The pandemic is causing disruption to a wide range of industries and the healthcare construction sector is no different. The immediate needs of patient care for those infected with the virus have been at the forefront of many political debates.
The NHS has been radically mobilised to respond to the crisis, most noticeably during the peak of the epidemic, as many Intensive Care Units (ICU) where stretched to capacity. During this same period, works for non-COVID related projects were scaled back as efforts were focused on planning and dealing with further waves of infections.
Healthcare construction projects were treated as secondary whilst hospitals dealt with the immediate demands of the crisis. This has resulted in capital investment being repurposed to fund essential care and treatment for patients infected with COVID-19.
Whilst the value of projects undertaken in the healthcare sector dramatically increased during the pandemic, most investments were allocated to hospitals. According to Glenigan’s Construction Review, other areas in the sector experienced sharp declines including nursing homes, day centres and social care estates.
Nonetheless, Glenigan believes the outlook for the sector remains positive. Promises of increased NHS capital funding is expected to lift project starts over the next two years.
