Harrow Green manages complex hospital move

29 July 2009

Glasgow’s two new £100 million hospitals, Stobhill and the New Victoria, opened their doors in the last few weeks. Three months in the planning, the carefully orchestrated move of thousands of pieces of equipment from the former hospital units was completed to time and without disruption to patient care.

The transition from the old hospital buildings to the new facilities demonstrated the critical importance of forward planning and meticulous attention to detail. Harrow Green worked behind the scenes with the hospital management teams to ensure a smooth transition to the new state-of-the-art facilities.

“On projects like this there is no scope for error,’ said David Gray, Harrow Green’s project manager for the relocation. ‘You have to ensure the hospital keeps working without interruption, and that patient care is never put at risk.”

While around 80 percent of the hospital equipment was completely new, that still left a requirement for a major relocation of existing medical units, furniture and IT equipment. After moving over 3,000 crates in 110 vehicle loads, working over weekends and evenings to avoid downtime, the Harrow Green team rightly feel proud of their role in helping to move healthcare in Greater Glasgow to new levels.

Robert Stewart, Deputy Head of Procurement for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, described the move as “challenging.” “There was too much at risk not to get this right. Harrow Green worked closely with the people across the 96 departments who would be moving to develop a clear understanding of what we required. Detailed planning and scheduling around the clinical working day were key considerations. Harrow Green delivered the detailed brief to an exceptionally high standard, providing a quality service which exceeded my expectations.”

The new build Stobhill and New Victoria hospitals are part of a major series of building projects that will transform the provision of healthcare in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.