Following the exciting news that funding for our new hospital has been reconfirmed by the Government as part of a major funding package for NHS hospitals in England, we thought we’d shed some light on the bigger picture for new hospitals across the country. And what it all means for the new Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Back in October 2019, the government first announced that we would receive funding to build our new hospital alongside five other Trusts. However since that time – due to growing need – the Government set up a national New Hospital Programme (NHP) and has expanded the portfolio from six new hospitals to 40, all of which are expected to be delivered by 2030.
So what is the NHP? Quite simply, it is a centralised approach to all new hospitals, looking at everything from design, planning and construction to clinical delivery and sustainability.
NHP at a glance:
The core aim of the NHP is that all new hospitals will be built faster, better and more efficiently through this common approach. Estimates suggest up to 20% cheaper and up to 25% faster.
Move over 1.0, hospital 2.0 is here
At the heart of the NHP is the ‘hospital 2.0’ concept, a vision for how hospital schemes can be delivered with greater efficiency and reduced cost.
The potential efficiencies in hospital 2.0 include huge reductions in the components used in hospitals, including cutting the number of door types from a staggering 27,000 to 700.
Hospital 2.0 at a glance:
It will also improve sustainability, in line with the NHS Green Plan which aims – amongst other green targets – to reduce the NHS carbon footprint to net zero by the middle of this century.
And it will make the most of a building process called modern methods of construction – or MMC. In a previous blog we explained what MMC is and its value to the NHS, referencing the five Covid-19 Nightingale Hospitals that were built in the first throes of the pandemic in just a matter of weeks, using offsite manufacturing and construction.
What’s next for our new hospital?
This all sounds great, but what does this mean going forward?
The Government’s announcement on 26 May effectively means the new hospital programme is now fully underway. And whilst the NHP team works through the detail, our PAHT team will be pushing ahead with plans to purchase the land for our new hospital and finalising our business case.
There’s still a long way to go, and a lot of detail to iron out, but throughout we will be working very closely with the New Hospital Programme and our stakeholders to make sure we are able to deliver the new hospital by 2030.
We can’t wait to crack on. At last, it feels like the end might finally be in sight.
Michael Meredith
Director of strategy and estates