What we've learned together
Respecting patients privacy and dignity is vital in any works we carry out. It's central to any delivery at the hospital and includes privacy film on windows, acoustic hoarding, stand down times, continued blue light access. Ten years at JPUH has afforded us the ability to have an acute understanding of this live hospital environment.
This has been vital in helping us to plan around the patient experience, and also manage expectations of neighbouring wards and clinics. This has included briefing ward leads on works to be undertaken and agreeing a programme of works. We have also involved clinicians in the design process to help with space planning around FFE.
Whilst many of the developments are proactive, our decade has taught us that the hospital landscape is changing all the time, and we have to be agile enough to react to a change or emergency in the hospital. The team worked continuously and safely through COVID and we often have to move areas in the hospital dependant upon priorities.
Our Intelligent Solutions approach is about looking at the customer need and then tailoring the best solution to that need. For example, our ED and MRI jobs were modular solutions to help meet the tight timescales, and our RAAC structural support solution was a completely unique yet faster design. Start with the challenge and find the method to suit.
We must always ensure expert knowledge to ensure HTM compliance. How are we demonstrating compliance with the HTM specific medical, technical and infection control requirements and, if the scheme has been value engineered, we must still be referring back to ensure it is compliant.
During the planning and design stages, it's been hugely important to understand the knock on effects changes in one ward will have on another. The hospital is a interconnected ecosystem and service connections are especially important to understand so that when we are building, there are no possible outages.
It goes without saying that engaging with specialists for health is absolutely critical – from HTM requirements, to ensuring overarching responsibility for interconnected elements, are just some of the key areas in making sure the highest quality is delivered. Our consultants are experts and comprehensively understand the health care environment.
At JPUH we have spent time to understand how the clinicians use their spaces and specialist equipment within those spaces. For example, our X Ray suite project involved the clinicians in design, to help create a bespoke environment that would work with their equipment. Equally important is to plan the movement of plant and materials and the spaces needed for them.
Some of the challenges we have come up against, seemed to have a solution ready for them. However, on items like the RAAC planking structural support system, we completely changed the method saving the hospital time and money. Likewise, we designed a gantry system to enable the safe installation of the AHU's for Paediatrics. We always challenge what's possible.
On every project we deliver, our team are looking to deliver beyond the contractual KPI's, helping to create an exceptional experience for the staff and patients. This includes volunteer work, children's ward engagement and charity work. By keeping a consistent team working at the hospital (some for the full ten years!) we build great relationships.
