Karen Davenport, Frameworks director for BAM Construct UK, looks at how healthcare estates are set to continue a trend of evolution in expectations and delivery of new facilities.
Not so long ago, a healthcare client wanting a new facility was keen, above all, to know two things: how much will it cost, and when will it be ready? Things are changing very quickly. COVID-19 has been one of many factors which has driven an acceleration of what is possible, but there is a gathering momentum behind how we create efficient future healthcare estates, and what we believe is achievable in new buildings and the existing estate.
The NHS Nightingale programme provided evidence that the construction industry could build remarkably quickly, albeit in extraordinary circumstances. It also revealed, for example in the Nightingale facilities for NHS Yorkshire and the Humber, that contractors have the capacity and capability to integrate and collaborate quickly, in a matter of weeks, to design and build. This proves that the future of healthcare construction must surely entail a closer integration of strategic estate development, design, construction, and management. It has also proven that there is capacity to deliver better buildings, to build faster, to build greener, to harness standardisation, and to do all this more economically than before
The work of the Cabinet Office, Infrastructure and Projects Authority, and public and industry teams, for The Construction Playbook has further strengthened the case for modernisation – by developing ambitious yet achievable policies for improvements in procurement, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), early engagement, and governance.
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