Health Service
Healthcare is no longer the preserve of the public sector or delivered in large hospitals. Increasingly, people need to be able to access care close to home and quickly. Health providers in both the public and private sectors have responded with smaller models which offer diverse services under one roof.
Service Design Partnership has worked with providers to develop community based hospitals. While the scale may be small the mechanical and electrical fit is complex packing a lot of activity and conflicting needs into a smaller space.
Services Design Partnership Solution
SDP worked closely with the commissioning architect, James Almond of P+HS, to design a 22-bed community hospital that provided:
- Traditional consulting rooms
- X-rays
- Treatment for minor accidents
- Operating theatres to deal with minor ailments to reduce waiting lists
- Bedroom accommodation for overnight patients
Outcome
Communities in more rural locations can access high quality healthcare easier. There is less need for aging or less mobile patients to travel great distances, yet a full range of healthcare can be delivered. Patients can be seen sooner, treated faster and more comfortably and start their recovery faster, improving their lives and reducing healthcare costs.
The architect said: “Featuring three ultra clean theatres, which demand 25 full air changes an hour, there are a lot of technical interventions needed to ensure the community hospital operates efficiently. SDP has the expertise in laboratories and healthcare to be our partners. Their approach is professional and methodical.”