room at North Middlesex Hospital. Adrian Miles and Andrew McKeown from Avanti Architects reciprocated with four healthcare projects that bring together services that can improve community health. Social prescribing can help reduce the load on GPs by 20% by treating the source of issues before symptoms become medical. Flourish, the social prescribing hub at Victoria Health Centre, colocates charities within an existing community health centre. GPs are then able to refer patients with broader societal health needs via a link worker to charities such as CAB, Mind, etc, who can advise, support and help to mitigate the issues that are leading to poor health, resulting in preventative healthcare.   Grove Wellbeing Centre in Belfast, by Avanti Architects colocates complementary leisure, health and education services. The swimming pool and leisure centre, library and health centre are all accessed from one central entrance and atrium, as a focal point for the community. Together, these services can improve community health - promoting fitness and movement, community groups, education as well as physical health. With change however, often comes resistance. Engagement is key to the success of any public or healthcare project, from stakeholders to end users. When we started working on the Social Prescribing projects, we took our design toolkit of colour, biophilia and furniture. However, having now delivered the three schemes, our big takeaway is that the most important tools we brought to these healthcare schemes as a design team were the ability to listen, engage across a wide user group and have the tenacity to take the projects over the line. Engagement at the Portadown Health and Care Centre in County Armagh emphasised core design work for Avanti Architects. Key to making visits to the Healthcentre as stress free and easy as possible were ensuring that the centre was easy – and intuitive – to navigate, naturally lit, with views out, and that the acoustics were calm. Healthcare starts in the community. Expert input – from patients and professionals alike – is vital to the success of every kind of healthcare space.

I’ve read a couple of very useful papers from NHS Confederation and National Association of Primary Care (NAPC), which are relevant to Mutual Ventures Radical Place Leadership approach (links at the end). The development of place policy and Integrated Neighbourhood Teams are hot topics at the moment. NHS Confed says the current financial environment is driving systems in the opposite direction they (reportedly) want to go in. New Public Management approaches remain the easiest/simplest thing to reach for when finances are tight. In my experience, some system leaders see empowering places and neighbourhoods as risky or a "distraction"… Another challenge can be the lack of a shared purpose. The one thing local public services don’t lack is a plethora of strategies and plans - but they are seldom aligned. NAPC highlights the importance of a shared purpose for successful integrated working. In our Radical Place Leadership approach, looking at what exists and developing a single vision / set of priorities is the first thing we do. NHS Confed also explores differences in how systems approach place and neighbourhood working. The “Russian doll” approach where there is genuine decision making and delivery devolution (very good) – and then the hub and spokes approach where neighbourhoods are simply the delivery arm for a plan set at a system level (not so good). NAPC emphasises the importance of relational ways of working which is welcome - but easier said than done in systems where New Public Management is still the norm (see Mark Smith's work on the Liberated Method). The Integrated Neighbourhood Model where you have a core team with a wider set of specialists who can be drawn in, is supported by NAPC. When this model is driven from a health perspective, most of the roles (and ambitions) tend to be clinically focused. our Radical Place Leadership approach involves a wider group such as police, DWP/Job Centre plus, schools and housing – essentially all the support a particularly vulnerable person might need to get back on track. The NAPC report also talks about how you identify the people who need support. We have been working with Georgina Cox on our solution to this. The truth is it can be as simple as reaching out to the people you observe on the street who clearly need help, through to each partner organisation bringing a list of the people they are most concerned about, all the way through to complex risk stratification models. Its great to see a huge amount of thought going into this type of work and there is a lot to learn from both of these reports. https://lnkd.in/egpkkdC9 https://lnkd.in/eM9W8qNW

NHS Property Services has received a resolution to grant from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for a project that aims to revitalise outdated buildings and empty sites in the area near the Royal London Hospital into a thriving life sciences district. https://lnkd.in/eMhH68dj

Regional Hospital Closures & Housing Crisis: A Vicious Cycle We Must Address 
We’re currently witnessing a troubling trend in Victoria: the potential downgrading or closure of regional hospitals in places like Rosebud and Mansfield. On the surface, these changes might be explained by tight budgets, staffing shortages, or the idea of “centralizing” services in larger metro facilities. But the ripple effects go much further—and they directly link to the ongoing housing crisis in our major cities. Why Are Hospitals Closing in Regional Victoria? * Budget Constraints & COVID-19 Spending: Governments often cite the need to “consolidate” resources after high expenditure during the pandemic. Unfortunately, this can translate into fewer local services, even where there is genuine need. * Staffing Shortages: Smaller towns struggle to attract and retain medical staff, especially specialists. When key positions can’t be filled, health authorities turn to closing or merging facilities. * Centralization Mindset: Decision-makers sometimes believe large hospitals offer better “efficiencies” or “outcomes,” but they often miss the social and economic impact of forcing patients to travel long distances. The Link to the Housing Crisis 
Metropolitan regions—Melbourne in particular—are already facing tight housing supply and skyrocketing rental costs. Yet, by underinvesting in regional infrastructure (like hospitals), we effectively push more people into cities. Why? 1. Healthcare Access Drives Relocation: If you can’t reliably get medical treatment near your home—or you fear emergency care won’t be available—you may decide it’s safer to move closer to a major hospital. This adds further demand to the already strained metro housing market. 2. Loss of Jobs and Opportunities: When hospitals or other critical services close, they take job opportunities, support services, and future development prospects with them. This lack of local opportunity compels residents—especially younger families—to relocate, intensifying the housing squeeze in larger urban centers. 3. Cycle of Underinvestment: As more people leave, regional towns appear “less viable,” leading to even less infrastructure funding. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where regional communities are hollowed out while cities become overcrowded. Continued in comments 👇👇👇

Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) member systems BJC HealthCare and SSM Health in St. Louis, MO and anchor collaborative West Side United in Chicago, IL have helped to bring place-based economic development and jobs to their cities. BJC HealthCare and SSM Health formed a joint venture, St. Louis Healthcare Support Services, LLC, to build and operate a regional laundry facility that will better meet the health systems’ needs and will clean 35 million pounds of the health systems’ linens each year. Initially, the joint venture will look to hire 80 community members from underserved areas for these good paying jobs with benefits. From the Fierce Healthcare article: “We often say ‘good healthcare starts with a job,’” [Tom] Hervieux, [BJC’s vice president and chief supply officer], said, “and creating economic development in the community and reinvesting with our purchasing and hiring dollars really make St. Louis and our larger community a better place to be.” “Because being that we're anchored here, and we live here, we want to continue to be good stewards and good neighbors,” said [Michael Gray, System Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, SSM Health]. West Side United (WSU) is an anchor collaborative on Chicago's west side whose members include HAN members RUSH University, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Ascension WSU is partnering with several organizations in Chicago, including the Steans Family Foundation, to establish Fillmore Linen Service, a local healthcare laundry linen service entity for hospitals to shift their business to and as a model to create meaningful local jobs. Fillmore Linen Service will create 175+ living-wage jobs with advancing skill levels for rising incomes. The linen laundry will handle 62 million pounds of laundry annually. As the Employer and Community Engagement lead for the Fillmore Economic Development initiative, WSU will provide strategic direction and operational oversight, providing long-term recruitment and retention planning for North Lawndale and surrounding West Side communities in partnership with Skills for Chicagoland's Future, North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN), and others. From the Steans Family Foundation article: After a completion period, the Fillmore Center will be placed into a Community Benefit Trust by the Steans Family Foundation. This will allow local residents to share in and control profits from the building. Residents will determine how profits are invested using a digital and democratic decision-making platform. #SDoH #healthequity #AnchorMission #CommunityWealth

New Cowichan District Hospital reaches milestone People in the Cowichan region are one step closer to a new hospital as the diagnostic and treatment centre on site reaches structural completion. “Improved access to health care for people in the Cowichan region is on the horizon. This project reflects our government’s commitment to strengthening health services across the province and will provide people in Cowichan greater access to the care they need in a state-of-the-art hospital that will serve the region for generations to come,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The vision for the new hospital is to create a welcoming place of healing and hope, with a focus on the highest quality care that is culturally safe and respectful.” The centre will house outpatient and diagnostic-care services, including an emergency department, medical imaging, ambulatory care, a pharmacy and cafeteria and will be linked to an inpatient tower through a community hall. Following structural completion of the centre, work will continue on its interior, while structural work continues on the seven-storey inpatient tower and service centre. Construction of the 204-bed hospital is on track for completion in 2026, and is expected to be ready for patients in 2027. It will be the first fully electric hospital in B.C. It is being built to LEED Gold standards, featuring an 80% reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions compared to the current hospital. Total budget for the project is nearly $1.5 billion, provided by the Province through Island Health - Vancouver Island Health Authority, Cowichan Valley Regional District and Cowichan District Hospital Foundation. The replacement project is being delivered by the Nuts’a’maat Alliance, a fully integrated team comprised of participants from Island Health - Vancouver Island Health Authority, EllisDon, Parkin Architects, BC Infrastructure Benefits Inc. and Infrastructure BC. Jeff Good, vice-president, projects and corporate affairs, Infrastructure BC; and chair, Nuts’a’maat Alliance leadership team – “Seeing the Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project progress from procurement into construction is incredibly rewarding. Nuts’a’maat Alliance partners, which includes Infrastructure BC, continue to work effectively to deliver a world-class hospital that will serve the people of Cowichan Valley for decades.” Read the full news release via https://lnkd.in/gEj-3Ffn #newhospital #communityhealthcare #healthcareinfrastructure #infrastructureinvestment #procurementleaders #publicprojects #bchealthcare #healthcareinvestment #projectplanning #projects #healthcarecommunications #communications #communicationsmanagement