In England, 1.2 million patients are to benefit from the improvement to spaces across the NHS estate over the next three years.
The initiative will see 100,000sqm refurbished and repurposed over the next three years to ensure high quality, sustainable healthcare settings that are fit for purpose.
NHS Property Services (NHSPS), which manages 10% of the NHS estate, has over 100 projects in the pipeline across England that have been identified as transformational for the NHS. Alongside the refurbishment of space, the projects will also see the disposal of unused space, which will release up to £150m in savings that can be reinvested back into the health service for the delivery of frontline patient care.
Improving the NHS for patients
As the NHS faces a backlog of more than two million operations, the money raised through the disposal of land could fund roughly 22,000 hip replacements. NHSPS is working closely with its customers on these projects, using its national and regional expertise to solve local healthcare problems and support the delivery of Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) plans.
For some localities, this will see the development of brand-new facilities – such as a new hospital in Hythe – as well as refurbishments or the repurposing of space.
Repurposed space will also be used to deliver projects that support the NHS’ Long Term Plan, such as social prescribing provision. The projects will also release surplus estate for around 2,000 housing units by 2023/4, in addition to the 4,000 that have already been released to support housing targets.
Simon Taylor, Head of Portfolio Optimisation, NHS Property Services said: “At a time when the NHS is facing challenges never seen before, these projects will be integral in helping to support the health service moving forwards. By using the estate more efficiently, over the coming years we can provide better quality spaces for the provision of healthcare, which will improve patients’ experience, as well as create better environments for healthcare professionals to deliver care.
“Across all of our projects we are working in partnership with local and regional NHS teams to understand their priorities and how we can develop and deliver solutions together, so everyone gets the best possible care now, and in the future. Using our knowledge and experience of working with NHS teams across the country, we have also, importantly, been able to help share learnings and scale-up best practice that already exists within the health service.”
Examples of the projects implemented include:
- Hythe & Dibden War Memorial Hospital: This new-build project will provide a range of health and wellbeing services for local people including outpatients, therapy, and diagnostic services, as well as specialist community dentistry.
- Kennedy House, Clacton: The scheme will see two GP practices – Clacton’s Epping Close Surgery and Holland-on-Sea’s Frinton Road Medical Centre – move into refurbished space at Kennedy House, in Kennedy Way.
- Whitby Hospital: Whitby Hospital in North Yorkshire is undergoing an upgrading process as part of a £13m scheme that will see the modernisation and remodelling of the ‘tower block’ structure on the Springhill hospital site, and the consolidation of clinical service and support services within this.
