University Hospital Southampton Partnership and Masterplanning

How taking action helped realise unexpected and transformational benefits for one Trust

With an ageing estate and no large injection of capital funding on the horizon, doing nothing wasn’t an option for UHS. While modern healthcare standards were improving, the progress of the hospital had become restricted by the limitations their buildings imposed.

To tackle the impasse, UHS entered into a long-term partnership with Prime to develop a transformational estates masterplan. A clear example of how strategic collaboration can deliver long term change and innovation.

Constructed during the 1960s and 70s, with further add-ons in the following decades, the University Hospital Southampton’s ageing estate created serious challenges for staff, patients and visitors. On a geographically restricted site, development opportunities were finite, limiting expansion and improvements. In addition, difficulty accessing and parking on the site made patients late for appointments, created congestion for neighbouring residents and was negatively impacting staff recruitment and retention. Plus, poor retail facilities, confusing wayfinding and an unwelcoming entrance did little to enhance the wellbeing and experience of hospital users.

With a vision for the future, but uncertainty about how to achieve it, UHS embarked on a 25-year Commercial Estates Development Partnership (CEDP) with Prime. By assessing the site’s geographical constraints and the increasing demands placed upon services, we’ve been able to define the strategic priorities for the Trust and formulated an estates masterplan that has become their roadmap for change.

The partnership is responsible for the design, build and financing of new facilities for UHS, while also providing the Trust with a spectrum of estates and support services. As well as enhancing access and facilities to improve the patient, visitor and staff experience, Prime bring commercial experience to generate additional capital and revenue for the Trust, which can be invested back into improvements to patient services and care. When investing NHS capital, clinical needs take priority, so our ability to spot commercial opportunities and offer investment solutions means the Trust has more capacity to focus on delivering high-quality patient care.

As a result of this forward-thinking alliance, the partnership has successfully delivered several strategic projects already – a £17.5m accessibility and parking scheme, a £2.5m main entrance and retail area and the purchase of an expansion site for the formation of a new, world-leading health campus, at a time when other hospitals are restricted.

The unexpected outcomes realised through these developments are an additional reason these projects have been so successful. Projects like a new car park or retail area can be hard to justify when faced with the demands for clinical expenditure. However, in devising investment solutions that made these projects viable, Prime has enabled the Trust to provide relaxing and welcoming environments that enhance patient and visitor wellbeing and support staff retention and recruitment. A coffee shop open 24-hours supports staff who need a break, a welcome desk with a friendly team to greet and direct patients and visitors, who are able to park without having to arrive an hour before an appointment, to wait in queuing traffic. Small changes, delivering transformational results.

Developing space for change in health and care