Background/context After payroll, property is one of the largest hospice costs. The future planning of physical space must support service delivery and growing workforce needs. An effective accommodation review can provide recommendations which can resolve physical space pressures.

Aim To analyse the use of physical space, to identify opportunities to improve facilities for patients and staff, and to establish whether more space was needed.

Approach used The review involved the following:

• Interviews with SMT

• Review of patient experiences and feedback

• Facilities Survey issued to staff and volunteers

• Measurement of room utilisation, cost of space and quality assessment

• Adoption of RICS property balance scorecard

This matrix approach ensures that both qualitative and quantitative information was collated so that a comprehensive picture of space requirements would be produced, along with clear pointers of what the future space requirements would look like.

Outcomes

• 15% increase in clinical space

• Relocation of non-clinical services resulting in improved facilities

• Additional patient consultation room

• Utilisation data highlighted areas of under and over utilisation

• Additional meeting spaces and quiet rooms were delivered to improve new working

• More positive attitude towards hot desking

• More open and collaborative environment with teams interacting better

Conclusions A more strategic approach led to more improved outcomes for patients and staff. Cost and Timescales were two of the largest issues. Some staff and volunteers suffered sense of loss moving away from hospice site, so providing support during move and in new working environment was important.

Application to hospice practice

• Adopting a more strategic approach to space planning can deliver more efficient and effective outcomes for hospice accommodation

• Encourage professionalisation of hospice estates and facilities staff

• Promote adoption of FM methodologies which have been successful in other sectors

• Adopting recognised space standards to establish new hospice benchmarks and measurement standards