Offsite construction methods are continuing to deliver the additional infrastructure needed to help the NHS address the service backlog created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

An innovative mobile healthcare solution, created by Vanguard Healthcare Solutions, is supporting West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust to recover from waiting time challenges.

The ‘visiting hospital’ complex, installed at Ipswich Hospital, includes three mobile facilities – an operating theatre, clinic, and ward.

Used for a variety of procedures, the solution is linked seamlessly to the main hospital to maximise efficiency.

For the first months of its anticipated year-long deployment at the hospital, the unit served patients from West Suffolk to help clear the COVID-related backlog of patients awaiting procedures.

For the remainder of its time on site, it will serve patients from East Suffolk.

A complete patient pathway

As well as the three mobile solutions, Vanguard is also providing a team of seven clinical staff to augment the trusts’ own clinical teams and surgeons who will work on the units.

Maxine Lawson, account manager for Vanguard, said: “Visiting hospitals include an operating theatre and ward, allowing for a complete patient pathway independent of the hospital’s estate.

“They include an anaesthetic area, operating theatre, and first-stage recovery room, as well as a reception and nurse station, HEPA-filtered environmental air, and utility areas.

“All Vanguard mobile theatres also include anaesthesia and recovery areas, a scrub area, changing rooms, and HEPA-filtered environmental air.”

Hybrid solution

Vanguard has also recently provided a hybrid solution to help University Hospital of Wales tackle the backlog of ophthalmic procedures.

A bespoke mixed-modality facility includes two mobile laminar flow theatres and a modular ward and staff welfare facility and will help the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to carry out additional cataract procedures.

The modular unit, designed, built, and installed by Vanguard, houses a reception, consultation room, staff facilities, and a short-stay ward, enabling the entire patient journey to take place within the hub, with no need for patients to visit the main hospital building.

And surgery will take place in one of the two theatres which each include an anaesthetic room, operating theatre, and a recovery room.

The facility will be on site until January 2023 and will enable procedures to be carried out five days a week.

Lawson said: “The use of this mixed-modality solution in Cardiff is an example of how mobile and modular solutions are an excellent way to help healthcare providers meeting demands as the need for additional capacity continues to rise.

“The modular section of the facility provides additional space for staff welfare areas, an area that we were keen to include in this contract.”