STEVEN PEAK – DIRECTOR OF DELIVERY AND DEVELOPMENT, VANGUARD INTENSIVE CARE
Retaining qualityof care during refurbishment
Mobile healthcare facilities allow providers to maintain control of patient flow and eliminate the need for outsourcing to external providers, thereby safeguarding critically ill patients from the risks associated with transporting them off site.
Hospital design is continuously innovating and upgrading to meet modern healthcare requirements. Designers need to understand the expectations of patients and care givers and respond to those challenges appropriately. Suppliers in the healthcare industry must be aware that it is no longer enough to offer a generic service; product lines are driven by the market, with bespoke services delivered in line with specific client requirements. Hospitals require refurbishments and
upgrades on a regular basis to keep wards, theatres and corridors safe and functional, while also adapting to meet the changing needs of patients and staff. In the case of intensive therapy units (ITU), refurbishments are needed to enable these clinically sophisticated facilities to provide the highest standard of care to the patients receiving treatment in them. When embarking upon a refurbishment
project, whether long or short term, it is important to consider how high standards of patient care, efficiency, safety and surgical compliance can be maintained throughout the process. A recent project undertaken to create a temporary intensive care unit with the aim of allowing redevelopment work to take place on an existing ITU at a French military hospital, provides an insight into the capabilities of mobile healthcare in meeting the challenges of refurbishing this critical hospital suite. The challenge was how to carry out
refurbishments to the 30 year old ITU at Hôpital d’Instruction des Armées in Marseille (HIA Laveran), which would improve facilities for its patient community, while continuing to deliver high standards of care to those in acute and immediate need. The process began when
the team at HIA Laveran, which opened in 1963, identified the updates that were needed to bring its ITU into line with modern requirements and offer the best possible patient care.
54 The facility in situ at Hôpital Laveran.
While the refurbishment project was a priority for the hospital, the prospect of undertaking the work raised a number of challenges. This included identifying areas to which patients could be safely relocated without compromising on the high standards and constant care needed by those who are critically ill. Modular options were considered, but the hospital’s project team agreed that the design and build process would be too lengthy and could not be effectively implemented within the eight-week refurbishment window.
Temporary and mobile solutions ITUs deliver care to patients who need round the clock nursing following a major operation or trauma. They are cared for by a team of specialist professionals and are monitored within a purpose-built hospital unit, often by highly advanced equipment that is connected to the patient by several wires, tubes and cables. The design of these facilities is unique in that it must consider the patient’s need to be closely monitored by highly trained staff; ITU staffing ratios average one nurse to every one to two patients. The equipment that is used to maintain patients’ health and support their bodily functions can include ventilators, monitoring equipment, intravenous therapy and pumps, feeding tubes, drains and catheters. Seeking an innovative solution to the
challenge, HIA Laveran enlisted the help of a local Q-bital representative, based on the company’s previous experience of creating tailored facilities to care for patients and meet hospital needs across Europe. In response to the brief, Q-bital recommended the creation of two specially designed and engineered mobile ITUs, which would enable the existing medical resuscitation department and the continuing care unit to close for eight to 10 weeks while maintaining an ongoing resuscitation service for patients at the hospital.
One of the driving factors for the
hospital’s decision was the evidence that mobile healthcare facilities allow providers to maintain control of patient flow. In this
Steven Peak
Steven Peak has worked within the NHS acute hospital sector for 25 years, including tenures as chief executive and executive director in large acute/
specialist teaching hospitals. His board level experience extends over a 13 year period, during which Steve has either been part of or directly led teams delivering major clinical service reconfiguration within a number of acute
hospitals. Steve joined the Vanguard team in an advisory capacity in October 2013 and became a permanent member of the executive team in April 2015. His appointment to the role of director of delivery and development in August 2017 reflects the value of his perspective on a changing healthcare landscape.
IFHE DIGEST 2018
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