Strategic Resource Planning for ICU Expansion: North Middlesex NHS

This report examines the resource planning strategies for expanding the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust, focusing on improving service user outcomes during periods of high demand such as the Covid-19 pandemic. It identifies essential resources, including a multidisciplinary care team, adequate space, and specialized equipment like ventilators and PPE. The report also explores various funding sources, such as revenue generation, pooling of funds, and government support, to facilitate resource availability. Furthermore, it discusses the role of project management in effectively managing resources for ICU expansion in the short, medium, and long term, emphasizing communication, productivity, and resource allocation. The report concludes by highlighting the importance of strategic resource management in enhancing patient care and fostering positive stakeholder relationships. Desklib offers a platform to access this and many other solved assignments and past papers for students.

PLANNING AND
MANAGING
RESOURCES
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION 1..................................................................................................................................3
A. The concept of best service user outcomes and resource planning to free up enough
resource for expansion of ICU.....................................................................................................3
B. Three different sources of funding to make resources available for expansion of the ICU....6
Question 2........................................................................................................................................7
Discussion over the concept of project management in relation to the contribution of effective
management of resources, to free up resources for the expansion of ICU in short, medium and
long term......................................................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION
Resource planning can be defined as a process of allocating tasks to team members as per
the capacity and skills (Sutduean and et.al., 2019). This current study is based on North
Middlesex hospital NHS trust that wants to expand its ICU centre in order to provide qualitative
and timely services to service users at the time of Covid-19 and at the time of requirement. It will
show all resources that are required to be placed at ICU centre and planning about accessing and
having all discussed resources. It will further discuss 3 main sources via which, manager of this
hospital can get funding for making resources available. Lastly, it will show effectiveness of
project management in effective management of resources for successful expansion of ICU.
MAIN BODY
QUESTION 1
A. The concept of best service user outcomes and resource planning to free up enough resource
for expansion of ICU
In healthcare sector, focus of healthcare providers is on improving health of service users
and there are number of factors that affect health outcomes of service users. The best service user
outcomes can be known as the quality outcomes. For getting qualitative outcomes, health care
providers perform involvement requirements for accreditation and allow their hospitals and this
sector to be compliant with each of the organisation’s and service users’ requirements. When
healthcare providers meet all requirements and needs of service users within this sector then they
are more likely to get the best service user outcomes. Manager of intensive care unit (ICU) of
North Middlesex hospital NHS trust wants to expand ICU because of the high amount of covid-
19 patients and they are need of intensive care. Manager of this hospital wants to improve health
of all service users and want to improve their life expectancy (Valley and Noritomi, 2020). For
this purpose, it requires number of resources by which he can expand ICU and can provide
appropriate services to all service users in an effective manner.
Manager of this hospital needs to make an effective resources planning. Some stages and
resources that he will need to consider for accomplishing this goal include:
Hiring multidisciplinary care team: As, it is known that due to covid-19 and increasing
rate of service users, it has become difficult to manage and deal with number of service users.
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Patients had to wait for longer hours in queue due to shortage of multidisciplinary team. So, one
of the most important resources that need to be added are: infection control specialists,
intensivists, anaesthesiologists and hospital administrators. So, by hiring and recruiting skilled
and experience multidisciplinary team, intensive care services to service users can be provided
after expansion of ICU. For this, manager needs to select ways of hiring and attracting
multidisciplinary team and face to face interview will be the best.
Space: As manager of this hospital wants to expand ICU and for this they will need to
have enough space. While selected space and location, it is important for manager to consider all
other associated factors such as: ventilation facility and easier access of location to patients.
There will be requirement to select a place where at least 150-200 ICU beds can be placed
(PENG, LI, WANG and RAN, 2018). This care unit will be building not in the main hospital
because of risk of increasing infection to other patients. So, by using separate healthcare setting,
away from main hospital, appropriate size of ICU can be made.
Equipments: After making plan about multidisciplinary team and space, it is important to
make plan for equipments that will be required for providing qualitative and immediate care
services to service users. Respiratory failure in covid-19 positive patients, without surge planning
can affect health outcomes and life expectancy. So, it is important to make a list of requires that
will be required as per the selected space such as: ICU beds, ultrasound machines, ventilator,
monitoring machines, PPE, bronchoscope, dialysis machine and others. Among all of these
equipments, ventilators can be expensive for buying to the great extent but contingency plan at
the all levels of government and facility, manager can instigate to supply for additional
ventilators. Due to lockdown, hospital may face delay in this supply so, it is important to discuss
planned criteria for re-distribution may ease the execution.
