Offsite construction solutions continue to support the healthcare sector in its efforts to deal with the patient backlog created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vanguard Healthcare Solutions has provided a bespoke, standalone modular cataract unit for Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to address the elective care backlog being experienced across the country.

Designed in conjunction with clinical staff, the facility prioritises patient outcomes and facilitates the undertaking of almost double the number of procedures compared to before the pandemic.

Known as the Newcastle Westgate Cataract centre, the unit has three procedure rooms, a recovery room, and two staff wellbeing areas, alongside storage and utility rooms.

To meet infection prevention and control regulations, it was expertly designed with a one-way system for patients, decreasing time spent in the centre and enabling more procedures to be carried out.

And the streamlining of the patient experience has reduced waiting times on site from an average of 3-4 hours to under one hour.

Understanding the urgency of the backlog and the value of prioritising patient outcomes, we were able to use our bespoke and innovative solutions to rapidly deliver a thoughtfully-designed cataract centre that accounts for the needs of clinical staff in just seven months

This, combined with the facility’s status as a cold site away from the main hospital building, has also reduced anxiety around the spread of COVID-19 infection and has protected both staff and patients.

Despite hindrances to the rapid delivery of the project, such as the third national lockdown imposed in January 2021 and social distancing guidelines limiting the number of individuals on site, the centre was delivered in just seven months.

A Vanguard spokesman said: “Our advanced solutions and use of Modern Methods of Construction accelerated the delivery of the project, ensuring that the facility was delivered on a timescale far shorter than if traditional bricks and mortar had been used.

“Understanding the urgency of the backlog and the value of prioritising patient outcomes, we were able to use our bespoke and innovative solutions to rapidly deliver a thoughtfully-designed cataract centre that accounts for the needs of clinical staff in just seven months.

“Transforming the lives of thousands of patients living with cataracts, the establishment of modular facilities such as this provide confidence that a solution to tackling the backlog in elective care is in sight.”