Here at Health Infrastructure, we manage the capital works program for NSW Health, overseeing health service redevelopments valued at ten million dollars and above.
Every redevelopment undergoes three distinct phases – planning, design, and delivery.
This comprehensive process ensures our redevelopments meet the future health needs of the local community and staff.
To kick off the planning process we examine the clinical services plan developed by the local health district.
The clinical services plan forms the foundation for our planning of the redevelopment.
The clinical services plan looks at least ten years into the future using current health data, census information and projections of future local needs.
Once we understand what's needed, we appoint a lead design team who develops a master plan for the hospital campus and considers the relationship with community-based services.
The master plan looks at the entire campus defining and identifying opportunities and constraints of the campus including opportunities for future redevelopment zones.
The development of the master plan allows us to begin consultation with select health staff and community members by our project user groups.
These user groups help to determine how the clinical services will be delivered.
Information collected during this early planning phase enables us to create a high-level concept design.
The concept design demonstrates the relationships between the clinical functions, services, buildings, and other facilities both horizontally and vertically.
We combine information gathered from the clinical services plan, master planning and the concept design to develop a business case.
The business case outlines our scope for the project and determines our budget for the redevelopment.
Following the completion of the business case we engage further with project user groups to inform the schematic design planning phase.
Schematic design provides the next level of detail, such as how rooms and services relate to each other and how patients and staff flow through the facility.
Once schematic design is complete and reviewed by the project user groups the redevelopment moves into the detailed design phase.
During detail design, the user groups look at the layout of every room and hospital space such as the location of furniture fittings and room colours as well as the external facade and outside spaces.
At this time, we also develop an arts and cultural strategy to give the possibility a local bright and welcoming feel with artwork, installations and wayfinding signage.
Once our detailed design is finalised, we move into the delivery phase.
This starts by issuing a tender to engage a construction company that can build a high-quality health service on time and to budget.
Construction involves enabling work such as installing site fences and site offices.
Early work such as demolition and installation of in-ground services.
Main works which includes building the structure and installing major furniture, fixtures, and equipment and refurbishments such as repurposing existing facilities for an alternative use.
Construction is often divided into different stages, so our works have minimal disruption to patients and staff.
Priority is always given to providing clinical services over construction.
Once construction is complete, we begin the commissioning phase.
This involves checking and testing of all components and systems of the new facility.
Staff orientation and training also occurs to ensure everyone is prepared to welcome the first patients through the door.
Once staff and patients have moved into their new facility, Health Infrastructure continues to evaluate and assess the functionality of the new facility for several months.
This process also helps to inform our future hospital projects.
This extensive planning, design, and delivery process ensures that staff, clinicians, and patients, and visitors have a contemporary, bright, and welcoming facility that meets their needs and the needs of future generations.
