Estates

Across the system there is a huge variety of health buildings, including GP practices, large hospital sites, community diagnostic centres and other health centres providing a range of services for our residents. Properties range in age, condition, style, and size. Some are new or renovated, but some are no longer fit-for-purpose. These may not be ideally located or are difficult to adapt to meet the future and evolving needs of the NHS and its patients.

Health and social care have changed significantly in the way that services are designed and delivered. A lot of patient care is moving into a primary care setting and new roles have been developed with other health professionals now seeing patients alongside GPs. Also, our local GP practices are all working together in larger primary care networks (PCNs) to create efficiencies and better care.

For estates professionals this means the way buildings are used is changing. The Estates team’s work is supporting this with appropriate planning, building design and adaptation to provide modern and accessible buildings. The plans are taking into consideration patient travel times, accessibility, public transport provision and NCL Integrated Care System’s (ICS) commitment to sustainability and meeting carbon reduction obligations.

The focus of the team’s role is to work collaboratively with estate leads across the system, including providers, PCNs, councils, and other partners, to innovate, share best practice and maximise the sharing of resources in NCL. This looks at the best locations for services, value for money in procurement and construction, making the best and most efficient use of buildings and land, population health needs and future flexibility.

A large piece of consultancy work, funded by London Region of NHS E, has recently been undertaken, working with PCNs to understand their current and future needs and to draw up a plan with agreed priorities to inform ICS funding requirements.