Doubling Surgical Capacity at Xpert Clinics / Velthuis Clinic

29 Apr 2026

When a healthcare organisation needs to completely renovate its operating theatre complex within just six weeks, it requires courage, meticulous planning, and a construction partner capable of delivering at that pace. For Xpert Clinics / Velthuis Clinic in Eindhoven – both part of Equipe Zorgbedrijven – this was exactly the challenge they faced. From their 3,000 m² clinic in Eindhoven, the demand for greater capacity and modernisation continued to grow.

An Ambitious Expansion

The clinic aimed to double its surgical capacity by bringing two additional operating theatres into service. Although the spaces had already been prepared in shell condition when the organisation moved into the building in 2016, the scope of the project soon proved to be much larger. In addition to the extra operating theatres, the entire operating theatre complex needed to be reconfigured, while additional space was required for preparation rooms, sterile storage areas, and medical equipment to support the growing orthopaedic care services.

The project eventually expanded to include new patient rooms, an X-ray room, and a physiotherapy exercise area. The expansion provides more space, improved facilities, and an environment that supports recovery. As a result, even more patients can be treated – faster, more efficiently, and with the quality of care they deserve. It was therefore a major transformation, carried out in the middle of a fully operational healthcare facility.

Building Under Extreme Time Pressure

The greatest challenge? Time. The complete renovation of the operating theatre complex had to be completed within six weeks during the summer holiday period. According to Jos Groenen, manager of the Eindhoven clinic, this timeframe was non-negotiable:

“We had to plan everything so that the renovation could take place entirely during the summer holidays. Any delay would mean that we could help our patients less quickly, and that is something we are fully committed to avoiding. We strive to help people as quickly and as effectively as possible. In addition, idle operating theatres are expensive, so we wanted to continue operating right up until the holidays and be fully operational again immediately afterwards. It simply had to be done within those six weeks. There were not many suppliers willing to take on that challenge.”

Fortunately, Medexs was willing to commit to the strict deadline. While much of the preparatory work was completed well in advance, the core renovation activities were concentrated within that intensive six-week period.

To ensure continuity of care, the surgical team temporarily relocated to Catharina Hospital during the renovation works.

Planning, Communication and Flexibility

Despite various logistical challenges, the deadline was successfully met. This required creativity, rapid decision-making, and close collaboration within the project team. Every two weeks, the entire team came together for project meetings, a rhythm that Groenen considers essential:

“Those meetings were always the moment when we could fine-tune everything: put problems on the table, make decisions, and determine the next steps. They truly kept the project moving forward.”

One factor proved decisive throughout the project: flexibility. According to Groenen, rigidly adhering to agreements is not effective in projects of this nature:

“You need a certain level of flexibility towards each other. Sometimes you give, sometimes you take. That is what works best.”

Thanks to this attitude on both sides, the team was able to prioritise effectively whenever challenges arose. As a result, the work that was essential to ensure the operating theatres were ready on time always remained the top priority.