‘FUTURE-PROOFING’ HEALTHCARE FACILITY DESIGN
heritage of the NHS, as it is the birth place of Aneurin Bevan, who was also MP for Tredegar, and discussed the formation of the NHS at Bedwellty. There is encouraging progress at policy
level to reorganise the NHS to ensure it is ready to meet the needs of today and tomorrow, with the introduction of the Health and Care Bill in 2021, which received Royal Assent in April 2022. In a February 2021 policy paper, Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all, outlining its proposals, the government stated that ‘we are living through the greatest challenge our health and care system has ever faced’, and stressed the importance of shaping a health system that is ‘better able to serve people in a fast-changing world’, taking on board some of the lessons from the pandemic. The government has set its focus on
preventing physical and mental illness, and providing earlier and faster intervention where necessary. The subsequent Health and Care Act heralds some of the most sweeping reforms in years to deliver the best possible care and solve some of the most complex health problems that society is facing today. This will be achieved through an approach that combines more integrated health systems, closer partnerships between the NHS and government, and better connected health,
A ‘green spine’ at the Pears Maudsley Centre allows building users to easily access landscaped terraces and rooftop gardens.
social care, and public services locally, to improve health and wellbeing and offset health inequalities.
Re-thinking healthcare design choices The upshot is that we need to re-think healthcare design choices to adhere to population needs and priorities based on in-depth understanding. For example, we cannot overlook the fact that the UK is undergoing a mental health crisis, as a growing percentage of young people, especially, is struggling. Last year, it was found that 22 % of young people (aged 17-24) and 18% of children (7-16) were likely to have a mental disorder, and this shows
no sign of slowing. It is for this reason that early diagnosis and intervention have never been more crucial to set young people up for a healthier and happier life. As designers, we need to take a
holistic approach to deliver the right mix of facilities that can make people feel more at ease and able to speak about mental health more openly, removing any stigma that may be associated with it, and overcoming the barriers to asking for help. This means delving beyond bricks and mortar to understand how building occupants react to various surroundings, what feelings are evoked, and, therefore what thoughtful design touches can actively promote more positive feelings
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November 2023 Health Estate Journal 51
Courtesy of Arcadis
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