ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION – ‘DECANTING’
but the added time taken to understand our clients’ current and future needs better would ultimately result in a more tailored solution for staff and patients. “If we worked as a team, and had all
“A major issue is the poor perception of what the temporary facilities may look like, and how they will function,” Melissa King told the roundtable. “There is a lack of understanding of how these temporary facilities can function.”
MJC: “Another issue, more from an architect’s and engineering point of view, is that we’re synonymous with a product. At Stage 0 and Stage 1, the product we are providing is advice and mapping. It’s everything that we put into our drawings, specs, and our product information later on – but that thinking time upfront is so key.”
Presenting a range of options to the client MH: “Bringing all the different consultants on board, and front-loading activity, will enable us to present a range of options to the client. For example, one option can be compliant with the Employers’ requirements (ER), but delivered quicker with little consultation from Stage (0-2). An alternative option may be to offer a fully compliant solution, but with dedicated engagement from the outset, at Stage 0. This may take a few weeks longer, with some more professional fees,
the different consultants on board, we can bring a solution to a Trust: this is our programme; this is our design phase; and this is what we’re going to do for you that’s compliant to the ERs. However, here’s another solution. It’s going to take you another couple of months longer and be slightly more expensive in design fees. We will need, for example, another three or four weeks on the programme, and we explain the benefits of early engagement and front-loading activity to achieve long- term savings.” WP: “We’re not talking necessarily about just off-the-shelf products, or plug- and-play systems that come together in some of the projects. A lot of this revolves around an intensive creative process, whether it’s architecture-led or a multidisciplinary consultancy-led project. Ultimately, you’re talking about identifying the need, how you make the building work, organise the programme, develop the cost plan, and risk-assess all those parameters.” AP: “The problem I’ve seen in recent projects, especially through the pandemic, is that you’ve got a modular build, and people come in and utilise the space as if it were a permanent structure which, for all intents and purposes, it is. However at the same time, they don’t realise the space may have been built to a different specification due to budget, and the clinical team is not informed or does not receive clear information on this. Or, sometimes they are completely overruled by people who have budgetary, finance, project management, and programme management responsibilities. “This can result in a number of
issues – for example, some healthcare buildings have not been occupied due to scoping and specification issues; the installation hasn’t considered the infection
Warren Percival said: “One area that’s often missed is electrical demand and energy.”
control requirements until it is too late. It is generally only when something as serious as this goes wrong that lessons are learned, but these are often very expensive. We need to find a space to share this learning collectively.” MH: “Learning lessons is key for everyone to help us deliver better facilities. McAvoy recently asked for feedback from some SEN (Special Educational Needs) Trusts on the buildings that had been designed and delivered specifically for them. One Trust, responsible for multiple SEN schools, gave us a presentation on real-life building management issues they experienced. This was such an eye-opener for our designers and delivery teams. A lot of the issues were simply resolved, but because they had never been communicated or fully understood, they manifested in significant issues for the building users. This proves that client feedback is invaluable.”
n Semi-permanent or permanent? KH: “I think all roads lead back to understanding better what the differences are between temporary decant accommodation and permanent facilities in terms of briefing and product definition. Should there be any differences in reality? Late engagement of the design team on either option is not ideal. It’s less likely to happen on a £10 m or £20 m new hospital building, but very likely to happen with a decant or quick turnaround accommodation. The responsibility lies with groups like ours today to try to drive early engagement of the design and build team, and the importance of establishing accurate requirements. I think it’s with design teams, contractors, and other service-providers, to fight that corner to some extent, alongside NHS clients.”
n What do adaptability and flexibility really mean?
At the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington, McAvoy constructed a three-storey hospital wing and ambulatory care facility.
82 Health Estate Journal March 2024
MJC: “I think it’s really important to get a handle on how the Trust defines
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