Insight

New hospitals and improved estates:

cutting through the noise to engage communities

By Senior Consultants,

David Hall and Alex Cowley

Lexington’s Property and Healthcare practices often collaborate on projects for clients.

David Hall and Alex Cowley, Senior Consultants from the Health and Property team respectively, recently attended the Built Environment event ‘Healthcare Property Development Conference’ to understand the key themes and challenges facing colleagues in the sector.

Below are their three key takeaways.

1. The importance of future proofing hospitals through efficient design is paramount 

The conference made one thing very clear - the UK needs to build more hospitals. After Boris Johnson’s pledge in 2019 to build 40 new hospitals helped catapult him to Number 10, there has been a growing expectation for the delivery of new hospitals. The impetus amongst industry professionals is certainly there, but it is a question of financing the right project. A consistent theme at the conference was the need for a modern, efficient design. However, inflation is placing the very nature of these projects under threat, with building materials becoming more expensive, and developers finding it increasingly difficult to deliver on the contracts they have been awarded.  

Some existing hospitals, such as Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, were beautiful buildings in their own right, but simply did not provide the space for modern equipment. Modern design has taken leaps and bounds. Through architectural practices and advances in pathway design to improve patient safety and experience sites can be more efficiently utilised – providing modern facilities, but also freeing up land for new uses. Commercial opportunities which can be used as alternative funding models for future hospital design can come in tandem, which serve as a useful option for future development, should the initial stumbling block of financing be overcome.  

2. There has been progress and this should be celebrated

Most news around hospitals, and indeed news in general, has been skeptical of future hospital development coming forward. That said, there are some green shoots for the health development industry. At the conference, we heard from members of multiple industry leaders – including Manchester University Hospital, Imperial College and Hillingdon Hospitals . Each trust is either working towards or in the process of improving their current facilities, and these stories provided some welcome good news amid the plethora of worrying news about NHS waiting times and staffing issues. Of course, the pressure facing the NHS should be well-documented, but we the steps trusts are taking to improve the experiences of the patients both now and in the future should be celebrated, and give cause for optimism.

Shouting about buildings and construction isn’t something that is at the forefront of the minds of person-centred organisations like NHS trusts, especially amid a winter crisis. But through positive new stories about development, the Trusts should take active control of their narratives about the future, and demonstrate to the public that they are progressing their work to provide new, modern facilities. It is a point that so far has not been communicated enough and they should focus on creating opportunities to do so in the future. 

“…through positive new stories about development, the Trusts should take active control of their narratives about the future, and demonstrate to the public that they are progressing their work to provide new, modern facilities.”

3. Engagement between the NHS trusts and their communities has never been more important  

As well as telling good news stories, it is equally important for NHS trusts to engage communities at times of great change. It was noted throughout the conference that trusts need to ensure patients’ views and needs are at the heart of any new development. It’s essential that developers consult patient groups and local communities, as well as healthcare professionals and wider internal audiences, on new developments.

With operational pressures and tight planning and approval timelines, it is easy to see how meaningful engagement with the public can slip down the agenda. Successful new hospital programmes have the right mix of political buy-in, staff and partner involvement and sound public engagement strategies to demonstrate that developments truly are co-developed with the people using them.