ICU’s monitors and ventilators: Availability of ventilators is expressed as a critical
bottleneck in respond to this situation of Covid-19. By taking help from other hospitals and by
implementing Y-shaped connectors with potential to split airflow, respiratory support can be
arranged and given to service users. Portable CPAP devices also need to be arranged and as per
the demand, this hospital can make planning for using elective operation theatres.
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Figure 1: Y shaped connectors
PPE and Medicare care devices: Along with above discussed equipments, there is
requirement to arrange other resources such as: medical face shield, PPE, closed suction catheter
and others (Harris and Adalja, 2021). Due to shortage, people may face problems so, by buying
these products whenever available, this hospital can protect them from getting affected from
infectious disease. By contacting with local manufactures with three dimensional printing
abilities, intubation boxes and face shields can be placed at expanded ICU.
Figure 2: Three dimensional medical face shield
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Figure 3: Transparent plastic sheet and intubation box
Air conditioning: At the time of Covid-19, people were healthcare providers were facing
problems in preventing airborne transmission. At this hospital, there is no provision of such
systems so, by planning about this resource and making some modification in heat ventilation air
conditioning system, covid-19 transmission can be decreased.
Low cost surveillance system: Tele-ICU technology can provide umber of benefits so,
manager of this hospital can make a list about this resource and can place it in new expanded
ICU centre. But implementation cost of tele-ICU is high so, in this place, CCTV cameras with
audio visuals can be installed as it is cost effective. This system can provide enhanced health
care service and can help out doctors in identifying complexity of Covid-19 (Maves and et.al.,
2020).
On the basis of above discussed all resources and planning, it can be said that manager of
North Middlesex hospital NHS trust can expand intensive care unit centre and can provide
qualitative services to service users.
B. Three different sources of funding to make resources available for expansion of the ICU
On the basis of above discussion and resource planning, it can be said that number of
resources that are required for providing intensive care services, are expensive. Manager of this
hospital will require get financing or funding and for that, they need to identify best sources of
funding. Some main sources of funding for making resources available for successful expansion
of ICU include:
Revenue rising: It is one of the main source of funding as before going to others, hospitals
and managers can get finance from government budgets, compulsory prepaid insurance schemes
and direct out of pocket payments by users (Haniffa and et.al., 2018). Overall, it can be said that
it includes all personal and sources of hospital. Hospital generates revenue at the end of the year
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and by using this revenue, they can expand ICU and can make resources available to some
extent. Service users pay for services that they take and by using this payment after paying to all
workers and paying bills, manager can use profit in expansion and by earning money after
expansion of ICU, they can fill this finance gap.
Pooling of funds: After using personal savings, revenue and profit of hospital, manager can
ask general people and voluntary organisations who want to help out in expansion of ICU. There
are number of institutions and people who like to contribute in such services. So, by making they
know about it, manager can make a pool of fund. They can get finance to the great extent via this
source as well. It can also help them out in making resources available for expansion of ICU to
the great extent. It can be known as the accumulation of prepaid funds on behalf of some of the
population. It is other best source of funding that can help out to hospital to the great extent.
Purchasing of services: It is other main source of funding in which manager get payment
and fund from allocation of resources to health can service providers. Government can also
provide funds to hospital if main purpose is being to provide qualitative services to people.
Government helps to the great extent by providing fund to hospitals and help them out in
accomplishing their goals (Williams and Endacott, 2019). So, by making use of this source, this
hospital can make all above discussed resources available and can expand ICU in a successful
manner.
In addition, it can be said that this Canadian hospital can have policies on which health care
services of population is entitled to even if not explicitly stated by government, are usually paid
by service users. So, by using all these sources, North Middlesex hospital NHS trust can
accomplish its goal of expanding ICU by making all resources available.
