Darwin Group welcomes the Government’s new NHS 10-Year Plan and its focus on bringing care closer to communities.
However, the healthcare infrastructure specialist notes that unless the role of secondary care is prioritised alongside primary and neighbourhood health, the patient journey will remain blocked and fragmented.
As experts in volumetric modular healthcare construction, Darwin Group supports the plan’s ambition to expand GP access and invest in neighbourhood health centres.
Darwin Group welcomes the Government’s new NHS 10-Year Plan
Its On-Demand (trademarked) range of rapid-build, flexible healthcare facilities offers a ready-to-go solution to expand local capacity with speed and cost efficiency.
Yet, despite the focus on community care, Darwin Group urges the Government not to lose sight of the ongoing crisis in secondary care estates.
In fact, there is concern that the entire patient journey will continue to break down if the continued pressure on hospitals and specialist services is not also addressed.
As experts in volumetric modular healthcare construction, Darwin Group supports the plan’s ambition to expand GP access and invest in neighbourhood health centres
Nick Dawe, Managing Director for Darwin Group, said: “We absolutely support the ambition to move more care into communities. But unless hospitals have safe, modern spaces and the capacity to support specialist services, the system will continue to come under strain. You can’t fix the front door while the back door is jammed.”
With record waiting lists, a maintenance backlog of £13.8bn, and a hospital estate that’s struggling to meet modern standards, the secondary care system is under significant pressure.
While the 10-Year Health Plan promises progress, Darwin Group is calling for renewed investment and smarter, more agile infrastructure solutions to address bottlenecks across the whole system.
Dawe added: “The secondary care estate must not be forgotten. If we’re serious about delivering a health system that works end-to-end, hospitals need to be part of the solution, not left behind. Flexible, future-proofed estates are critical to making the 10-Year Plan deliverable.”
