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Vanguard offers mobile operating theatres – including laminar flow ventilation – endoscopy suites, endoscope decontamination units, day surgery facilities, hospital wards and outpatient clinics.


One of the key concerns when


The challenges of refurbishments


Hospitals are complex buildings compromising of various services and departments such as A&E, surgery, laboratories, diagnostics, sterilisation and decontamination. The functions and services provided are all fundamental to the running of a hospital and healthcare system. So, what happens when a department must undergo a refurbishment?


Pressure points Refurbishment projects, like many capital improvement programmes, are managed by the hospital estates departments. These projects can be complex to manage as they incorporate not just physical changes to the building but also clinical, financial and sustainability considerations. The standard life expectancy of a building


is typically between 50 to 60 years, and with so many different services, refurbishments can certainly be rigorous and challenging for the estates department at NHS hospitals. Hospitals require refurbishments on a regular basis to ensure wards, theatres, decontamination and sterilisation departments, plus other areas are kept safe and functional. There are several key pressure points


facing NHS trusts when considering maintaining service provision and quality, which include effective planning, thus avoiding hospital-led procedure cancellations, and efficient patient flow. Depending on the requirements, refurbishments can take months if not years to plan, budget, receive approval and get the


work scheduled in. Once approved, it can take several more months for the work to be completed and, with the increasing demand hospitals currently face, department and services are unable to simply shut down during this time. Scenarios, such as services becoming


unavailable or limited, can force hospitals to move its services to another healthcare provider which may not be the most ideal solution due to having to meet hospital key performance indicators. The pressure of meeting targets and supporting clinical capacity as well as other contributing factors can drive hospitals to needing to find another solution.


Infection prevention control With seven in every 100 hospitalised patients being affected with at least one hospital associated infection, infection prevention and control is an essential priority to ensure patients, visitors and staff are protected from risk of infection.


contemplating any kind of refurbishment of healthcare facilities is how high standards of patient care, efficiency, and surgical compliance can be maintained during critical updates to buildings and equipment. Clinicians cannot deliver the standards of care that minimise the risk infection in inappropriate clinical environments, so this must be at the forefront of the estates departments mind to ensure a safe and compliant infrastructure is provided.


Is there an ultimate solution? Early consideration of replacement capacity, such as during the planning stages of a refurbishment, reduces pressures on hospital staff and resources, and can also have a significant impact on the cost-effectiveness and timescale of scheduled works. One way that hospitals can avoid


reduced clinical capacity is by utilising a reliable, effective mobile facility to maintain continuous patient care and surgical compliance. Mobile healthcare facilities have been in use in the NHS for over 15 years and offer compliant, appropriate clinical environments that can be used to temporarily replace a service or department whilst it undergoes planned refurbishment. These innovative facilities maintain patient flow and offer a flexible and reliable alternative to traditional outsourcing methods. They can be installed on NHS sites within a matter of hours and are fully operational following a short commissioning period. The Vanguard Healthcare Solutions


portfolio means that care standards and the patient pathway remain under the control of the host hospital, even when their own facilities are closed for development projects. Not only does this help to continue meeting waiting time targets, it can help to reduce build and refurbishment times through the seamless integration of mobile facilities into the workflow.


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