HSJ Jobs’ Post

A host of hospital building projects in England are being delayed with some having to wait up to 14 years before work starts, the government says. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the plans - which formed part of a 2019 election promise by the Conservatives for 40 new hospitals by 2030 - were not affordable. Streeting said: "The programme we inherited was unfunded and undeliverable. "Not a single new hospital was built in the past five years, and there was no credible funding plan to build forty in the next five years. "Today we are setting out an honest, funded, and deliverable programme to rebuild our NHS." (Source: BBC News) Read the full BBC article below 👇🏾 #hospital #hospitals #nhs #nhstrust #healthcare #nhsestates #nurse #doctor #nhsmanagement #nhscapital #government #nhsfinance #publicfinance #publicsector #publicsectorfinance #hfma

Our Healthcare Leads were reflecting recently on some of the work that P+HS Architects have delivered to improve facilities for Maternity Services. Having seen Maternity Services across the country struggling in recent years with outdated facilities and staff shortages it is good to highlight these positive stories from Sharon Cook demonstrating where good stakeholder engagement and intelligent design have transformed facilities for the better with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It’s not always the big budget schemes that make a difference either! Good design principles combined with clinical insight produce valuable outcomes across a range of project scales. #healthcare #design #maternity #enhancinglives

Back in 2019 when the then Government announced it would deliver ‘40 new hospitals by 2030', there was a degree of cynicism about how realistic the plan was, and whether many of the projects could really be classified as new builds. A leaked government 'playbook' - reported by Health Service Journal in 2021 - on how to describe the projects added to the concern. Over time, that cynicism has understandably increased and yesterday we saw what felt inevitable for many months - that the New Hospital Programme would need to be reset. The upshot from Wes Streeting's announcement to Parliament yesterday is that the remaining schemes in the programme that were waiting for the go ahead will be allocated to one of three 'wave' groups: ✔️ Wave 1 schemes are expected to begin construction between 2025 and 2030. These schemes include hospitals constructed primarily using RAAC, and have been prioritised as patient and staff safety is paramount. ✔️ Wave 2 schemes are expected to start between 2030 and 2035. ✔️ Wave 3 schemes are expected to start between 2035 and 2039. 📆 On the one hand, the revised timetable feels more realistic and credible and the government will now be held to account for delivering against it. We should also remember that it provided extra capital investment in the last #Budget But on the other hand, it cannot be underestimated how much of a blow this is to patients, NHS staff and those leaders who have had their projects delayed by years. They have to continue to make do in very difficult conditions. At NHS Confederation we've been hearing from many members over the last 24 hours who are deeply disappointed about the outcome. Their concerns fall into three categories: 1️⃣ Ongoing risks to patient safety. 2️⃣ The negative impact this will have on reducing waiting lists and improving productivity. 3️⃣ The ongoing costs of maintaining old buildings. One member says the delay will add up to £150m to the cost of their new hospital as they will have more years of propping up an old building. As Lord Darzi said in his government review of the #NHS , the NHS has been starved of capital in the last decade, with £37 billion of under-investment. We are left with many hospitals that have leaking pipes and collapsed roofs, and that's not to mention the huge impact on mental health, community and primary care estates. So, while the reset of the NHP was much needed, this is a huge setback to the sector and will have significant consequences across the country. It also again shows that our current approach to allocating scarce capital investment is grossly inefficient and in need of reform. To help restore the public and NHS staff confidence that will be damaged by this, the government needs to stick to the revised timetable and deliver on its commitments. NHS Confederation Acute Care Director Rory Deighton has been making these points on behalf of our members in the national media today, including on BBC News this morning.

