Blog

The NHS has changed in many ways since its founding over seventy years ago. Planning for the future has always been vital to making the best use of resources and improving patient outcomes. An important part of this planning is an estate management strategy.

An estate management strategy is an intrinsic part of the service framework for NHS Trusts. Suitable buildings are needed to support medical treatments and interventions for the current population, and as healthcare needs, medical technologies, and social contexts develop, forward planning is essential to maintain, expand, and improve the safe and secure facilities needed for the future.

Scope And Outcomes

Buildings are part of the fundamental infrastructure on which the NHS depends, thrives, and with which it develops. The NHS Long Term Plan aims to design locally appropriate services for ten years into the future. Therefore, an NHS estates strategy similarly needs to cover a five to ten-year time span. The strategy should take into account current needs and have adequate foresight into future developments in healthcare provision and demands.

The outcome of an Estate Management Strategy should be the production of a high-level written document, based on three questions:

1. Where are we?
2. Where do we need to go?
3. How do we get there?

The document should cover estate usage, costs, constraints, and investment decisions. Specifically, the strategy should include a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) or Outline Business Case (OBC) for each investment consideration.

Starting Points

In developing an NHS estates strategy there needs to be an initial assessment of the current and future healthcare needs of the regional population. Addressing these is, ultimately, what the strategy should serve. It is also important to gauge the status of current estates. Are they fit for purpose currently, and how well will they function in future as circumstances change?

Above all, this means that an estate strategy cannot be developed in isolation. It is not simply about physical buildings or maintenance but also about their uses and each facility’s adequacy for service provision, now and into the future. Here, necessarily, there are complex questions regarding service needs, as well as many stakeholders involved in the outcomes.

Who Is Responsible?

It is recommended that estate strategies be developed for all NHS trusts. This includes both Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Foundation Trusts. A broad service and estate framework will be provided by Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs). These frameworks will define performance requirements at a high level and plan estate changes to meet service needs over a ten-year timeframe. It is within this overall structure that individual trusts will need to develop their local strategies.

Other Recommendations

Strategic Service Development Plans (SSDPs) are intended to pay attention to healthcare plans for the wider community. It is recommended that PCTs develop these, taking into consideration national policies, cross-boundary questions, specialist services, and the wider needs of the healthcare economy. The needs of other local PCTs, acute trusts, and local government should also be borne in mind.

What Next?

We can help you incorporate informed investment and planning forecasts into your NHS estate strategies, equipping you to deliver effective service outcomes within your budget. To discuss your requirements and find out more about our services, please call 07500 704290.

Image Source: Unsplash