CONSTRUCTION
choice for new developments. Offsite and modular construction are now routinely used to deliver any size of project – from individual classrooms through to entire schools. The same approach can be utilised within the NHS with great success, as the staff and patients at James Paget Hospital have already found.
Primary care – the cornerstone of the NHS We can’t consider the healthcare sector without mentioning general practice – the cornerstone of the NHS, which helps around 50 million people in England every year. In 2022 alone, GPs carried out 370 million consultations. However, like all parts of the NHS, general practice is suffering from a lack of funding. Although by no means a ‘silver bullet’, offsite construction has the potential to mitigate some of the problems caused by budgetary constraints, by improving efficiency, and standardising the design of primary care facilities in line with the NHS strategic planning and predevelopment framework. Designers are already making use of standard layouts which are scalable and adaptable, and these could easily be translated to GP facilities.
Community diagnostic centres: a way forward The Government is planning to open 40 new Community Diagnostic Centres across the country. The centres will lead to earlier diagnoses for patients through easier, faster, and more direct access to a range of diagnostic tests. It is hoped that many of these centres will embrace offsite construction as part of the build, in order to accelerate their completion. Rapid delivery of the Community Diagnostic
Centres, through offsite construction methods, will lead to: n Fewer hospital visits, helping to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
n A reduction in waiting times, as patients are diverted away from hospitals, freeing them up to treat urgent patients, while the Community Diagnostic Centres focus on tackling the backlog.
n A reduction in harmful emissions, as the buildings are designed to reduce carbon and can even be carbon-neutral.
Real and lasting change With a waiting list that was seven million strong at the time of writing, increasing capacity within the NHS is an operational imperative. We know that the picture is far from simple; solving the many problems faced by the NHS requires a multi-faceted, innovative, and patient- centred approach. However, as part of the consortium of partners that developed the Seismic platform, and one of the leading proponents of standardised, offsite construction, we know that it has a significant role to play in delivering permanent, new, and high-quality NHS facilities, as well as improvement programmes for existing buildings. All of this will help to alleviate pressure, improve conditions for staff, reduce waiting lists, and improve patient care – ultimately leading to better outcomes across the board. For those hospitals simply looking for
temporary facilities, either while work is being carried out to improve older buildings, or as, for example, an A&E streaming service, modular hire offers a straightforward and cost-effective way forward. In many ways, as we saw with the education sector, permanent offsite
info@shj.co.uk
James Withey
James Withey is managing director at Algeco Offsite Solutions. He joined the business in 2021, and has over 15 years’ experience in senior leadership roles across the real estate, construction, and property services sectors, combined with a foundation in manufacturing.
He said: “Algeco has completed numerous projects in the healthcare sector, and has ambitions to deliver many more.”
builds and temporary modular hire work hand in hand, with the latter providing interim facilities while construction work is being carried out. Indeed, if standardised offsite
construction is embraced and used to its fullest potential, alongside a decant modular hire solution whilst the work is being done, it is capable of delivering real and lasting change within the NHS.
01494 782168
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Winner of Healthcare Supplier of the Year 2021, we have been delivering leading innovations to NHS & private sector healthcare providers across the UK for over 50 years.
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September 2023 Health Estate Journal 71
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