🚧 Exciting milestone for the new Melton Hospital! 🚧  Site preparation works for the new hospital, delivered as a Public Private Partnership, will begin shortly, marking a major step toward bringing essential healthcare infrastructure to Melbourne’s fast-growing outer west.    As Victoria’s first fully electric hospital, the new Melton Hospital will provide critical services, including 24-hour emergency care, maternity and neonatal support, intensive care, mental health services, and more. The new hospital will improve accessibility to health services and enhance outcomes for the people of Melton and the broader region.     AECOM has proudly supported the Victorian Health Building Authority and Western Health from the master plan and feasibility stage, through to providing technical advisory services to the state in its Public Private Partnership procurement. We are thrilled to continue in the state advisor role supporting this transformative project as it progresses into the delivery phase, ensuring it meets the healthcare needs of Melbourne’s growing population.    Together, we are playing a role in delivering a world-class hospital for the Melton and outer west communities.  #HealthInfrastructure #MeltonHospital #AECOM #EngineeringExcellence #PublicHealth

🏥 180 year old buildings, failing power systems, and flooded operating theatres - this is the everyday reality for NHS trusts facing a 15 year wait for new hospitals. While some trusts have received confirmation of near-term development in this week's New Hospital Programme announcement, others face the sobering reality of managing critical healthcare services in crumbling infrastructure until the 2040s. Many of the largest and most complex hospital builds - often serving as major trauma centers and providing specialist care for high demand areas - have been placed in the final wave, creating particular challenges for these vital regional centers. Estates teams are already performing daily miracles to keep services running, while clinical teams deliver care in buildings that work against them rather than support them. While the timeline for new buildings may be extended, we believe fresh perspectives combined with practical experience can still help improve care delivery and working conditions for staff, even in these most challenging of environments. And with our senior team of former DHSC and NHS consultants at MH&A, we look forward to partnering with trusts to tackle these unprecedented challenges together. #NHSInfrastructure #HealthcareConsulting #NHSTransformation #HospitalBuilds #NHS #NHSFunding

😱 Can you believe this is a modular facility? Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is becoming increasingly adopted in the NHS, thanks to the enhanced speed of delivery it can offer. But did you know that modular facilities can also be procured via flexible financial solutions? Take a look at the work we did alongside modular specialists McAvoy, where we implemented the finance solution for 2 no. 48-bed ward facilities for Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. 🔗https://lnkd.in/gViN-uMC If you’re wondering what a modular facility *really* looks like… scroll no further👇 #modularconstruction #healthcareconstruction #procurement

I came across this article through Cheryl Hill, and it really struck a chord with me. Having worked at ST MARY'S HOSPITAL PADDINGTON, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it is to deliver top-tier care in facilities that are long overdue for investment and modernisation. The news that hospital building projects—like St Mary’s—are being delayed until as late as 2039 is deeply concerning. Outdated infrastructure not only impacts patient safety but also takes a toll on the incredible staff who work tirelessly despite these challenges. While there’s no doubt that rebuilding our NHS estate is a massive undertaking, we can’t afford for these promises to fall by the wayside again. It's time for a clear, funded, and deliverable plan to give NHS staff and patients the facilities they deserve. What are your thoughts on this? How do we ensure these critical projects stay on track? See the full article below: https://lnkd.in/eBGxgKYK #NHS #Healthcare #Infrastructure #Leadership

It is even more important to build resilience and adaptability into the New Hospital Programme so they can continue to evolve as future technologies develop and change the way we deliver Healthcare. Adaptable and flexible buildings and Interiors that will accommodate future technologies and be cost-effective over the next 30 years and longer have to be paramount. 

Over 2,000 hospital buildings older than the NHS England, new research reveals New research has shown over 2,000 hospital buildings across England were built before the NHS was established in 1948, Building Better Healthcare reached out to the Trusts with the highest number of these buildings in its estates. The research found that The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London has the highest proportion of outdated buildings in the county. Followed by Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust then Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. To read more, follow the link to the Building Better Healthcare article  #NHS #UKhospitals #design&build #construction

Significant savings can be achieved in the NHS by reassessing exactly how many staff are needed. In one hospital trust in the Midlands, we reviewed job plans and clinical rotas for the Emergency Department (ED), Acute Medicine and Critical Care. By applying a more consistent approach to mirror what was happening in other departments, we helped the Trust to cut staffing costs significantly. We then reduced costs further in ED by introducing a new rate card for agency staff and finding more affordable suppliers. It’s this sort of expertise which enables the Kingsgate team to help NHS organisations meet the call for greater productivity. #NHS #productivity #costimprovement