Healthcare facilities are a central part of the success of a town or city due to the direct correlation they have with keeping local communities in good health.
The challenges facing healthcare are huge; the need to improve efficiency, address backlog maintenance, decarbonise estates and meet net-zero targets are just the start. When you factor in healthcare buildings that are fit for purpose, supporting both patient treatment and recovery as well as our NHS workforce, it’s clear the task is monumental.
As needs and demands change, modern estates can change to suit. In some areas, having all-in-one healthcare hubs are providing quick and more easily accessible healthcare support. Services can then be delivered locally and reduce demands placed on hospitals. With the increasing pressure the NHS has been facing in the last few years, ensuring the right healthcare facilities are available for now and in the future is critical.
Find out more about we're helping towns and cities to improve their healthcare offering, including:
- Helping to alleviate the pressure on local hospitals through Harvest View Social Care and Health Centre
- Onyx Ward - one of the first purpose-built, autism-friendly secure inpatient facilities in the West Midlands
- Building Brooklands Health Centre to support Milton Keynes' Eastern Expansion Area
Helping to alleviate the pressure on local hospitals through Harvest View Social Care and Health Centre
With the increased pressure we have seen on hospitals over the last few years, facilities like Harvest View can help to alleviate some of this. The facility is designed to provide specialist support to people who are ready to leave hospital but they aren't ready or able to go home, or as an alternative to a hospital stay altogether. Facilities such as this can help free up bed space in hospitals for individuals who aren't well enough to make use of an alternative.
The centre helps to rehabilitate individuals without compromising on their care, with onsite specialist support available from both social care and health staff. The facility is designed to replicate a home environment so residents can regain their ability to live independently in a safe, secure and comfortable environment.
Across three-storeys, the needs of residents are catered for through 80 en-suite rooms with call buttons, a hairdressing salon, physiotherapy facilities and treatment rooms, communal areas and outdoor spaces.
Onyx Ward - one of the first purpose-built, autism-friendly secure inpatient facilities in the West Midlands
The Onyx Ward fills a huge service gap for the autistic community. Without this purpose-built facility, individuals with autism could find themselves being placed in prisons or on acute wards - places that are likely to be noisy, disruptive and not well-suited for people with autism.
Onyx Ward is specially-designed for people with autism to better facilitate their rehabilitation. In fact, members of the autistic community have been engaged with the project from early doors to provide insights into how to make the facilities as comfortable as possible. These insights have been incorporated throughout - from the colour palette used to the name of the ward.
There are a wide range of design features that have been included to help make the facilities as safe and comfortable as possible for residents. This includes things like lots of open space, anti-climb perimeter fences, communal and individual spaces, anti-ligature lighting, appropriate lighting controls, and private flats.
The private flats contain individual temperature controls, which will allow residents to change the temperature of their own living space to suit their needs. Each flat also opens up to its own outdoor space that residents can access at any time.
Building Brooklands Health Centre to support Milton Keynes' Eastern Expansion Area
With significant amounts of development in Milton Keynes as part of the Eastern Expansion Area, and plenty more to come, the need for a new health centre to support the local community was identified. This was a particularly important project for Milton Keynes Council as it was the first health centre they had built.
The three-storey centre includes a dentist, pharmacy, cafe and on-site parking, and will cater for up to 22,500 patients each year. A key element of this project was engaging with a range of different stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure areas were fit for purpose. This included the council, the health centre's practice group, different health disciplines including dentists, pharmacists and doctors, and tenants for the commercial spaces.
One of the stand-out elements of this scheme for the customer was the quality of the building handed over. Initially, we had a very open and honest conversation with the customer about challenges they had experienced with other contractors' schemes. This open communication was maintained throughout the project, with regular meetings and key stakeholders being frequently welcomed to site to see progress and share any feedback.
For more information, contact our local expert