Premises utilisation studies
Case study
PCC undertook a detailed utilisation study across two GP practices, working in close partnership with the practice management teams, the integrated care board, estates leads and frontline staff to ensure a co‑productive and evidence-led approach.
Through facilitated workshops, site visits, data collection, and validation sessions, PCC supported stakeholders to jointly understand how space was currently used, identify inefficiencies, and model future requirements aligned to service demand and workforce expansion. This collaborative process enabled shared decision-making on how estates could be optimised. As a result, both practices implemented changes to improve estate utilisation, including reallocation of underused rooms and clearer alignment of space with clinical and non-clinical functions. The work also informed forward planning decisions, such as where additional capacity was truly required versus where existing space could be better used. Importantly, PCC translated the learning into a practical, scalable template and toolkit, enabling the ICB to undertake consistent utilisation studies across other practices.
- Benefits have been realised and tracked through improved room occupancy rates, increased clinical capacity without immediate capital investment, and more efficient use of estate. The study also provided a stronger evidence base for future business cases where investment remained necessary.
- There is clear evidence of sustained use and scalability. The template developed has been adopted by the ICB as a standard approach, embedded within estates planning processes and repeated across further sites. This has supported system-wide consistency, improved decision-making, and more strategic use of primary care estate, demonstrating lasting value beyond the initial commission.