Question 2
Discussion over the concept of project management in relation to the contribution of effective
management of resources, to free up resources for the expansion of ICU in short, medium
and long term
Project management in relation to provide effective contribution towards appropriate
administration of resources in healthcare helps the medical facilities in order to run smoothly. In
order to become a healthcare project manager, it is significant for the establishment to design and
manage the phases of the project in highly considerable manner. It refers to an organizational
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procedure that improves the medical facilities towards the functions that are working for the
betterment of the intensive care units in short, long and medium terms (Cometto and et.al.,
2018). Resources are the central and most important part of the management procedure. They are
capable to have limited level of supply but are responsible to attain goals with the help of
meeting demands of individuals along with their families in wider context of society. The basic
and foremost function of effective project management into healthcare facility is to resolve
varied issues within the current operations and implement policies that increase the level of
patient care along with foster positive relationships with their stakeholders. With the help of
appropriate project management, certain areas are able to strengthen such as:
 Communication: The project manager of North Middlesex hospital NHS trust
emphasizes over clear and thorough communication among the medical staff which
includes doctors, nurses, physicians and patients. Managers are also responsible for
ensuring their hospital administrators to update patients along with their insurance
information in order to maintain health records.
 Productivity: Enhanced productivity helps the hospital in order to run more effectively
and handle an arrival of patients during healthcare emergency. Project managers delegate
tasks to their staff members and evaluate their work performances (Moons,
Waeyenbergh and Pintelon, 2019).
 Allocation of resources: Another feature of project management is budgeting. Managers
will monitor company habits of spending and dedicate their funds to specified
departments.
Project management in terms of healthcare is an organizational procedure that helps to
improve the medical facilities along with functions that have been utilised within the ICU. Their
primary purpose is to resolve issues and challenges into current operations in order to implement
policies and strategies that help to increase patient care and foster positive relationship with their
stakeholders. It is all about utilising tools and techniques along with skills in order to meet
specific quality, cost and time along with resource objectives of the project that is being related
to the expansion of intensive care unit measures. The whole project management helps to
enhance and improve the quality of care by improving procedures that is being utilised to
provide that care to the patients who are admitted into the ICU of North Middlesex hospital NHS
trust (Heath, Sommerfield and von Ungern‐Sternberg, 2020). It also improve the communication
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among healthcare staff caring for patients, improve organizational planning and develop
budgeting in strong ways as strong project management directly aligns resources with significant
work conditions. With the help of appropriate project management practices within the hospital,
the managers are able to identify the amount of available resources within the establishment
along with able to assign the best team within the hospital to handle them also helps to deliver
their projects and services in timely and effectual manner. It also makes the projects within the
budget which is the primary and ultimate goal of any project or business. At the mains of every
successful project allocation of resources within the firm is an appropriate way to make the
assignment or task successful.
In context of describing the relationship among the management of resources and planning
within the North Middlesex hospital NHS trust managers plan their activities by deciding the
tasks to accomplish in ways to execute the administration which lays down the corporate goals to
achieve at the time when department heads within the North Middlesex hospital NHS trust who
are taking care of ICU sections also determine the ways to achieve their goals within their
specified areas (Lebrun-Harris and et.al., 2018). Planning is the foremost step within the
management procedure which also explains balanced scorecard institute. Planning stage is the
ones which outlines each and every task of the project during which managers establish
deadlines in order to complete their tasks along with professional responsibilities for finishing
them in appropriate manner within the ICU sections of the hospitals and expand them accurately
in short, medium as well as in long term. At this stage the budget also finalizes which dictates the
equipments the doctors and other healthcare staff members required and the time they have to
fulfil their desires without wasting the resources that are highly in demand. Planning makes
appropriate allocation of resources and also helps to enhance the performance level of nurses and
other healthcare staff members to inevitably linked the aim of the hospital with the aim of the
project i.e. expansion of ICU into short, medium and long term. Performance is majorly about
the achieving the goal while planning is just related to the making a process of identification
and fixing ditches in the venture of achieving goals. Planning is all about connecting the dots
with establishment alignment between what the managers do and what they are trying to
accomplish. Without proper planning the countless hours of efforts will be spent over reviewing
and redoing the work and as a result the performance will be degrade.
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The basic and foremost accountability and responsibility of the healthcare organizations
such as North Middlesex hospital NHS trust is to improve the quality and safety of care, control
the costs and health of the overall population is the biggest issue. Accountability refers to the
processes and procedures due to which one party justifies and takes responsibility for their
activities just like the managers of the North Middlesex hospital NHS trust who are starting the
project of expanding the ICU services. Responsibility is explained as a process or obligations to
perform their tasks or duties along with their roles to utilising sound and professional judgements
along with being answerable for the decisions made for the practices of expansion of ICU
services into North Middlesex hospital NHS trust (Dent and et.al., 2019). The effective
management of resources will help the establishment to free up certain resources due to their
over utilisation or might be wrong usage will automatically helps the firm do appropriate
utilisation of their resources which helps them to expand their intensive care units in widely
significant manner.
