‘FUTURE-PROOFING’ HEALTHCARE FACILITY DESIGN


conduct and analyse trials, and work together to potentially discover the clinical breakthroughs of the future. The entrance area is also home to a new Macmillan Wellbeing Hub, a space for patients and their families to relax, and receive advice, or emotional support, in a non-clinical and peaceful environment. When embarking on the design strategy for the centre, we worked closely with all relevant and interested parties, including patients, community members, and employees. A three-storey glass atrium welcomes visitors at the entrance, and floods the area with natural light and a sense of openness, complemented by an intuitive and clear wayfinding strategy to accommodate different accessibility needs and ages. The interior design and art approach, meanwhile, was inspired by biophilia, with an overarching theme of ‘Land, Water, and Sky’ implemented throughout to create an uplifting background and reiterate that vital human connection to nature. As already covered, smaller health


centres and hubs will become increasingly prevalent in the make-up of our communities, and can be replicated nationwide to aid with pre-vetting, diagnosis, and taking some of the mounting pressure away from hospitals. It also feeds into the UK’s Live Longer Better initiative, whose goal is to increase life expectancy and allow people to live in a healthier and more fulfilling way for longer, shortening the time towards the end of life during which they may otherwise have been overwhelmingly dependent on constant care. Research conducted by the programme finds that, while an ageing population undoubtedly brings sizeable implications for healthcare, this can be turned around. By taking action now, it argues that is actually possible to prevent or delay dementia and frailty, lower the risk of falls, and cut the need for long-term care by £45 m per million of the population for each year of life expectancy.


Innovations in digital technology Next, many innovations in digital technology will underpin the ongoing transformation of healthcare, by improving efficiencies with the help of data analytics and the provision of real-time healthcare and signifiers that are not currently available (for instance, people receiving mobile phone alerts prompting them to take action). While the process of ramping up the digital capabilities of the NHS has been called ‘too slow’ by an independent expert panel, largely due to inadequate support or funding, we are likely to see real movement in the coming years as the service works to solve legacy and data silo roadblocks, and aggregate all patient records in a unique repository for better, faster communications, care, and diagnosis. The emergence of more tech-enabled and data-led health monitoring tools will


inform a holistic approach to community healthcare, with intelligent digital platforms attuned to biomarkers that can easily become part of everyday life. Monitors for heart, blood pressure, and blood sugar, are already available, with new innovation coming through – such as WC sensors that monitor urine automatically and upload the data for real-time evaluation. This can be especially useful for those who are at a higher risk of certain diseases.


Decarbonising the estate Last but by no means least, decarbonisation of the estate and decreasing embodied carbon will only grow in urgency in the light of the UK’s wider Net Zero targets. The government has plans for 40 new hospitals but, to attain some more immediate gains, we should take a retrofit-first approach, and begin by addressing inefficiencies in existing buildings, which can be modernised to minimise their heavy climate implications, improve energy performance, reduce emissions, and generate operational and cost savings. The hope is for a smarter, rather than an ever-expanding, estate. It is promising to see that hospitals


are shifting from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources, exploring on- site energy generation through PV and


Neil Evans


Neil Evans, Associate Principal at Arcadis, is a qualified architect with a long history of designing for healthcare, particularly specialist acute developments and schemes undertaken in challenging ‘live’ environments. Working within various procurement routes such as ProCure22 and Frameworks Scotland, he is skilled at effectively managing stakeholder engagement and working collaboratively with project teams, championing best practice and innovation. Successful recent projects delivered under his direction include the Eye Centre at Golden Jubilee Hospital, Clydebank, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary Emergency Department, and Ysbyty Glan Clwyd Neonatal Centre. He has designed for a wide variety of patient groups and clinical departments, becoming one of the practice’s specialists in operating theatre design, while also working extensively at strategic development stages, having prepared masterplans for phased development works at Antrim Hospital, Wrightington Hospital, and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. He has been a Studio Principal since 2006.


Graham Harris


Graham Harris, Principal at Arcadis, is an experienced architect and project director with over 25 years’ experience delivering all aspects of the project lifecycle. He is particularly strong at developing and challenging NHS briefings, helping to realise projects through innovative stakeholder consultation processes. He joined Arcadis A&U (as Nightingale Associates) in 1998, and over the past 25 years has played an active role in growing the business’s healthcare portfolio, ensuring improved standards in


architectural output and efficient working methods, including BIM. He currently leads the UK Healthcare team. Successful recent projects delivered under his direction include the new Douglas Bennett House for South London and Maudsley, and the Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People.


November 2023 Health Estate Journal 53


more. Intelligent and sustainable design, construction, and materials choices, are becoming early-stage considerations in new developments. Technology will be a key enabler of a sustainable estate, bringing capabilities to undertake accurate energy monitoring for insights into how the NHS uses its buildings, and where meaningful changes can be made. Design, too, will increasingly be enhanced by digitalisation from the start to gain clearer visibility of the entire lifecycle of buildings. When the NHS was born, it opened the door to a completely unprecedented universal care model, as every medical discipline joined together under one nationwide umbrella. That same sense of collaboration and innovation should now inspire us to stay true to the vision of the NHS, and keep delivering on that by ensuring greater resilience and capacity for the provision of the best possible care. At a time of higher-than-ever demand,


and a stretched NHS, good design can go a long way towards empowering the health sector to reach its aims, and turbocharging it for the coming generations. We must continue pushing boundaries in traditional healthcare design to solve current issues, meet new demands, and support the NHS in the next 75 years – and far beyond.


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