Repurposing vacant space, creating additional bed capacity and freeing up space for COVID-19 treatment in acute sites

Site: PFI health centre in Brent, London. 

Customers/Stakeholders: North West London Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP), Brent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

NHSPS representatives: Jake Roe, Regional Partnership Director (London), Dhiren Ganesh, Property Strategy Manager, Ann Caddle, Senior Property Manager, Barbara Lewis, Senior Facilities Manager

NHSPS teams have been working closely with the North West London STP on their COVID-19 related needs. One of their key requirements for additional space was to bring vacant ward space within Willesden Centre for Health & Care back into operation.

This initiative would support the wider STP efforts to bring additional step down beds into operation, thus freeing up bed space in the region’s acute hospitals for COVID-19 patients.

Working with the STP, CCG, and Private Finance Initiative team, NHSPS teams set up a task group to identify and mobilise the space within two weeks.

This has been done without spending any capital, with vacant space found and recommissioned via Asset Management and Facilities Management teams.

In the space of two weeks, we have repurposed 1,000 sqm of space which can be used to accommodate 52 additional beds and day rooms.

We have now handed this space over to the CCG and expect the space to be occupied and operational by mid-April. This new capacity in the Primary Care estate will help ease pressure on acute hospitals.

In the process of this project, we have worked closely with a supplier of medical beds, which has enabled the procurement of 100 suitable beds and mattresses by the STP, to be delivered shortly, and used in Willesden and nearby acute hospitals for future demand.

We recommissioned and reconfigured space across our estate during COVID-19 to provide additional capacity for treatment and testing, delivering space for over 1,000 beds.

See our infographic for more information