Overview
Birchfield House, is the first NHS 111 call centre in the West Midlands for DHU Healthcare CIC. This site, which opened on 31st October 2022 marks the start of an exciting development for DHU Healthcare as it expands into a new geographical area.
Whilst this base is a temporary one, it is where DHU will provide an NHS 111 support service throughout the winter period.
Challenge
Built in 1994, Birchfield house had stood empty for over 3 years when the potential of the building was realised by DHU.
Working for the client we were required to get the 16,000 sqft building in a condition that could house 200 call handlers within an 8-week time period.
The building had many initial issues throughout the project from heating/ventilation issues to water ingress which needed to be dealt with in a creative and cost-effective way.
Solution
Project managing various trades from M&E contractors, electricians, locksmiths, security companies, IT, utilities, plumbers, civil engineers, and much more was required on a daily basis to pull this scheme together and get it operational in time for the planned ‘go live’ date.
From the beginning, we realised the importance of providing swift, accurate, and articulate communication to all of the stakeholders, so we were involved in regular project board meetings to ensure that we were on programme from beginning to end.
Kate Hewitt, Project Manager
