Healthcare
Tweed valley hospital
On 14th May 2024, the Tweed Valley Hospital opened its doors to the public. On that very day, all patients were seamlessly transferred from the old Tweed Hospital to this state-of-the-art healthcare facility. The Tweed Hospital accommodated up to 225 patients plus emergency department and day patient services such as Renal and Oncology and outpatients, with the new Tweed Valley Hospital expanding to 450 Beds and additional capacity across all services.
MoveCorp Consulting's role encompassed project governance, patient transfer planning, and relocation management, commencing almost two years prior to the relocation itself.
Amelia Curic, in the role of Relocation Director collaborated closely with the Hospital Executive and Heads of Departments to develop a comprehensive patient transfer strategy and plan, supported by a detailed patient ramp-down plan. This plan addressed all eventualities for patient transfer, covering patient types, transport classes, considerations for deterioration during transit, unwell mothers traveling with babies, critical care transfer logistics, and required stakeholders. Additionally, a command and control plan was established for the transfer day.
Amelia facilitated the development of the scope, requirements, relationships, and contracts with NSW Ambulance, NSW Police, Transport NSW, three private patient transfer companies, and one funeral home for mortuary transfers. On the day, 23 ambulances, including two ICU medical retrieval services, seven NSW Ambulance vehicles, and 14 private transport vehicles (including two dedicated teams for mental health inpatients) were deployed.
The hospital, alongside its executives and Nurse Unit Managers (NUMs), implemented the ramp-down plan successfully, transferring just under 130 patients, including deceased individuals, in less than seven hours without incident. The transfer was seamless, with an effective command structure in place.
The second part of MoveCorp Consulting's role involved planning and managing the enormous volume of transfer items, which included both medical equipment and hospital furniture such as beds and bedside lockers. The hospital's library and medical records were also relocated.
During the planning phase, MoveCorp Consulting worked closely with Health Infrastructure and the LHD Redevelopment team to define transfer requirements. The list of over 7,000 transfer items with each department was managed using MoveCorp's custom transfer management portal. A plan was developed to barcode and label all transfer items, sequencing their relocation in alignment with the hospital's ramp-down plan. As services ramped down, transfer items were progressively moved.
The week of the hospital's Go Live was significant, with the transfer of items needing to synchronize with the patient transfer program and the hospital's ramp-up program. Early on, MoveCorp Consulting wrote a relocation master strategy, which outlined all considerations for this mammoth task including a hypercare support program for ICU, ED, and other significant patient service areas (Pathology/Medical Imaging etc). Once the strategy was accepted by the LHD Transition Control Group, planning proceeded.
MoveCorp Consulting's role included tendering and managing a suitably experienced commercial removalist company to ensure the best team and value for the local area health district. The appointed removalist, Allied Pickfords, successfully implemented the asset transfer plan, consistently meeting targets on time, if not ahead of schedule.
The success of this project—the largest hospital move in NSW history, if not Australia—was made possible by the partnership formed between MoveCorp Consulting, Health Infrastructure, the Local Area Health District Transition Control Group, and the Hospital leadership team.
logan Hospital
The Logan Hospital Expansion is one of the state’s largest ever hospital expansions. It will deliver a 48 per cent increase on the existing bed capacity, significantly increasing the size of the hospital to meet the needs of our community.
The expansion will be a significant transformation for Logan Hospital. The program of work includes adding addtional levels to an existing building, refurbishing parts of the original hospital buildings, as well as a brand new clinical services building.
Sonic Healthcare & Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology
Sonic Healthcare and Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology relocated 1200 staff, their laboratories, offices and warehouse across North Ryde into a purpose-built facility. The site had numerous 24/7 operations and a complex network of inter-departmental dependencies that strongly influenced the move sequence. A critical planning issue was to ensure the continued processing of over 19,000 patient specimens daily without experiencing downtime.
One of the largest challenges included planning and managing the relocation of the high volume of Patient samples, massive and complex haematology line, highly infectious TB laboratory and associated specimens, the relocation of the chain of custody drug storage and genetic testing specimens. In total, over 1000 items of laboratory equipment were relocated, along with 1100 pieces of furniture and 1200 lineal metres of documentation. Core departments scheduled to move, included Cytology, Haematology, Biochemistry, Immunoserology, Molecular Biology, Histology, Microbiology and Genetics. The move was completed on time, within budget and with no disruption to laboratory workflow or service continuity
Gold Coast University Hospital
As part of its transition from general to teaching hospital, Gold Coast Hospital fully relocated its premises to a new, 750-bed facility, part of a $450 million scheme.
MoveCorp’s assistance with this project covered all areas of the hospital, and included provision of:
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relocation planning and storage advice;
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an extensive file, storage and materials handling review: recommendations on cost effective space efficient systems, focusing on standardised units, uniform storage codes and ease of sterilisation;
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a Departmental Implementation Plan for every team; and
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major sub-strategies, including change management, specialist contractor scoping and commissioning input.
movecorp's first whole of hospital move
The Children's Hospital at Westmead
MoveCorp planned and managed the complex relocation of the Royal Alexandria Children’s Hospital when it moved to Westmead. In 1995, this project was the largest relocation of a public hospital undertaken in NSW, involving over 1800 staff and 265 departments. The equipment relocated included complex clinical and diagnostic equipment and extensive coordination was required with departments to develop detailed departmental implementation plans.
Given the nature of the important work of the hospital, it was essential that a full communications strategy was devised to reassure staff, patients and families. “The move was achieved without incident. Despite considerable anxiety prior to the move, patients, parents and staff were extremely pleased with the efficient, smooth and confident way in which the move was managed.” - Former Director of Commissioning N.C.H.