HOSPITAL RELOCATION
are just some of the insights we have picked up over several years of helping to coordinate hospital relocation projects. Such projects are complex undertakings that require specialist planning and knowledge at every stage. By taking into account these important factors, health estate managers will be able to better devise and execute relocation strategies. The following is what we suggest should be a hospital relocation checklist: n Communicate clearly, consistently, and often – there is no such thing as over-communicating during a hospital relocation.
n Engage and build relationships with all key stakeholders.
n Create a detailed inventory. n Create a comprehensive relocation plan, with a detailed timeline.
A detailed itinerary of exactly what will be transported, and what will be left behind, is an essential resource, and can also be used as a checklist for equipment with specific requirements, such as extremely fragile items.
a bright spotlight on the importance of clean living and working, hospitals have always maintained strict hygiene protocols that need to be followed by everybody involved in a move, including external partners. Simple measures, such as providing protective equipment, and frequent sanitisation, are necessary to protect patients, hospital employees, and relocation logistics teams. Given the sensitive nature of the equipment being moved, maintaining proper hygiene standards throughout the project should be treated as a major priority. Critically, a good external partner will work closely with stakeholders to communicate their protocols, and adhere to any additional requests that hospitals may have.
Always put patients first Estates and relocations teams must operate with a mindset that puts patients first at all times. To reiterate, unlike a typical workplace
move, where we can find a period of downtime (such as a public holiday or weekend) to complete the bulk of a move, hospitals operate on a 24-hour, seven-day- a-week, and 365 day-a-year basis. There are always patients to consider, and it is crucial to remember that relocations will invariably involve moving people, as well as pieces of equipment and consumables. What’s more, some of these people may be among the most vulnerable members
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of our society, meaning extra care must be taken to ensure that they are as minimally affected as possible. So, how can we ensure that patients
are front and centre? The answer is to train your staff to be sensitive to their surroundings, and able to deal with stressful situations should they arise. This can involve simple messages such as methods to keep noise to a minimum and out of the way of hospital staff. It is also important to be aware that vital medical equipment could be needed at very short notice. Employees involved in hospital relocations therefore should be trained to be adaptable and reactive to such situations – provisions must be in place to accelerate the movement of equipment when needed.
Privacy and security Patient privacy and information security are other key considerations. As well as moving medical supplies and sophisticated machinery, relocations also involve the transportation of administrative records – both digital and physical. When moving paper records, be sure to undertake a detailed audit, and to use GPS-tracked vehicles. On the digital side, calling on specialist IT teams to handle records and work closely with internal IT staff is strongly advised. From communication and logistics, to hygiene and patient-centricity, these
Although the pandemic has shone a bright spotlight on the importance of clean living and working, hospitals have always maintained strict hygiene protocols that need to be followed by everybody involved in a move, including external partners
Rachel Houghton
Rachel Houghton, the managing director at Business Moves Group, is responsible for the business’s strategic growth and day-to-day management. Described as ‘a company-wide mentor and change agent’ in the business, who ‘thrives on decision-making and innovation’, she works with a strong management team, and continues to develop close relationships with the company’s client base. During her tenure, she has restructured the organisation, grown the business divisions, and rebranded the company. Now heading up the bid team up for major contracts, she has held a number of previous roles with the business – including in Project Management, Operations, and Sales, and as Commercial director.
October 2023 Health Estate Journal 93
n Maintain excellent hygiene protocols to keep Estates teams, hospital staff, and patients, safe.
n Use specialist equipment and transport for expensive and fragile items.
n Secure confidential records, whether paper or digital.
n Put patients first at all times.
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