Last year the Government announced the New Hospital Programme (NHP), outlining plans to build 40 hospitals across England by 2030.
Together with eight previously-announced schemes, this commitment means 48 hospitals will be delivered by the end of the decade.
And this week saw the launch of the launch of the first iteration of the NHP Supplier Guide which, aligned to the Construction Playbook, highlights what is important and what will be required from the supply chain delivering these important new facilities.
A joint venture between the Department of Health & Social Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the NHP will result in outdated infrastructure being replaced by facilities for both staff and patients that are on the cutting edge of modern technology, innovation, and sustainability.
To realise these ambitions, the NHP will call upon the skills and expertise of companies of all sizes, across a broad range of sectors.
And the new supplier guide will help businesses understand more about the programme.
“We want suppliers to get involved now, adding your expertise to ours and realising the opportunities for the biggest hospital building programme in a generation,” the guide states.
Emma-Jane Houghton, commercial director for the NHP, adds: “Traditionally each time we build a new hospital today, it’s effectively treated as a standalone scheme that fails to fully capture the opportunities to standardise design, leverage, scale, or foster long-term sustainable growth within the UK supply chain.
“The NHP represents a dramatic shift from traditional ways of hospital building.
“We have a unique opportunity to create an infrastructure ecosystem that transforms the way hospitals are designed, procured, and constructed.
“This is an opportunity for businesses to make long-term investments in their capabilities, create jobs, drive growth, and help in delivering world-leading experiences for patients and staff.
“We need to bring the right people and the right teams together to foster innovation and deliver hospitals of the future and that’s why we’re calling upon the knowledge and experience of the widest breadth of suppliers from construction components, medical equipment, and beyond.”