In July 2020, ModuleCo Healthcare (MCH) helped to deliver a state-of-the-art modular Sterile Services Department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, part of Buckingham Healthcare NHS Trust.
Working alongside our manufacturing partner, ModuleCo, and medical equipment supplier, MMM Medical, the new facility was delivered in just 16 weeks– a much faster timeframe when compared to a traditional build approach. The addition of this new department has vastly improved the sterile services service provision at the Trust.
Here’s a quick overview of the project…
- 784m2 modular building, delivered as 16 modules measuring 14m x 4m
- Delivered via a 15-year Managed Service Agreement
- All project costs, including initial demolition, asbestos removal and groundworks included in the monthly hire fee
- All accompanying equipment and services for the facility are included in the contract
- Installation and service connections of equipment were completed offsite
- Minimal time spent on site, minimising disruption to a busy hospital site
- HBN13 compliant, ISO Class 8 Packing Area
A full case study of the project can be downloaded here
How the facility has evolved over the past two years
Sterile Services Departments are central to the day-to-day activities of a hospital, ensuring all surgical instruments and equipment are sterile and readily available, allowing the continued smooth running of an NHS Trust.
Ensuring future resilience was an integral element of this project, with the Trust needing a high specification facility that didn’t compromise on overall quality but could be delivered quickly.
This is where an MCH Managed Service Agreement came in, allowing the Trust to benefit from a state-of-the-art facility and the accompanying equipment without the need to find upfront capital to pay for the project.
The facility has proven to be a real success for the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, effectively ensuring future resilience for the Trust. The new facility can also offer contingency to neighbouring NHS Trusts, should they encounter any issues or problems with their own sterile services departments.
The new SSD has also allowed the Trust to treat more patients, thanks to enhanced efficiencies in the processing of sterile surgical equipment.
The upgrades to the facility and associated equipment have also had a positive financial impact, enabling technicians to be more productive and increasing overall efficiency. This can be evidenced through the Trust noting a reduction in the average cost per tray (of surgical instruments) thanks to a better-equipped facility.
COVID-19 and the surgery backlog
With NHS waiting lists now hitting record highs as Trusts across the UK work to overcome the backlog in treatment caused by the pandemic, the SSD has proven instrumental in supporting Buckingham Healthcare NHS Trust to work through their waiting lists.
The processing volume needed to effectively handle the elective surgery backlog is significant, and the Trust is now exceeding the processing volume from 2019 (pre-COVID), putting them in a better position to support other healthcare providers.
Despite the challenges that the pandemic brought, both during the build itself and in the following months, MCH was able to deliver across all requirements, and continues to support the Trust through their Managed Service Agreement…
A “Truly Offsite” approach
An offsite approach, delivered via a flexible Managed Service Agreement, meant that the Trust could benefit from its new facility immediately, without the need for any large initial capital outlay. MCH also provides ongoing hard and soft services, including building maintenance and regular servicing of both the infrastructure and sterile equipment.
The modular SSD feels no different to a traditional brick-and-mortar facility, providing an optimal environment for the technicians working in the space.
In April, the site for the Sterile Services Department was just a flat piece of ground and by July of the same year, it had been transformed into a fully functional space.
MCH’s Managing Director, Alan Wilson, said of the project:
“This project highlights the evolution of modular, offsite construction in recent years. Alongside ModuleCo and MMM Medical, we were able to deliver a fully compliant, state-of-the-art facility that has allowed Stoke Mandeville Hospital to enhance the productivity of its Sterile Services function.
“Thanks to our unique service offering, MCH was able to deliver a bespoke solution for the NHS Trust, amalgamating the costs of the entire project into a monthly fee. This meant that the hospital was able to benefit from a tailor-made facility straight away, eradicating the need to find significant upfront capital and allowing the Trust to retain control of the SSD, without having to outsource the service.
“We’re incredibly proud of our work on this project, as it serves to demonstrate the opportunities surrounding modular, offsite construction. Delivered in half the time of a traditional build, we successfully developed an industry-leading facility via an innovative finance approach that addressed the Trust’s requirements.
“Two years on, it’s fantastic to see that the facility continues to service both Stoke Mandeville Hospital as well as neighbouring Trusts, enhancing productivity and efficiencies and positively contributing to the ongoing running of the hospital.”
Marc Sweeney, Head of Sterile Services at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, said:
“This new modular facility has been instrumental in enhancing our sterile services function allowing us improved productivity ad increased efficiency when it came to the uplift in processing volume caused by the pandemic.
“A modular solution delivered via a structured finance agreement meant we can continue managing the facility internally, and all of the costs were included in the monthly fee, meaning we’ve been able to benefit from market-leading equipment straight away.
“A modular, offsite approach minimised disruption and allowed for a quick turnaround, which responded to our priorities for this project. We’ve been left with a state-of-the-art facility which performs just as well as a traditional build, offering a positive environment for our technicians to do their job, serve our hospital and provide contingency support to surrounding Trusts when required.”
