Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Rejected
DHSC remains reluctant to conduct rigorous real-life testing of the Hospital 2.0 design.
Conclusion
More generally, we asked DHSC whether it should commit to first building one hospital according to Hospital 2.0 designs in order to discover its viability in practice, the true scope for cost and time savings, and problems and snags that could be removed, before the design is repeated across multiple schemes. DHSC seemed reluctant to accept the desirability of rigorous real-life testing, replying generically that it was always looking for opportunities to accelerate the programme.26
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the recommendation for a single pilot hospital, stating it will test Hospital 2.0 within RAAC schemes and further develop designs through established prototyping facilities from late 2024, prior to construction.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. The government agrees that NHP should test Hospital 2.0, its standardised approach to building hospitals, and intends to do so at the earliest opportunity within one of the RAAC schemes, given the importance of prioritising these to protect patient and staff safety. However, construction is unlikely to start in 2024. Consistent evidence from major programmes demonstrates beginning construction ahead of achieving sufficient maturity of design ends up costing time and money. The NHP is however conducting deep dive reviews into how Hospital 2.0 would work in a variety of schemes, and working closely with clinicians, NHS trusts, Royal Colleges, patient and public groups, and the supply chain to gather best practice to include in Hospital 2.0. The standardised reference designs are being tested for fit against the constraints and contexts of specific types of hospital schemes, including low-rise and high-rise hospitals. This will provide learning on how Hospital 2.0 designs may need to be adapted when applied to other settings. The NHP intends to test and further develop Hospital 2.0 designs through more established prototyping facilities from late 2024, subject to business case processes and approvals, alongside ongoing design work and anthropometric studies. These prototyping facilities aim to engage patients, clinicians and manufacturers in improving the designs of key elements, such as operating theatres, and aid training and familiarisation to support commissioning and efficient roll-out of services in new hospitals. The NHP will feed back all learning from different schemes as aspects of Hospital 2.0 designs are applied into a continuous learning process. In 2023, the NHP launched a library of Hospital 2.0 products to trusts, external parties and industry, supporting planning and scheme development, before a detailed release of Hospital 2.0 in May 2024.