HEALTH SECTOR CHALLENGES-00-1060

Capital expenditure in the NHS amounted to about £ 3.5 billion in 2007/2008. With a line of responsibility that extends from the local community and families of patients to government targets, Primary Care Trust and NHS managers are pressures from all sides to see that money well spent. So, how can it help the individual PCTs to respond to these needs? Any entrepreneur who has worked in the health sector, we know that it presents specific problems, regardless of the type of service provided. Probably, the construction industry faced more challenges than most because of the nature of his work. Successful companies - and those that win repeat business - have learned to anticipate and address potential problems of work, while respecting the limits of the clinical environment. Fast track renovation is a specialty that is of particular interest to many in the PCT is striving to meet targets and reduce the length of time contractors spend on the site. Working on speed, however, should not lead to cut corners or quality may be compromised. This is easier to achieve if the workforce is made up of employees and subcontractors of trust, but one of the key roles in pulling the work together is that of project manager. E 'is essential to take into account all the factors that may affect the satisfactory completion of the project, and this is best done during the crucial planning stage. PCTs will want to see a demonstration of the contractor, the ability to bring the project within the time fixed and budgets, and a detailed risk assessment. Spent on resource planning at this stage are more than repaid in the implementation of the project. On many sites the customer is a guest rather than a resident, but with the health sector is far from this case. Successful entrepreneurs are more than one client: more PCT staff and patients at the site in question. In many cases, the contractors will be required to work, while the routine services continue without interruption. This presents a number of issues, such as reducing noise levels, access, cleaning the site and, last but not least, health and safety. A gradual approach to work can help overcome these problems, how can each separate work area in order to avoid contamination by dust and noise. Such challenges are compounded when working in mental health facilities, which is of vital importance to ensure that patients are not able to access areas of construction and the ongoing work will not endanger the safety on site. In many commercial projects that the circumstances so require the construction or renovation takes place while the customer performs the normal operation. Of course, this is the case with health services, but it would be inappropriate to compare the "normal" in a hospital or health center to the commercial sector. Working in close proximity to patients requires an understanding of stress and tensions that are likely to be experiencing through illness, surgery or medical investigation. Full consideration should be given the impact of the project will have on staff, patients, visitors and other services that need to regulate access to the site. A courteous, sensitive work will be an asset, as well as membership of a system of Examination contractors.