Published: 10/07/2003, Volume II3, No. 5862 Page 43
Any major construction project requires good communications. They become even more necessary if It is a five-year private finance initiative project to build a 1,212bed hospital cheek-by-jowl with an existing building.
Since before the contract was signed with lead contractor Skanska last autumn, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire trust has concentrated on trying to keep its workforce informed and engaged.
The project brings two sites onto one, on the site of the old Walsgrave Hospital just outside Coventry, and brings all acute care under one roof for the first time.
The size of the communications task is reflected in Skanska's appointment of a senior full-time liaison director, a new role for the company filled by Ray Bolton.
The position is not in the contract - initially an estates department manager was assigned the role but a workshop identified the need for a more senior position as the project geared up.
Though monthly meetings were stipulated in the contract, in the event formal communication has been weekly - chiefly to make sure anyone affected by noise, vibration or air quality is warned well in advance.
Every Thursday, senior trust staff receive a schedule of the following two weeks' work. This allows them to plan around disruption or arrange 'do not disturb' periods at certain times.
For instance, construction near the newly built fertility centre has to be stopped regularly for egg implantation because of vibration. As Mr Bolton says, the scenario to avoid is where 'all of a sudden the builders turn up and There is a rig outside banging away. The natural question is, how long is that going to go on - the next six years?'
Director of estates Keith Waller concurs: 'The more information we can give ahead of time, the more likely they will be able to accept that It is necessary, It is planned, It is thought through. In the early days we were not as proactive with the staff in terms of telling them what we were doing, and we learned that lesson.'
Sometimes a construction industry priority can clash with a clinical one. Mr Bolton gives the example of security versus privacy. 'When we started work near the maternity building, we put up this lovely mesh fence which suited our purpose and also allowed people to see what was going on. But it didn't give privacy for expectant mothers, and there were also dust issues.
Those are the things you learn.'
There are plans to create 'ambassadors' from hospital staff who can be regularly briefed and spread information among the workforce. In addition, basic presentations have also been designed for audiences of up to 250 staff at a time.
Trust PR director Juliet Phelan says: 'We are trying to get staff onto the site in small groups to show them.
'The impact is when you come and look. Quite a lot is going on.'
Similar visits, for both the 'great and the good' and local community groups, are also happening.
Webcams and regular aerial photographs mean both staff and local people can easily see how the site is changing.
A staff newsletter, delivered by e-mail and hard copy in payslips, has regular features on the project.
Senior team briefings by the chief executive every month also have a standing item on the subject. Managers are then responsible for passing information on to their teams, and passing questions back up - with the executive team pledging to respond within 48 hours.
Another important constituency is staff due to move from the trust's other hospital site in central Coventry, which is being closed.
Mr Waller says: 'The people who are transferring have obviously got concerns with how it affects their working lives. A lot of those have been allayed in the meetings We have had with them.
And We are about to start a round of meetings where they will sit down with a manager from the new organisation one-to-one and raise any concerns.'
The project also involves a 130bed mental health facility run by the local primary care trust, due to open in November 2004.
A communications group bringing together both trusts meets every month, as well as a design and construction meeting. PCT representatives also attend weekly updates.
One area where work still needs to be done is in communicating with the wider patient population.
Information is now going out routinely on appointment letters, as well as being available on a website. Also, interactive information bureaus are to be set up in the main entrance of the hospital showing videos of the construction work and allowing patients to e-mail comments.
The trust's patients' council is also set to send a representative to the project's communications group.
Ms Phelan says: 'The best communication in the hospital is the volunteers - they have time to talk. So I've been speaking to the voluntary services manager about doing regular briefings.'
Public meetings are organised every three months, though interest has been low.
Mr Waller adds: 'We have quite an active disabled-person group and We have plugged into that. As well as issues like access, that has also raised things like visual contrast in signage - if you ask someone with visual impairment, they want black on yellow.'
The first buildings completed were the oncology day centre and centre for reproductive medicine, which both opened last year - recently joined by a crèche and IT centre.
'Lessons learned' workshops were held after the openings, which highlighted the importance of flexibility.
Mr Bolton says: 'You can plan everything and if you're lucky, you'll get it right; but It is really about how you react to the fact that planned activity has gone wrong and how you deal with it.
'Things have been changed right up until the last minute to make it work. You have got to recognise that and have processes ready to find the problems to be found.' l
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