ARCHITECTURE
Standardised design creates a thriving NHS
Jane Ho, partner and regional practice director, health at HKS, calls for learning from the details of large-scale acute hospitals, both private and public, to transform healthcare facilities in the UK’s rural and other underserved areas as part of the new Neighbourhood Health Centres initiative.
Across the UK, the NHS is struggling with budget constraints, ageing infrastructure, and maintenance backlogs, compounded by rising patient demand and staff shortages. This situation is fraught with peril – particularly in underserved and rural areas. How can we, as architects, help keep the NHS not only functioning but thriving in such locations? The answer lies in a deep understanding of what can be standardised and how best to work with stakeholders to reduce costs and time, ensuring high- quality designs delivered on time to those in need. These new facilities must be conceived as hubs that include primary care, midwifery, mental health, diagnostics, rehab, and elderly step-down services to reduce pressure on hospitals. With such varied demands, architects should design them as standardised, template-based designs scaled and adapted to local needs. They should be presented as networked, tiered facilities that relieve acute hospitals, streamline patient pathways, and enable preventive care. NHS’ Project Wings is gearing up to develop new private finance models gleaning insights from public- private models from a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust programme (LIFT) to execute vibrant community hub projects with primary care, remote monitoring, future-ready telehealth services, midwifery, district nursing, mental health, addiction support, light diagnostics, rehab, and perhaps even elderly step- down care and social care.
Rural areas are in need of this type of diverse support
A new era for care In 2025, the government announced the launch of its Neighbourhood Health Centres programme, a key part of a new 10-Year Health Plan, which aims to move care out of hospitals and into community settings. The 2025 autumn budget suggested plans to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, and set targets to deliver 100 of these across England by 2030 to tackle the root causes of ill health and reduce dependence on acute hospitals. The initiative aims to address health inequalities by integrating social care, mental health support, and other localised services.
if they are to continue supporting generations to come, and must prioritise people with long-term conditions, older adults, babies, and children. Rural and facilities in underserved areas must offer dignity and belonging to patients, and help to attract and retain staff. They are not simply smaller hospitals; when shaped around local needs, these facilities can deliver significant clinical and social impact. With flexible planning and experience led design, they can become hubs for hybrid care. Integrating design, technology, and community engagement will be essential to creating a strong blueprint for the UK’s next generation of Neighbourhood Health Centres.
Top: The Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) is part of the New Hospital Programme.
Above: MMUH uses a standardised 7.8 x 7.8m structural grid, allowing for easy adaptation of spaces.
August 2026 Health Estate Journal 63
Paul Raftery Paul Raftery
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