Potential applications of simulation in hospital logistics management

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest non-teaching Trusts in the country, with contract income to the value of £107 million, a staff of 3500 and over 1050 beds at the present time, serving a popoulation of over 430000. The vision of the Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust is to become a centre of health care excellence with the facilities to provide: a single site medical complex fit for the 21st century at Derriford Hospital; high quality, cost effective secondary care for the local community, with sufficient capacity to meet demand; tertiary care and a trauma centre for the south western half of the region; a post-graduate medical school providing academic, research and educational leadership. The Trust has an ambitious capital programme over the next four years, valued at over £26 million. A £1 million MR1 Scanner was installed during 1994 which also saw the start of the £21 million Phase IV development of Derriford Hospital. This included the integration of the Royal Naval Hospital into Derriford during March 1995, and the transfer of cold Orthopaedic Services from Mount Gould Hospital and the transfer of radiotherapy and cancer care services to Derriford in 1996/97. The Phase IV development also includes an additional three day case theatres making a total of five day case theatres within the Trust by 1995. In addition, a £4.3 million Cardiac Surgery Unit will be completed by late June 1997 with a capacity of 1000 cardiac surgery operations per year.