ADVICE & OPINION
COMMENT
TAKEN ON TRUST
COVID-19 has understandably put a huge
strain on the NHS but the successful adoption
of wholescale home working means there’s
an opportunity for Trusts to make savings in
o ice space by enabling sta to adopt new ways
of working. For employees this may mean a
reduction in their journey times and improved
wellbeing, while Trusts can reap the benefits of
improved connectivity and sustainability.
The support services in NHS Trusts are typically
based in large open plan areas, with organically
grown workspaces that are co-located within
clinical buildings that feature large amounts of
storage and o en decades of accumulated notes,
reports and papers. These sites are o en owned or
leased by a Trust, but are not suitable for clinical
activity, as many range from late 20th century o ice
builds, to pre-1945 heritage buildings.
The nature of the services delivered from these
facilities, means utilisation rate can be between 45
per cent and 65 per cent. Such ine icient working
environments are not conducive to productive
sta delivering high-class outputs expected of NHS
providers. O ice locations can o en su er from a
lack of natural light, poor historical maintenance,
lack of air conditioning, poor Wi-Fi coverage and
limited workspace options. These types of o ice
spaces have been shown to reduce the productivity
of employees and reduce wellbeing.
The utilisation of the space and lack of flexibility
can lead to further ine iciencies. Sta can be
located over several floors that are arranged by
14 JUNE 2020
function, which reduces opportunities to integrate.
O en o ice geography and physical constraints
prevent an organisation’s ability to innovate and
introduce new ways of working. For teams to fully
integrate with others and improve productivity,
most sta should be able to work as flexibly and
e iciently from any Wi-Fi enabled o ice space,
home, or another site.
Slow uptake of mobile technology within the
sector has had a major influence on the ability to
transform support services. To truly realise flexible
working, investment is needed in Wi-Fi to support
mobile working, a reliable network with ubiquitous
connectivity, process automation so ware,
collaboration solutions and so ware that enables
productive working.
COVID-19 is accelerating the need for o ice spaces
to be re-examined, not only to make them safe
for sta , but also in the light of changing attitudes
to flexible working. Home working has become
universal and this has shown how e ective remote
working can be which in turn has forced investment
in ICT infrastructure. The opportunity for the NHS to
take advantage of the ‘new normal’ has never been
greater to reduce costs associated with o ice space
whilst improving sta wellbeing and productivity.
MODERN ENVIRONMENT
Sta happiness and productivity is improved by
vibrant and modern work environments. The new
workspace should be of a contemporary design
with natural light and features, and a clean and
uncluttered layout. Studies show that those who
work in spaces with natural features reported 15 per
cent higher levels of overall wellbeing and were six
per cent more productive.
COLLOCATED TEAMS
The layout of an o ice should support the transition
to collocate teams who work together regardless
of which function they belong to. Integrating
delivery teams will help ensure that service requests
are coordinated between teams e iciently by
simplifying knowledge sharing.
UPTICK IN FLEXIBLE WORKING
Flexible working comes with significant benefits
to organisations and the wellbeing of sta , it helps
to avoid peak travel times, minimise non-essential
travel and works around individual lifestyles.
Researchhas found that sta are five per cent more
productive and 67 per cent of those who have
tried flexible working feel it has enhanced their job
satisfaction. Sta will increasingly have the option
of working away from the o ice and at di erent
times through hot-desking and accessibility outside
of traditional working times. Old and poorly
designed o ice spaces o en hinder the opportunity
to encourage flexible working.
CASE STUDY: OFFICE RELOCATION
FOR AN NHS TRUST
ETL, a specialist healthcare consultancy, are
currently helping a major teaching hospital with
their o ice relocation to a modern working space,
with improved transport connections, working
environments and facilities. Transformation on this
scale is a major undertaking for any organisation
and requires strong leadership from the top to drive
success supported by open and clear dialogue with
sta .
The Trust wanted to improve the integration of
their teams and the way they worked, so there was
the vision to move to flexible working and arranging
sta by the services they deliver. However, with the
onset of COVID-19 that accelerated everything. The
space is designed to be adaptable, using technology
to support social distancing recommendations
now, as well as providing a high-class environment
for the future. By providing less desk space, it
gave the opportunity to create more collaboration
areas. Moreover, a bookable desk system has been
included, so workspaces can be planned to help
social distancing and comply with coronavirus
guidelines, with the opportunity to be repurposed for
truly flexible workspaces for an adaptable workforce.
The improvements to the Trust will substantially
reduce long-term running costs, enhance sta
wellbeing, and foster productivity. Through changes
to sta modes of travel, disposing of assets with high
energy demand and use of LED lighting, the Trust
will benefit from reduced carbon consumption and
deliver high quality services in accommodation that
meets the needs of their sta for the long term.
ETL’s Director of Property Stephen Edgar, Project Associate Director Donna
Fitzpatrick, and Programme Associate Director Maeve Dunne outline the cost
saving opportunities for NHS Trusts in relocating and optimising offi ce space