Operational change is key to NHP Wave 1 success – Trusts should start preparing now

The first of the Wave 1 New Hospital Programme (NHP) schemes may not open until 2030, but experience shows that planning for operational readiness sooner rather than later is essential. Without it, Trusts risk repeating the mistakes of others who have faced serious challenges when moving into new facilities.

Getting readiness and activation planning right is critical. Getting it wrong undermines patient safety, operational efficiency, staff satisfaction, and ultimately the quality of care. A well-executed readiness process allows Trusts to deliver on their intended care models and ensures the benefits of capital investment are fully realised.

Transitioning to a new hospital is an opportunity to move away from outdated ways of working and raise both care quality and patient experience. But it is also complex. While technical commissioning and handover approaches such as Government Soft Landings are well established, the bigger challenge is ensuring hospitals operate better once open. Too often, Trusts begin transition planning too late or overlook the organisational change required. The result: new hospitals that inhibit performance, with staff struggling against a misalignment between operational approach and building design – harming efficiency, care quality and experience.

The most successful transitions start early – at least two to three years before opening. They focus on organisational change, enabling staff and services to shift to the new care model and operational approach before moving in. This ensures hospital and workforce are in sync from day one, with processes and services working in tandem the new environment.

Crucially, operational readiness goes beyond the hospital itself. Delivering new care models in line with the NHS 10-Year Plan requires broader systemic change, involving ICBs and primary and community care providers. Activation planning must therefore be collaborative, with Trusts working hand in glove with their wider health systems. The success of a new hospital depends on system-level readiness just as much as it relies on the Trust’s internal preparation.