FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
pharmaceutical items and supplies, enabling clinicians to focus on providing excellent patient care. As with many jobs in the NHS, these descriptions fail to capture the complete responsibility of the role and the impact it can have on the organisation and patient care. Although a porter’s interaction with patients is often brief, lasting between 10-15 minutes, providing comfort and kindness during transport reduces stress and anxiety in patients, creating a better overall experience and care outcome. Comparatively the role in which the Portering team’s play in patient flow, whilst seeming minor, has a significant impact on organisational outcomes. This was especially highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic with portering teams across the country receiving greater recognition for their role in patient care and hospital operations.
Utilising equipment Vancouver General Hospital conducted a study to identify the key factors affecting the efficient use of their CT scanners. The study aimed to optimise the utilisation of the scanners, improving timely scans and minimising wait times. The results of this study identified two main issues impacting the efficient use of its scanners. The first related to delays due to patients not being ready for their scans due to delays on the wards, resulting in porters being underutilised. The second and key area identified, was not having patients returned on time due to the unavailability of porters. Addressing these could significantly enhance the efficiency of CT scanner usage, leading to better patient care and reduced wait times. Studies such as this emphasise the important role porters play in efficient hospital processes and patient flow. Whilst the NHS has always relied on data-driven decision-making, recent advancements have significantly enhanced our ability to leverage data insights in our management practices. The improvements in these electronic systems have revolutionised how we measure our performance, from accurately monitoring our KPI’s to providing unique visibility into operations. The benefits of leveraging technology and adopting this KPI-focused approach are clear. Embracing this means we can improve operational efficiency, patient satisfaction and utilise data to identify areas for improvement, tracking the effectiveness of changes over time. However, whilst the data for my department would suggest we are operating efficiently, I’ve witnessed instances where the adherence to this operating model doesn’t always align with the hospital’s wider need, particularly in managing patient flow during times of overcrowding. This has prompted a question that has begun to weigh heavily on my mind: Are we seeing the full picture?
Patient flow needs in the NHS In a survey conducted by NHS Providers in May 2024, 114 trust chief executives and finance directors provided their views on various finance-related topics, including NHS productivity. The feedback was clear, one of the biggest challenges to increasing productivity within the NHS is delayed discharges and disruptions to patient flow. This inability to move patients through the hospitals
Right: Small improvements create the bridge from inefficient to efficient patient flow.
Below right: Operational efficiency or strategic flow? The decision shapes how hospitals translate targets into meaningful patient outcomes.
February 2026 Health Estate Journal 53
Are we seeing the full picture of operational efficiency?
Data suggests efficiency
Data indicates the department is operating efficiently, but there are instances of misalignment with hospital-wide needs.
Misalignment with hospital needs
There are observations of misalignment with hospital-wide needs, particulary in managing patient flow during overcrowding.
prevents more people from being admitted, subsequently creating unmanageable queues. Thinking of it like a traffic jam we can explore this using queuing theory and the formation of compression waves. When the flow of traffic (patients) is disrupted, it causes a bottleneck effect, leading to a build-up of traffic waiting to get through
Inefficient patient flow Delays in treatment delivery
Challenge status quo Identify minor issues and practices
Above: Data-driven KPIs can demonstrate efficiency but may not reflect real- time hospital pressures or site-wide needs.
Inefficient patient flow New ways of working implemented
Efficient
patient flow Faster treatment delivery
Operational efficiency
Strategic patient flow needs
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