Cover story - advertising feature
Tackling NHS waiting lists: the way forward
One of the strategic objectives of the New Hospital Programme, which aims to transform the delivery of healthcare infrastructure for the NHS, is to ‘deliver hospitals for less cost and less time’. Modern Methods of Construction are meeting this strategic objective, while enabling Trusts to tackle the backlog.
Projects benefiting from the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are set to have a significant impact on NHS waiting lists during 2023. As the health service is faced with a backlog of over 7.3 million, an ageing estate that requires modernisation, and rising demand, there is an increasing interest in adopting faster, more cost-effective, and greener approaches to delivering vital clinical facilities, to tackle the NHS’s pressing challenges. Adopting MMC enables specialist contractor
MTX to construct critical healthcare facilities much faster – often 50% quicker than traditional builds. As the majority of the building is constructed away from the busy operational estate, there is reduced disruption to activities on site – thereby minimising the impact on patients and the environment. Clinical teams can concentrate on their core activities, while – in parallel – MTX constructs state-of-the-art facilities to meet ongoing clinical demand. MMC involves the off-site manufacturing and
on-site assembly of complete buildings which comprise of sectional, steel-framed ‘modules’. On completion, the buildings are transported to the site where they are craned into position, before the final site assembly takes place, which includes internal finishes. “There is a misconception over what MMC
provides – there is a perception that modular builds have ‘bouncy floors’ with single glazed windows; and that they are cold and draughty. While the speed of delivery is much quicker, we ensure that the finished build does not compromise on quality. We build with the same high-quality materials that you would find with a conventional build, using concrete and steel, and our facilities offer the same fixtures, fittings and architectural features – we simply build in a different way,” comments David Hartley, managing director at MTX.
6
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I June 2023
“Patients and clinical teams want the same comfort, look and feel of a traditional build. Importantly, the facilities must meet very high clinical standards, while complying with stringent HTMs and HBNs. The facilities that we build meet these demands.”
Tackling waiting lists David reveals that, since the outbreak of COVID, there has been an increase in demand for facilities such as specialist operating theatres, to cope with the backlog, particularly regarding orthopaedics and diagnostics. “We have a one-stop approach to providing these facilities – working with clinicians and estates teams – from the basic conception; throughout the design process; exploring the location of the facility on the existing hospital estate; to the design of the infrastructure. We also work with a funding partner to assist with the funding of the project,” David explains. In fact, MTX has a history spanning four decades of serving the NHS. As a specialist organisation focusing only on healthcare construction, the company employs 80 people directly, as well as utilising a large team of around 600 people, who work for the organisation
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com Volume 22 I Issue 6 I June 2023
THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL
SSI reduction: a sustainable solution
Spotlight on medical equipment management Mastering blood cultures: key to better outcomes
indirectly – all with a vast collective knowledge and expertise of the healthcare sector. The company is currently completing around 20 MMC projects per year.
“In the past 12 months, we have been involved with the development of surgical hubs, across the UK, which are being established in a bid to tackle the backlog. The aim is to have elective surgery hubs, away from the main estate, that are ring-fenced for planned operations, reducing the risk of short-notice cancellations, and improving infection control. It is an exciting time to be working with the NHS on these vital hubs and we have the specialist expertise to be able to deliver them quickly and efficiently,” David explains. The company has already been involved with a number of high-profile projects, in a bid to cut waiting lists. These include a new generation, elective surgical hub at Clatterbridge Hospital – built using MMC. The first phase opened in November 2022, and includes two operating theatres, 12 patient recovery bays, a plant equipment room for air handling units, and electrical supply panels. Theatres three and four are expected to be completed during 2023. Once both phases are open, the new surgical centre will treat around 6,000 patients each year from across Cheshire and Merseyside. Faster and more efficient completion of a
David Hartley, managing director at MTX
new general surgery operating theatre, at Yeovil District Hospital, is also being achieved through MMC. The external shell of the building was installed by MTX at the end of September 2022, with fitting out of furniture, fittings, equipment, M&E, and plumbing elements now under way. The single storey unit includes a theatre suite with recovery rooms, reception and waiting areas, office space and a dedicated staff facility. The chief operating officer at Yeovil Hospital and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Matthew Bryant,
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
