gbpartnerships consult work hand-in-hand with NHS partners to maximise the utilisation of existing assets and to create better healthcare facilities. Most recently, the gbp team have been working in partnership with Community Health Partnerships (CHP) on their Optimisation Programme. As part of this programme, CHP commissioned gbp consult, via MaST LIFTCo, to deliver a utilisation and optimisation study at Pendleton Gateway in Salford.
The study was designed to determine how this large and significant NHS LIFT building is being used and whether there was additional capacity that could be used to increase activity.
Located in an area of high deprivation, Pendleton Gateway is a key asset from which to serve the local community, providing easy access to a range of healthcare services in an out of hospital setting.
The results of the study carried out by the gbp consult team illustrated that there was capacity within Pendleton Gateway from which to provide additional services. The findings
are also supporting the local health system to better understand future estate capacity requirements across Salford. Andy Muir, CHP, Regional Director North West commented:
"This is a really positive step towards maximising capacity and helping the local community to access services closer to home.”
It is quite often the case that when utilisation studies have been undertaken the resulting reports simply become a record of how a building was utilised at a particular point in time. Whilst this data is extremely valuable, from gbp’s experience of utilisation and optimisation of buildings, real step change can only occur when stakeholders take accountability of the data for their demise area, and challenge services where utilisation is poor.
To this end, once the report and recommendations had been presented to CHP, Salford CCG, SRFT and MFT, a Utilisation Task and Finish Group was established, attended by all key stakeholders. At the Group’s fortnightly meetings, focus is on driving forward the recommendations made within the report and stakeholders are held accountable by an ongoing action log. Anthony Fitzgerald, NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care, Estates Project Manager (Salford) commented on the work delivered by the team:
"gbp consult have a logical approach and are effective partners. They have provided clear feedback at SEG level and are able to provide detailed implementation proposals to key stakeholders. The results of this study and the subsequent implementation options, will in time lead to the development of a much needed methodology, to not only increase the efficient use of LIFT buildings, but also to identify options to repurpose underperforming space.”
Read the full case study here
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