The senior leaders working directly on the New Hospital Programme (NHP) were enrolled on the Project Leadership Programme (PLP) and have been studying for the last 12 months to enhance their skills and expertise to ensure patients benefit from new facilities as quickly as possible.

In 2015, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority selected Cranfield School of Management, PA Consulting Group and an SME called the Project Academy as a consortium to deliver the PLP, as part of a long-term vision to develop project leadership skills across the public sector and create a new core of elite project leaders.

The PLP is designed to equip project managers and leaders with the essential skills and competencies required for successful project delivery of new health infrastructure in accordance with a national approach called Hospital 2.0 and NHP principles, such as using modern methods of construction so that schemes are built on time and with value for money. The education programme covers a wide range of topics crucial to project management across various industries, such as ensuring participants have the knowledge and tools to establish project governance structures, monitor project performance, and implement successful change management strategies within project environments.

The graduation of the leadership group comes after the Government recently announced its commitment to rebuild and prioritise five major hospitals in urgent need of repair by 2030, as part of the New Hospital Programme, as well as confirming that over £20 billion is expected to be spent on new hospital infrastructure.

Congratulating the PLP graduates, Health Minister Lord Markham said: “In the long term, our new standardised design means we can rapidly replicate new hospitals across the country, helping speed up construction and improving services for patients, as we continue to work to cut waiting lists.”

National capability for infrastructure delivery

Senior responsible owner of the New Hospital Programme Natalie Forrest said: “I’m delighted that we were able to support so many project directors across England working on New Hospital Programme and trust schemes. This is a challenging course and has involved much hard work and dedication on behalf of all the graduates.

“One of the New Hospital Programme’s key objectives is to build the foundations for an enduring national capability for enhanced healthcare infrastructure delivery – developing leaders in this field is a step towards achieving this.”

Cranfield School of Management focuses on developing key areas of expertise, including project planning; risk management; stakeholder engagement; change management; and project leadership. Participants also gain insights into effective project strategies aligned with organisational goals and learn techniques for resource allocation, scheduling, and project control. In addition, participants explore the dynamics of team leadership and learn how to motivate and inspire project teams towards achieving project objectives.

Two hospitals in the New Hospital Programme are already complete and five are in construction. By the end of next year more than 20 will be underway or complete, says the Government.

The Hospital 2.0 approach aims to ensure hospitals can be built more quickly and at a reduced cost. The Government envisages patients and staff benefiting from modern hospital design that makes use of the latest technology, digital innovation and sustainability. The ambition is to improve overall patient experience and provide a better working environment for staff.

Head of scheme engagement for the New Hospital Programme Geoff Lowry said: “I believe that I’m in a better place at work having been on the Project Leadership Programme. I have more clarity about the issues I want to progress and that these are at an appropriate level for a project leadership role.

“I feel my work life is now better balanced in understanding what I bring to the Programme along with learning skills to be more organisationally intelligent. I can continue to develop, particularly in how I manage upwards and outwards to secure and retain credibility and confidence.”

Project director at West Suffolk Foundation Trust Gary Norgate said: “I half expected the Project Leadership Programme to be a technical refresher on how to calculate critical paths and resource loadings. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find the emphasis placed on the human side of leadership and mindfulness.

“Having established, honed and reflected on the emergent improvement strategies, I recently re-ran a comprehensive 360-degree feedback exercise and was delighted to receive clear evidence of change, and change for the better.”

Nicky Topham, reconfiguration programme director at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, remarked: “The Project Leadership Programme has given me the theoretical structure to develop my leadership skills, and a great opportunity to challenge the traditional premise of project management, thereby enhancing the likelihood of successful programme delivery. The combination of lectures, workshops, e-learns, networking and coaching has stimulated me to think differently about my leadership role in the successful delivery of the UHL Reconfiguration Programme.”