ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
Heatherwood Hospital – a model for the future?
Sean Woodhead, associate architect at global multidisciplinary design practice, BDP, looks at how the design of Heatherwood Hospital in Berkshire – which opened just under two years ago – has helped support positive outcomes at this specialist, planned care facility. He suggests that as a dedicated planned care centre, Heatherwood ‘undoubtedly represents a significant component of future healthcare provision’.
It’s now just under two years since Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust’s new centre of excellence for non-emergency care, Heatherwood Hospital, opened in Ascot. The new hospital has reduced waiting times for patients needing knee and hip replacements, with more than 1000 joint replacements performed in the first 10 months after opening – up 20% on the number of procedures carried out pre- COVID. As a specialist planned care facility, Heatherwood has been able to perform surgery six days a week – with four out of its six state-of-the-art theatres dedicated to orthopaedic procedures. The hospital performed around 1,300
procedures a month in its first year, and successfully reduced the length of time patients stay in hospital, with 40% of patients safely discharged within 24 hours. While historically, patients who underwent knee or hip joint replacement surgery would spend an average of three to four days in hospital to recover, at Heatherwood many patients have been able to go home on the same day as surgery. The average length of stay for hip and knee replacement has now been reduced to just 2.5 days, and waiting times for cataract surgery have been significantly reduced – to 2-4 weeks. This represents some encouraging initial data, and offers a good opportunity to pause and reflect
on how the design of the hospital helped support these positive outcomes.
A century of care in Ascot Ascot has been home to a hospital at Heatherwood for almost a century, and was originally a tuberculosis sanatorium for children. However, with ageing facilities and a growing need for investment, the hospital’s long-term future was in doubt prior to its recent transformation. Designed by BDP and built by Kier Construction, the new £98 m Heatherwood Hospital is an elective facility focused on orthopaedic and high volume, low acuity, procedures, set within beautiful woodland surroundings. In addition to its six ultraclean theatres, it features a 48-bed inpatient unit, plus outpatient and diagnostic facilities for orthopaedics, cardiology, radiology, lithotripsy, physiotherapy, and orthodontics. Our aim architecturally was to deliver
a fantastic experience for both staff and patients, with uplifting public space, and access – both visually and physically – to the surrounding woodland, providing therapeutic and wellbeing benefits for everyone using the building. Research (such as that from Roger Ulrich) has shown that having a hospital room with a window view of a natural setting has restorative influences, thus helping to
reduce length of stay. At Heatherwood, all rooms have views over woodland, and access to terraces, and therefore fresh air. Inpatient accommodation is located on the top floor of the hospital, in what we refer to as a notional treehouse, with close views into the tree canopy. Corridors are relatively short, and, in many cases, single-sided, with additional full-height glazing at their ends allowing access to views and daylight. Outside, there is a large biodiverse pond area, with terraced access down to water level on one side, allowing safe interaction with aquatic life, and nearby nature walks.
A central waiting area The hospital also benefits from a central waiting area for outpatients that is a well- lit, double-height space, and patients have access to a café and terrace, strategically located on the corner of the building to provide a woodland backdrop, creating a tranquil environment in which to wait for the next appointment. Staff bases on the inpatient floor are naturally lit, with access to private terraces, while changing facilities are provided. The communal courtyard which links the main hospital with the GP hub and administration building includes semi-mature arboretum trees and sensory planting. Elsewhere, a sheltered roof garden enclosed on all four
At Heatherwood, all rooms have views over woodland, and access to terraces, and therefore fresh air.
On entry, the reception within double height space is right in front of those arriving, along with the waiting area.
January 2024 Health Estate Journal 73
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