Through the GEM (Good Estate Management) Framework, Ensigna Construction is proud to be delivering a growing programme of refurbishment and reconfiguration projects for NHS Property Services, helping GP practices make better use of their existing estates and create much-needed additional capacity for primary care services.
🏥 7 GP surgeries completed to date
🏥 5 further projects anticipated
💷 £700k+ programme of works
👥 Delivered within live, operational healthcare environments
The programme demonstrates how targeted investment in existing healthcare estates can deliver benefits that extend far beyond the physical refurbishment.
Turning existing space into additional healthcare capacity
Across the programme, Ensigna is reconfiguring existing and underutilised accommodation to create new consulting and examination rooms, clinical spaces, administrative areas and digital triage facilities.
The objective is simple: make better use of the space already available to help practices improve patient access, increase appointment capacity and support new ways of working.
One of the larger schemes involves converting four existing administrative rooms into new consulting rooms alongside a dedicated digital triage room. The multi-trade package includes new partitions and fire-rated doors, clinical finishes, IPS and washbasins, power and data infrastructure, examination lighting, workstations and associated healthcare fittings.
Other projects have transformed individual administrative rooms into fully equipped clinical consulting spaces, incorporating healthcare flooring, hygienic wall finishes, clinical plumbing, power and data, examination lighting, workstations, cabinetry and privacy provisions.
The impact is already being felt
At Merton Medical Practice, the creation of two additional clinical rooms has increased capacity for patient appointments and enabled the practice to make better use of its existing workforce.
As a teaching practice, there has been another important benefit. The additional space means Merton can accommodate greater numbers of GP Registrars, medical students, paramedic students and pharmacy students, providing appropriate consulting and supervision space and supporting the development of the future healthcare workforce.
Practice Manager Sandra Sirchia described the project as having an:
“immediate and significant positive impact on our ability to deliver primary care services.”
She also highlighted the team’s understanding of working within a busy, patient-facing healthcare environment and the care taken to maintain a clean, safe and organised working environment while considering infection prevention and patient confidentiality.
The positive impact is being echoed across other completed practices.
At St James’ Medical Centre, Croydon, the team reported:
“The additional space has made a significant difference for us. We are already seeing the benefits in smoother coordination and improved efficiency across the service.”
And at Hartland Way Surgery, Practice Manager Elisabetta “Betta” Vescio commented:
“The new rooms have significantly enhanced our capacity and improved service overall. This has already had a noticeable impact on workflow and efficiency within the surgery.”
Specialist delivery in live healthcare environments
Ensigna’s programme is led by Jack Sullivan, Contracts Manager and Healthcare Specialist, whose experience in occupied healthcare environments provides continuity across the projects delivered through the GEM Framework.
Working within an operational GP practice requires considerably more than delivering the physical works.
Patient access, confidentiality, infection prevention, clinical appointments, staff requirements, noise, dust and safe segregation all need to be carefully managed while practices continue providing essential frontline services.
The feedback received from the practices is therefore particularly important. It demonstrates not only the quality of the completed spaces, but also the professionalism, communication, flexibility and understanding of healthcare environments shown throughout delivery.
A framework delivering tangible outcomes
The collaboration between GEM Framework, NHS Property Services, Ensigna Construction and the individual GP practices is demonstrating what effective healthcare estates delivery can achieve.
Making better use of existing NHS estate.
Creating additional clinical capacity.
Supporting more patient appointments.
Providing space to train future healthcare professionals.
And delivering it all while practices remain operational.
That’s a positive outcome for the estate, the healthcare teams working within it and, most importantly, the patients they serve.
