University College London NHS Foundation Trust
The Problem
Safely transferring in one day women patients and new-born babies through busy central London streets from a building dating back to the 1870s into the new Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing of the University College Hospital.
The Solution
The University College London NHS Trust chose Medical Services to manage the whole patient move programme.
The Action
In August 2008 our management team was integrated with the Trust's own move and migration planning group to organise the transfer of four wards of patients in a range of Medical Services vehicles. On a single day a total of 50 patients as well as 21 newborn babies in incubators, with medical teams in high dependency ambulances, were transferred into the new EGA wing.
Our role included contingency planning, communications with local authorities, statutory ambulance services and police, vehicle route planning, resource management, and onsite co-ordination.
The Results
Emily Freemantle, Project Manager for Women's Health, University College London NHS Trust reported:
“The Medical Services staff were fantastic in working around the change sequence provided by clinical teams, based on the medical needs of our mothers and babies. The command structure that they had in place worked really well and their Bronze and Silver commanders worked closely with our clinical staff to coordinate the transfers. Our clinical staff particularly commented that they could not fault the Medical Services staff, who were flexible and professional at all times, and ensured that all transferred were completed by approximately 6.30pm, despite a delay to the start of our maternity move”