Naismiths’ wealth of expertise encompasses the healthcare sector, where our detailed knowledge of handling major projects focusing on budget control, compliance and high-quality construction work is a vital factor.
We understand the care and attention to detail – whether in a live environment with patient safety a priority or a new development where programme and phasing are key – in this vital sector, where technological advances and high-performing services demand the best facilities across the NHS estate, health authority developments and private sector healthcare.
Tailoring a bespoke approach to each project, our specialists can support a wide range of needs through our project monitoring, building consultancy and restructuring and advisory skills.
How Naismiths supports the healthcare sector
The UK’s healthcare sector is undergoing significant change, with a technology-driven approach to enhance efficiency and improve patient care amid ongoing funding constraints.
As a data-driven business, we recognise the importance of analytics in transforming performance and driving good results. We understand the NHS’s need for sustainable, resilient and energy-efficient buildings – and a programme of regular renovations – to meet patient needs and keep waiting lists moving.
Our strategic guidance and dedicated approach to providing trustworthy solutions is invaluable to healthcare providers in creating first-class buildings including hospitals and health centres to deliver safe, high-quality clinical services.
We ensure the work meets all legislative, design and building regulations standards, including projects involving heritage properties and listed buildings.
In particular, we understand the needs of the care sector and the challenges in maintaining quality services that care home operators face. Through our work on public and private sector health and care projects, and other commercial ventures, we know how vital timescales are in delivering patient care, accelerating the completion of work to meet healthcare targets or creating a phased work schedule to keep disturbances to a minimum.
Project monitoring for the healthcare sector
With an array of multi-million-pound healthcare developments taking place or in the pipeline, we recognise that every penny of publicly and privately-funded budgets must be fully accounted for. We can advise on and manage the risks of a project at every stage of a building’s lifecycle, from new builds and modular constructions to full-scale refurbishments.
In the recent case of a care home that had suffered a burnt-out roof, our project monitoring and building surveying skills came to the fore. We immediately made the building safe and supported, to allow for a full inspection, and drew up the feasibility costs so the client could make an informed decision on the next steps, whether to rebuild, repurpose or entirely review their investment strategy.
Cost control is crucial in protecting a significant financial healthcare investment – we’re the eyes and ears that constantly monitor progress, heading off or tackling any issues through regular site visits, reviews and key stakeholder engagement. Construction work in the sector must adhere to strict safety standards, which our specialists thoroughly understand.
Our project monitoring service includes:
- Due diligence reporting
- Funding strategy
- Project coordination and monitoring
- Contract administration
- Budget control and financial analysis
- Technical solution advice
- Account auditing
- Detailed reporting
- Managing property portfolios
Building consultancy for the healthcare sector
Our chartered building surveyors’ detailed knowledge of project management, building surveying and cost and asset management gives valuable peace of mind to clients that nothing will be overlooked.
Ensuring that clients, from NHS trusts’ building management teams to major care home providers, are fully briefed throughout, our talented team of project managers and quantity and building surveyors will:
- Act as the employer’s agent or lead consultant to give a full overview of the project
- Assemble a network of skilled consultants to report on risks in a building’s condition – and consider future maintenance costs, including on temporary healthcare facilities
- Understand the fit-out process for care homes, hospitals, health centres and GP surgeries – and the importance of durable materials, acoustics and climate control
- Give high-level strategic advice to ensure efficiencies of scale when working on several buildings in a hospital trust’s estate, taking a holistic view of capital and operational expenditure
- Use our experienced in-house mechanical and electrical engineering consultant team
Building surveying in the healthcare sector
Our bespoke building surveying services include:
- Dilapidations advice – assessing and negotiating the cost of restoring a property to its original condition, on behalf of an owner, landlord or tenant where there may be an operator of the health or care facility under commercial lease terms
- Defect diagnosis – we swiftly identify and specify the necessary remedial works
- Pre-acquisition surveys – assessing the technical risk in property and business acquisitions
- Schedules of condition – creating a full record of a building’s condition, invaluable for protection against future disputes
- Technical due diligence (TDD) – we analyse the condition of a building or portfolio at pre-acquisition and disposal (VDD – vendor due diligence) stages to alert a vendor or purchaser to possible risks and advise on management strategies for these
- Reinstatement cost assessments – evaluating the costs involved to ensure adequate cover is in place for insurance purposes or the management of buildings and portfolios
- Measured surveys – we prioritise accuracy in measured surveys, minimising errors, and ensuring compliance with RICS and Land Registry standards for construction, design and lease requirements
- Using digital tools and data management via drones, laser scanning and point cloud
- Party wall – we ensure the structural integrity of shared walls is not compromised, acting for the building’ owner or adjoining owner to ensure compliance and protection
- Planned preventative maintenance – we identify costs and timescales involved in the regular maintenance of an asset and plan these accordingly
Restructuring and advisory for the healthcare sector
We can support organisations in the healthcare sector with:
- Insolvency and turnaround
- Technical due diligence (new and existing, M&A, MBO, company health checks)
- Distressed developments (re-finance, build out, LPA receiver, enhanced monitoring)
