Ridge has launched a new Operational Readiness Management service, bringing specialist expertise to help healthcare clients successfully transition from construction completion to fully operational facilities. Led by John Clucas alongside associates Alex Allsop and Nic Barker, the team combines deep healthcare operational knowledge with proven project delivery experience.

Opening a new healthcare facility involves far more than completing the building itself. From recruiting and training specialist staff to commissioning complex medical equipment and establishing operational protocols, the transition from construction to operation is a critical phase that requires careful coordination. Ridge’s new Operational Readiness Management service is designed to manage this complexity – supporting healthcare facilities not just to a successful day one opening, but through the critical ramp-up period to full, safe operational service.

What is Operational Readiness?

Operational readiness is the strategic planning and coordination required to ensure a healthcare facility is fully prepared to operate before it opens its doors. While well-established in sectors like aviation – where it’s known as ORAT (Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition) – the discipline is still emerging in other sectors.

It’s not just about the building. We use the word ‘facility’ rather than ‘building’ because what we’re delivering encompasses the medical equipment, the trained staff, the operational procedures – everything that needs to come together for patients to receive safe, effective care from day one.

 

John Clucas, Healthcare Partner and Operational Readiness Management lead at Ridge

Operational Readiness Management in action: MRI commissioning

To illustrate the scope of operational readiness work, consider the commissioning of an MRI scanner.

The building itself must meet exacting specifications. MRI manufacturers will not deliver equipment until they’ve verified that the facility can safely handle the powerful magnetic fields the scanner generates. This involves everything from specialised shielding to precise environmental controls.

Recruiting radiographers and support staff must be carefully timed – too early and resources are wasted; too late and the opening is delayed. These are specialist roles that can take months to fill, and the team must be trained not just on the equipment itself but on the specific protocols for the patient population they’ll serve.

The scanner software must be programmed for the specific imaging protocols the facility will offer, standard operating procedures must be developed, and safety protocols established. Coordinating all these elements to align with the building’s completion requires meticulous project governance.

MRI commissioning touches every aspect of operational readiness, it’s time-critical, technically complex and absolutely has to be right before patients arrive. That’s operational readiness in a nutshell.

 

Alex Allsop, Operational Readiness Manager

The Ridge difference: Integration across disciplines

While some consultancies offer operational readiness services, Ridge’s offering is unique in bringing together a multitude of complementary healthcare capabilities under one roof: traditional building consultancy services (such as architecture, project management, building surveying etc); specialist healthcare planning expertise; PFI/PPP advisory; and now operational readiness management.

“What we’ve created is a unique cake,” says Clucas. “Other firms might offer one or two of these ingredients, but having all these means we can support healthcare clients from initial planning right through to operational launch. The synergies, particularly between healthcare planning and operational readiness, are significant.”

On a typical Ridge healthcare project, the healthcare planning team would be heavily involved early on, working with clinical teams to define requirements and translate these for the design team. As the project progresses, the operational readiness management team begins to take on an increasing role, managing the practical implementation of what’s been planned. Through the middle of a project, both teams work closely together, ensuring a seamless handover of knowledge and responsibility.

A team with operational experience

The operational readiness management team brings a different skillset to Ridge – one grounded in healthcare operations rather than traditional construction consultancy. Alex Allsop studied medicinal chemistry before working in medical communications and then joining the NHS as an operational manager. He led operational readiness for major clinical services within UCLH’s Grafton Way building, a major surgical and cancer hospital, before serving as general manager for operating theatres, pain management and critical care.

Nic Barker trained as a physiotherapist, working in critical care units before moving into operational management at UCLH. Like Allsop, he was involved in the Grafton Way operational readiness programme and subsequently managed the building’s operations as general manager for haematology.

“What Nic and Alex bring is the ability to stand in the client’s shoes,” explains Clucas. “They understand how healthcare facilities actually operate, the challenges clinical teams face, and the difference between a building that looks ready and one that genuinely is ready to deliver patient care. You need both project expertise and operational experience – one without the other doesn’t work.”

Bridging the gap

At its core, operational readiness management is about bridging the gap between how clients view projects and how the construction industry traditionally delivers them. Healthcare clients see the whole facility – the building, the equipment, the people, the processes. Traditional consultancy services often focus primarily on the building itself.

“We’re filling that gap,” says Clucas. “By bringing operational readiness expertise into Ridge alongside our established healthcare planning and building consultancy capabilities, we can support clients through the complete journey. That’s what makes this service special.”

For healthcare organisations facing the complex challenge of opening new facilities, Ridge’s operational readiness management service offers a comprehensive solution – one that ensures not just that buildings are completed, but that facilities are genuinely ready to deliver patient care from day one.

For more information about Ridge’s Operational Readiness Management service, please contact John Clucas, Healthcare Partner and Operation Readiness lead.