Birmingham consultancy appointed to support major NHS investments

Published: 16-Dec-2013

Virtus Consult manages £4m Energy Sustainability Project at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust

Real estate consultancy, Virtus Consult, is supporting two major investment programmes by Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) following an appointment to manage a £4m-plus Energy Sustainability Project and provide consultancy for the delivery of £70m of capital projects across three estates.

The Energy Sustainability Project is commencing as part of HEFT’s investment in energy cost and carbon savings across its portfolio through self-funded projects.

It is expected to deliver annual savings of £632,000 with guaranteed energy cost and carbon reduction of around 12% through initiatives such as energy display meters, insulation, variable speed drives, refrigeration control, solar PV and lighting, pump replacement and AHU controls.

Having already overseen an extensive and complex procurement process, Virtus Consult will be overseeing the implementation of this programme which is due for completion in March 2014. Virtus was also successful in helping the trust to obtain £2.8m towards the project in grant funding as part of the £50m allocated by the Department of Health in 2013-14 to improve energy efficiency, fund frontline care and reduce the carbon footprint of the NHS.

Due to commence later this year and continue over the next three to four years, HEFT’s investment in the further improvement of its estates through capital projects will see Virtus overseeing the completion of various refurbishment and new-build schemes including a range of hybrid, maternity and elective care facilities and associated amenities at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Solihull Hospital and Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.

In the past 12 months Virtus has overseen the completion of a number of previous capital projects for HEFT including a new accident and emergency department, two new day case theatres and associated facilities for Good Hope Hospital costing a total of £7.6m, and a new pathology department for Birmingham Heartlands Hospital at a cost of £8m.

Virtus Consult director, Jan Ponsford, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and its commitment to long-term investment in its portfolio. We are providing two different areas of specialism – energy reduction and capital projects – which demonstrate our multi-discipline capabilities. We have appointed several key personnel to assist in these new projects, including a senior project manager who has joined the programme office team at Heartlands Hospital.”

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