Oxygen Infrastructure Programme / Rapid Hospital Improvements Programme (RHIP)
Project Strategy
Project Management
The Oxygen Infrastructure and RHIP Projects were initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic, upgrading the capacity and capabilities of hospital infrastructure across New Zealand to respond to Covid-19 and likely future pandemics. Individual projects focused on providing robust supply and distribution of bulk liquid oxygen, conversion of rooms / wards to provide negative pressure environments and improved air management. The Inovo Project Management team worked closely alongside Te Whatu Ora, designers, contractors and hospital staff to plan and deliver approximately 38 separate contracts.
The projects were planned and delivered within live operational environments, including a number of busy Emergency Departments. In order achieve a successful outcome, the Inovo team undertook substantial liaison and planning with clinical and facilities staff to ensure that the work could happen safely, with minimal disruption to ongoing hospital operations. In some instances, this meant that temporary oxygen storage vessels were installed prior to work starting, to ensure that the permanent supply was not interrupted. Additionally, there were complex decanting requirements that we managed through close consultation and programming with affected stakeholders.
A key project objective was meeting the stringent health and safety requirements of the project, resulting from carrying out the construction work within a live hospital environment.
Working with the the rest of the project team and key stakeholders, Inovo conducted comprehensive up-front and ongoing consultation with the DHB operations team throughout the project life-cycle, developed the programme of works with a particular focus on the design, sequencing and staging of the works and project objectives, and conducted early contractor engagement and involvement. Key aspects to the project were engaging contractors that were suitably experienced and capable, with appropriate health and safety systems, conducting regular health and safety audits, implementing ongoing and close monitoring of works on site and regular checks with DHB operations and providing regular reporting and clear communication through design/ construction and handover.
As the COVID-19 situation developed across the country, clinical needs had to be taken further into consideration and reprioritised during the construction phase of the project. In some instances works in certain areas were accelerated to allow areas to be available sooner for hospital use and in some other cases sequencing was reviewed to ensure that there was a balance between construction progress and clinical needs.
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