NET ZERO BUILDINGS
The Devizes Health Centre allows patients from four local GP surgeries to access same-day or next-day medical care.
The building of the new integrated healthcare centre, which meets the needs of over 16,000 people, has been the centre of conversation among the local community for some time. In May 2021, we saw the £10.9 m centre being constructed, after plans for the new build were approved following much deliberation over many years. We are the team behind this pioneering green build. We look after roughly 10% of the NHS estate, supporting care for six million patients daily, and managing over 3,000 NHS properties across England – from GP practices, to hospitals, to state-of-the-art health campuses. We aim to be at the forefront of sustainable real estate, creating an NHS that is both consistently fit for delivering excellent patient care, and that supports greener and healthier communities.
Concern over energy and heating costs There is no doubt that the energy and cost of living crisis is a key topic of conversation in the media, high on the government agenda, and of increasing concern for society generally. It is also unsurprising that there is considerable concern about the impact of energy and heating costs on the quality of healthcare. The Devizes Health Centre’s reliance on renewable energy sources is a good example of the stringent and committed work going into reducing the carbon footprint of the NHS estate. The provision of renewable energy
not only ensures a constant supply, but also enables us to better manage budgets, which is especially important during times of economic uncertainty when energy prices are continuously rising. This need for reliable and affordable energy is more critical than ever during a period like this.
Improving access to care The opening of the Devizes Health Centre – it has been built by Kier – has provided much-needed additional space for health services in the area, making it easier for patients to access the care they need locally, and all under one roof. A number of local health and care providers share the building, and provide a range of services that you would find at a GP practice, as well as hospital outpatient and mental health services, creating a hub where patients can get urgent primary care. With the pandemic resulting in unprecedented demand on healthcare providers, and a record high of 7.21 million people waiting for treatment, centres like Devizes can facilitate efficient and effective services for patients, which all supports work to tackle the NHS’ backlog of care.3
Same or next day care The Devizes Health Centre now allows patients from four local GP surgeries to access same-day or next-day medical care within the most state-of-the-art healthcare centre. The services currently provided by Wiltshire Health and Care
at the Devizes Community Hospital are moving to the new centre. Royal United Hospitals Bath, meanwhile, will be providing outpatient services including audiology, elderly care, paediatrics, rheumatology, and urology. Not only will patients be directed to the centre for specialist support, but they can also visit it for routine blood tests and medical reviews for more common conditions such as asthma and diabetes. Some community services previously provided by The Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership will be supplied by the new health centre. In fact the new Devizes Health Centre highlights the benefits and advantages of a collaborative effort and joined-up thinking from different teams to provide the optimal patient care. Additionally, it is important to routinely
assess how our estates across the NHS portfolio can benefit from ‘green strategies’, no matter where they are, and how long they have been there for. In doing so, we encourage colleagues to make sustainability a key component of their decision making, and therefore help drive a greener NHS.
The building of the new integrated healthcare centre, which will serve over 16,000 people, has been the centre of conversation among the local community for some time.
48 Health Estate Journal April 2023
Maintaining open dialogue with stakeholders Of course, we must remember that a key aspect of becoming greener is to maintain an open dialogue with all stakeholders. From healthcare professionals to government ministers, and from porters to local community members, every person should have a say in how we make our sustainable estates work for them. With most of the tenants of the NHS estate being healthcare providers who have patient care at the forefront of their mind, sustainability will rarely come top of the priority list. If we bring together our tenants, we can highlight the role that sustainability plays in creating a safe, energy-efficient, and green environment, which will have a positive impact on patient care. It has been fantastic to work with the local people of Devizes on the health centre through the town planning and other processes, to ensure that the new site is fit-for-purpose and works best for them.
Photo used courtesy of Kier
Photos used courtesy of Kier
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