In terms to explain the fiscal policy which is the budgetary policy of the government for the
establishments like North Middlesex hospital NHS trust which helps to involve the governmental
agencies in order to control their level of spending along with the tax rates. It is generally
categorised into tax brackets that progress within the economy. The government utilises these
specified two tools in order to influence over the economy. During short run there are numerous
constraints such as healthcare system consists of workforce shortages, obstacles to access the
healthcare and regulatory constraints in order to handle the project that is being related to the
expansion of ICU services (White, Dudley-Brown and Terhaar, 2019). Specific risks within the
healthcare system includes financial performances risk because of higher salary and benefit
costs, quality and financial risk that is related to higher readmission along with acquired
infection rates, higher patient mortality rates and reduced quality scores along with potentiality
for reduced reimbursements within the project that is being continued by North Middlesex
hospital NHS trust.
During the decision making procedure that is being used in the North Middlesex hospital
NHS trust that there are generally four behavioural factors that influence the decisions that is
being made within the hospital are the values, personality, propensity for risk and the potential
for dissonance of the decision (Taylor and et.al., 2020). Health care decision making is a
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procedure that involves definable steps into desirable sequence which is globally relevant and
enduring. Physicians also play a vital role into health care decision making procedure.
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarized that planning and management of resources
are highly significant as effective and appropriate resource management makes sure that their
managers are highly able to fulfil the demand and supply of raw material within real time
visibility into people as well as other resources in order to get greater control over the measures
which helps to expand the ICU services in most effectual manner. When the resource
management has been has been executed in proper manner by the managers of the healthcare
institute, they are the ones who are able to help the firm in order to reduce the costs of project
and improves efficiency along with boosts productivity.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Cometto, G., and et.al., 2018. Health policy and system support to optimise community health
worker programmes: an abridged WHO guideline. The Lancet Global Health, 6(12),
pp.e1397-e1404.
Dent, E., and et.al., 2019. Management of frailty: opportunities, challenges, and future
directions. The Lancet, 394(10206), pp.1376-1386.
Haniffa, R. and et.al., 2018. Improving ICU services in resource-limited settings: perceptions of
ICU workers from low-middle-, and high-income countries. Journal of critical care, 44,
pp.352-356.
Harris, G. and Adalja, A., 2021. ICU preparedness in pandemics: lessons learned from the
coronavirus disease-2019 outbreak. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine. 27(2). p.73.
Heath, C., Sommerfield, A. and von Ungern‐Sternberg, B.S., 2020. Resilience strategies to
manage psychological distress among healthcare workers during the COVID‐19
pandemic: a narrative review. Anaesthesia, 75(10), pp.1364-1371.
Lebrun-Harris, L.A., and et.al., 2018. Transition planning among US youth with and without
special health care needs. Pediatrics, 142(4).
Maves, R.C. and et.al., 2020. Triage of scarce critical care resources in COVID-19 an
implementation guide for regional allocation: an expert panel report of the task force for
mass critical care and the American College of chest physicians. Chest. 158(1). pp.212-
225.
Moons, K., Waeyenbergh, G. and Pintelon, L., 2019. Measuring the logistics performance of
internal hospital supply chains–a literature study. Omega, 82, pp.205-217.
PENG, C., LI, J., WANG, S. and RAN, L., 2018. Robust surgery planning and scheduling with
downstream bed capacity constraint in ICU. Systems Engineering-Theory & Practice,
p.03.
Sutduean, J. and et.al., 2019. Supply chain integration, enterprise resource planning, and
organizational performance: The enterprise resource planning implementation
approach. Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience. 16(7). pp.2975-2981.
Taylor, D., and et.al., 2020. Transformation to learning from a distance. MedEdPublish, 9.
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Valley, T.S. and Noritomi, D.T., 2020. ICU beds: less is more? Yes. Intensive care
medicine. 46(8). pp.1594-1596.
White, K.M., Dudley-Brown, S. and Terhaar, M.F. eds., 2019. Translation of evidence into
nursing and healthcare. Springer Publishing Company.
Williams, G. and Endacott, R., 2019. Systems and resources. Critical Care Nursing, p.20.
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