Winter is rapidly approaching, and with it comes the surge in emergency admissions from seasonal illnesses such as colds, flu and respiratory conditions, which threaten to significantly strain NHS services nationwide.
Traditional solutions require lengthy planning permissions, construction timelines, and significant capital investment, which means they can't deliver clinical capacity quickly enough in response to seasonal demand.
This blog examines how state-of-the-art, rapidly deployable healthcare infrastructure can help NHS trusts increase surgical capacity and maintain performance targets during the most challenging months of the year without compromising on quality.
The impact of winter on NHS surgical capacity
However, winter continues to impact elective procedures, which are routinely postponed, freeing up space and staff for emergency care.
Elective surgery often bears the brunt of winter pressures. When hospitals need to create emergency capacity quickly, planned operations are often the first casualty. This can force hospitals to cancel with little notice, affecting patients who may have already undergone pre-operative assessments, made work arrangements, and prepared mentally for their procedures.
The knock-on effects are significant. Each cancelled operation must be rescheduled, extending waiting lists further and creating an administrative burden.
Why traditional construction isn’t quick enough
Once the business case and planning permission are signed off, traditional construction projects then face lengthy construction timelines that can span multiple years.
Traditional construction is often inflexible, with each construction stage dependent on the completion of the previous one. Combined with weather delays, supply chain issues, and labour shortages, these timelines can extend even further, with projects frequently overrunning their original timescales.
The NHS requires solutions that can be delivered and operational rapidly once approvals are in place, and traditional construction methods just cannot meet the timeframes the NHS demands.
Introducing MCH’s portfolio theatre
ModuleCo Healthcare’s portfolio theatre and 2-bed recovery suite is a proven solution that has already delivered successful results during an 18-month deployment at Sulis Hospital.
Designed specifically to help hospitals maintain elective surgery throughout peak winter pressures, the facility is fully compliant with HBN and HTM standards and can be adapted to meet the specific clinical needs of each NHS Trust.
Delivery and installation
The facility is 90% complete upon arrival at the live hospital and can be delivered and installed within just 3 weeks. This significantly shortens construction timeframes whilst reducing disruption to existing hospital operations.
Cost
Utilising our Pulse solution, this portfolio theatre is available from £995 per day, providing a cost-effective way to expand surgical capacity by basing payments on actual usage.
The facility is also available via hire or managed service agreements, offering unparalleled flexibility in how the theatre is procured and managed, whilst keeping costs transparent and predictable.
Pay nothing for the first 3 months
To ease pressure on already stretched budgets, ModuleCo Healthcare is offering the portfolio theatre with a three-month rent-free period. This provides trusts with immediate access to additional surgical capacity without compromising budgets or patient care.
Making a positive impact during winter pressures
Surge support for increased demand
The portfolio theatre gives hospitals access to high-quality additional surgical capacity that can be utilised exactly when demand peaks. Whether used for fluctuating emergency care or to maintain elective procedures, it provides a flexible, fully compliant environment that supports clinical teams. It’s a fast-track way to maintain throughput when patient demand suddenly increases.
Relief for elective backlogs
By rapidly adding additional capacity, our solution enables Trusts to protect elective care pathways or even increase surgical volume each week. The portfolio theatre can operate as a ring-fenced elective hub or additional support to existing theatres, helping teams clear waiting lists faster and maintain performance targets.
Decant space during redevelopment or refurbishment
The portfolio theatre acts as a seamless temporary solution while existing theatres are out of operation for maintenance or as decant when new facilities are being built.
It enables surgical activity to continue uninterrupted, maintaining staff in high specification facilities whilst preventing costly downtime. Once maintenance is complete or permanent facilities are complete, the theatre can be easily relocated within the Trust, giving estates teams the freedom to modernise without affecting patient care.
Looking beyond winter
The portfolio theatre isn’t just suitable for short-term use; it is a facility that can continue delivering value long after winter pressures ease.
Long-Term usage
Our theatres are designed for high-quality clinical use, with a 60-year design life, made available on short-term hire agreements without any compromise on quality or compliance. Whether used as a permanent solution or part of planned maintenance works, the portfolio theatre provides state-of-the-art additional capacity that meets both immediate and long-term needs.
Ongoing Maintenance & Asset Management
ModuleCo Healthcare offers comprehensive maintenance services to ensure that all our facilities remain fully operational, compliant, and cost-efficient. Our in-house maintenance team and approved subcontractors handle all aspects of planned preventative, and reactive maintenance. This approach helps to minimise downtime, reduce running costs, and provide additional peace of mind.
ModuleCo Healthcare’s portfolio theatre offers NHS Trusts a proven, flexible solution to maintain elective surgery and manage capacity pressures without the extended construction timeframes, disruption, or high capital cost of traditional construction.
Rapidly deployable, fully compliant, and designed for both short-term and long-term use, the theatre and 2-bed recovery suite provides immediate, high-quality clinical space that can adapt to evolving needs.
By combining operational readiness with ongoing maintenance support and flexible finance options, Trusts can protect patient care, optimise surgical throughput, and plan confidently for both winter surges and future clinical requirements.
Don’t let seasonal pressures compromise your patient care. Discover how ModuleCo Healthcare’s portfolio theatre can support your Trust this winter and beyond. Contact us today to discuss your requirements, arrange a site visit, or explore our Pulse, hire, and managed service options in more detail.
