Heartlands Treatment Centre, UK
Delivered on time and to budget in the most challenging conditions over the last few years, the Heartlands Treatment Centre delivers high-quality facilities which enhance patient care, provide efficiency savings, and reduce environmental impact.
The new Heartlands Treatment Centre (HTC) project was ten years in the making. Delivered for University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust, the £98m project was the first large-scale capital investment at Heartlands Hospital since 2008.
The scheme aimed to boost UHB’s capacity to meet the growing and changing healthcare requirements of serving an ever-increasing and diverse population. It would enable the establishment of new pathways of care which would transcend conventional departmental boundaries in order to provide an exceptionally integrated and truly patient-centred model of care. As part of the wider economic development agenda in the East of the city, it would help address health inequalities in an area with some of the greatest concentrations of deprivation in the country.
Alongside direct benefits to patient care and experience, it would support a flexible workforce solution with shared skill sets to aid staff recruitment and retention, while enabling the ‘unlocking’ of the wider Heartlands Hospital site for future service reconfiguration and development.
Initially, Archus were commissioned to support the production of the Outline Business Case (OBC) and Full Business Case (FBC). Drawing on our expert team of Better Business CaseTM Practitioners, we brought detailed understanding of business case theory combined with the practical experience to apply it to real-life projects. We oversaw the process, steering all of the required information into a consistent, comprehensive and cohesive suite of business case documents, able to withstand NHS Improvement scrutiny. Funding approval was successfully achieved in November 2019.
Proactive, open and robust project management to completion
Once funding was awarded, there was an expectation that the Trust would enter into a construction contract and works would quickly commence on site, to support the UK Government’s commitment to invest in major healthcare schemes.
Following our success in business case delivery, the Trust asked the Archus Programme & Project Management team to review their progress on contract development and pre-construction activities and support them in developing a robust contract. We were subsequently appointed as the P22 Delivery Team lead, where we would be responsible for project managing a multi-disciplinary team through design completion, construction and handover.
Construction commenced on site in April 2020, taking place through some of the most challenging conditions of the past three years including COVID, Brexit and the subsequent economic uncertainties and difficulties, along with the added complexity of a closely confined site in a live hospital environment.
We proactively managed the project through these challenges, introducing robust and transparent project governance procedures to drive progress. Our approach enabled the Trust to be responsive to the challenges posed while construction continued, such as the opportunity to future-proof the new facility by re-designing ventilation systems in response to new pandemic guidance.
Delivered on time and on budget through exceptional collaboration
Heartlands Treatment Centre was handed over on programme and within budget in November 2022, and became fully operational in January 2023; a uniquely significant achievement under the circumstances of the pandemic and a testament to the collaboration, innovation and intelligent solutions of the team, who were driven to deliver the project as soon as possible so that it could quickly begin to benefit patients.
The centre fulfils the UHB’s vision for a fully functioning clinical space that can treat up to 1,500 patients daily, benefiting from cutting-edge technology and services all under one roof.It includes diagnostics, day case procedures, endoscopy, audiology, outpatients, therapies, and imaging services. State-of-the-art technology has been installed throughout, including brand new theatre suites and advanced imaging equipment.
It’s BREEAM Excellent and A+ EPC rating supports both Trust and NHS England sustainability goals, while also ensuring compliance with modern service standards and national policy i.e., NICE, IOG, RCOG and NMC guidelines along with JAG accreditation.
The facility has transformed both patient and staff experience, providing ‘one stop’ attendances in modern, well-equipped environments. With diagnosis and treatment in the same building, the centre has improved access to care and streamlined services. Wait times have reduced, and patient satisfaction has significantly increased.
Overall, Heartlands Treatment Centre represents an exceptional achievement in healthcare infrastructure, driven by the truly collaborative approach of all partners from concept to completion.
The Trust has worked previously with Archus on other projects however, the HTC project was complex. Archus integrated with the Trust Team to the point they 'became' the Trust, having the same values and targets. An excellent team!
Mike Taylor, Head of Operational Estates, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
