Building Better Healthcare Awards

BBH Awards 2013: Winners of the Estates and Facilities Management Class

Published: 5-Nov-2013

Find out which entries took home the awards in the ESTATES AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT CLASS

The winners of the Estates and Facilities Management Class of the 2013 Building Better Healthcare Awards are

Award for Best Use of Existing Estate

This award recognises a project that has resulted in improvements to existing buildings for the purpose of delivering modern healthcare services

Winner: Hanover Diagnostic and Treatment Centre (Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust)

The Hanover Diagnostic and Treatment Centre based at Leigh Infirmary in Wigan was a rundown, partly-deserted 1970s building with outdated patient and staff facilities that failed to meet the expectations of a modern NHS.

But, in just nine months, the building was transformed into an iconic landmark delivering high-quality accommodation for patients and staff.

The £6.8m investment marks the largest clinical services development by the trust since 2004, and the most significant at Leigh since the early 1980s.

An important objective was to set a precedent for future developments at Leigh Infirmary by providing an architecturally-stimulating design for what is the most-prominent building on site.

This project features four departments – Leigh Endoscopy Unit, The Richmond Urology Unit, the Women’s Healthcare Unit, and the Endoscope Reprocessing Unit (ERU) - each designed through distinctly-separate key stakeholder workshops

This user input led to the inclusion of a number of key design features. These include:

  • The use of slate, terracotta, and stone Trespa cladding housing large glazed areas that maximise natural daylight into the building, create patient areas boasting unspoilt views of the surrounding area, and significantly improve the building’s thermal performance
  • A design was developed in partnership with the planning authority to ensure the solution was sympathetic to surrounding properties, while establishing the principle for future developments on site
  • New patient pathways were devised to allow consultations and any follow-up tests to be carried out during a single visit where appropriate
  • All patient areas provide maximum observation while recovery areas ensure clear single-sex compliance separation to safeguard the privacy and dignity of patients
  • The introduction of bespoke, dedicated clean and used scope transportation lifts ensures efficient and safe movement of scopes between the clinical and ERU areas

Alison Jones, senior nurse manager for endoscopy services, said: “This state-of-the-art facility is designed with the fundamental objective of providing a patient-centred experience which maintains high standards of patient comfort, safety and quality while safeguarding privacy and dignity.”

Our judges said: “This was an outstanding entry and demonstrated vision and fresh thinking in converting an existing building into a modern, fit-for-purpose and patient-centric healthcare facility. 

“Striking external finishings coupled with internal spaces that were welcoming and gave a feeling of safety made this the winner of a very competitive category.”

The Walton Centre was highly commended by the judges

The Walton Centre was highly commended by the judges

Highly commended: The Walton Centre (Kier Group, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust)

The Walton Centre is the only independent specialist neurosciences trust in the UK, serving 3.5 million people in the North West of England and North Wales.

A growth in demand of more than 25% for inpatient services had left it desperately short of acute capacity and unable to maintain the NHS’s key referral-to-treatment-time targets.

However, its landlocked site limited the scope for new-build extension, forcing the trust instead to consider a major refurbishment programme.

Work included the relocation of the clinical trials unit, pain management and neuropsychology clinics, and the hospital kitchen; reconfiguration of the areas released to create the new 29-bed Chavasse Ward; creation of a sixth operating theatre within the existing theatres department; and the development of a new neurosciences research centre to replace the clinical trials unit.

Overall the development has provided a 20% increase in inpatient bed and theatre capacity from a 1% increase in floor area.

The Marie Curie Hospice in Edinburgh was also given a commendation

The Marie Curie Hospice in Edinburgh was also given a commendation

Highly commended: Marie Curie Hospice, Edinburgh (Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall, Marie Curie Cancer Care)

Described by the judges as ‘forward-thinking’, this project involved the redevelopment of a 1970s building originally used as a care home.

The team developed an innovative way of introducing en-suite accommodation to all ward rooms as well as improving the spatial standards around each patient bed. This was achieved through the addition of a south-facing extension to the existing facade, increasing the internal area and facilitating the addition of en-suite pods to the patient bedrooms.

A two-storey foyer/lounge was also inserted between the existing adult unit and day services buildings to act as the new face the building.

A spokesman for the architect said: “Although humble in comparison to bigger developments, Marie Curie Hospice Edinburgh has set a benchmark within Marie Curie with regard to breathing new life into existing estates stock, setting a high standard for similar future developments.”

The judges added: “We particularly like the window bays. This work has very much improved patient accommodation and they have futureproofed it well as the rooms are adaptable depending on future needs. The balconies are lovely and, as an add-on, it is very, very nice.”

Award for Best Facilities Management Partner

This award recognises the contribution of facilities management partners - Hard FM services only - in helping to deliver vital services for the healthcare sector, either private or NHS

Winner: Hull Citycare

Hull Citycare has delivered 12 new health facilities for NHS Hull (now NHS Property Services) under the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (NHS LIFT) programme as part of a Public Private Partnership.

Facilities management is always at the forefront of these developments with the team involved from the first stroke of the brief, throughout consequent design and construction variations, through to tenant move in; ensuring sustainability, greater life cycle and smooth landings for tenants. Citycare then goes on to look after the estate for the next 25 years, contracting Sewell FM for day-to-day tasks.

This approach is of great benefit to the NHS as the team has the experience and track record of what practically works and what doesn’t, guaranteeing sustainability and flexibility in an ever-evolving public service environment. It also means that the risks and costs associated with building faults and unexpected damage are transferred to Citycare, giving the NHS peace of mind.

“In Hull, before Citycare and Sewell took over the management of the estate, we had some concerns regarding the previous contractor’s record keeping and a lack of assurance of compliance,” said Louise Ramsay, local area team manager for North Yorkshire and Humber at NHS Property Services.

“I now have the assurances I need that all sites are safe for our staff and patients and a partner that understands and pro-actively manages the estate to ensure value for money.”

The judges said: “This demonstrates excellent facilities management integration, both at concept and throughout the process. They significantly influenced the specifications for these developments, ensuring flexibility, sustainability and efficiency.”

Highly commended: Facilities and Estates Shared Services, South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Facilities and Estates Shared Services division has delivered outstanding performance, extensive service improvements, high patient environment standards, true engagement with service users and staff, and extensive cost improvements while developing and enhancing team involvement and motivation.

Examples of improvements made include the creation of a 24-hour on-call emergency service, a documented Estates Strategy, and a Procurement Work Plan. This reviews groups of services and products, identifying the best approach using either national or local frameworks through to tendering of individual packages. Over the past two years the number of individual procurement packages has been reduced by 30%, which has contributed to cost savings of £900,000.

The team is also innovative in its use of technology and since its formation has reduced property locations within the Staffordshire division alone by 20.

The judges said: “Technology use was good and extensive, but the customer focus via the helpdesk operation was exceptional.”

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