PROJECT PLANNING AND SUPPORT
Catterick Garrison health and care complex a first
A new £110 m health and care complex at Catterick Garrison (HEJ – April 2023) – a joint project between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the NHS – is under construction and due to open next year, and will provide a range of health services for military personnel and the local community, including general practice, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, mental health services, X-rays, and ultrasound. As Karina Dare, Primary Care Estates Strategy lead at NHS Property Services (NHSPS) reports, supporting Humber and North Yorkshire ICB and working with DIO (Defence Infrastructure Organisation) and the Defence Medical Services on this joint project was a first for NHSPS.
NHS Property Services was a key partner leading on producing the business case for the ICB, and this project was also a first in England in terms of integrated partnership working between the NHS and the MOD. I was tasked with providing strategic advice and programme support, including the business case co- ordination for several years. It was fantastic news to gain final approval in January this year for the NHS element of this project. We recently surveyed NHS Estate leaders, and
asked them whether they felt confident at all, or not that confident, in writing business cases. Nearly 50% said they had been unsuccessful in securing funding of up to £10 m, and a third felt ‘not confident’, or ‘not that confident’, in writing business cases.
Experience developing business cases This is where our expertise can help and support ICBs. I am one of a team of NHS Property Services colleagues experienced in developing business cases for a range of healthcare estates projects – from refurbishments to new-builds, in areas ranging from primary and community health to acute care. By working very closely with the MOD we delivered a business case that we are proud of – using the specialist skills and experience in healthcare property development and strategic asset management that NHS Property Services colleagues have. The first and most important point to make
is that to be able to construct a successful business case, specialist skills are essential. One of the toughest sections of the business case to deliver is the evidence that the project will deliver improvements in health outcomes. Identifying and quantifying benefits is a
key part of gaining approval for a business case. You need people who can work with the Project team to demonstrate how the project will improve health outcomes – such as longer, healthier lives, or a better cancer detection rate, and then feed these benefits into the economic modelling. The strategy for delivering the Catterick Garrison business case – as with any other – is to outline what the problem is and how you aim to solve it, and determine your key drivers, service requirements, investment objectives, measurable benefits, critical success factors, and key risks. You also need to identify the key inputs for
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each of the five cases: Strategic, Economic, Commercial, Financial, and Management, and who will be involved in completing them. The MOD has different processes and working ways
to the NHS, with its integral review process and Subject Matter Expert (SME) sign-offs meaning that its FBC is less than 20 pages. For Catterick, NHS Property Services provided the ICB with a business case containing almost 100 pages, with 51 appendices. Developing a Green Book-compliant business case is a complex, detailed, and resource-intensive process. When you are working with partners this can add to complexity, so you need to set out how you will work, and what you all need to do to achieve success across the key organisations, or you will not be able to deliver a sensible path forward.
A big learning curve It has been a big learning curve to work with another government department, so my advice to anyone starting a business case is to factor in who you will be working with, and then take time to learn their working style as part of your strategy. NHS Property Services’ role on the Catterick Garrison
project was to deliver an approvable business case which demonstrated the long-term healthcare benefits identified by the ICB. At its heart was an investment in
A new £110 m health and care complex at Catterick Garrison – a joint project between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the NHS – is under construction and due to open next year.
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