IHEEM Healthcare Estates 2024

Ryder shares insights and best practice into recent healthcare projects at this year’s IHEEM conference.   

We hosted two presentations at this year’s conference, as well as attending interesting talks on latest healthcare innovations, fringe events, and networking opportunities.   

Paul Bell shared insights into creating the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), the UK’s first national rehabilitation centre, alongside Ryan McCormack, head of programme, construction and commercial at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.  We discussed the significance of engagement throughout the progress, including the partnership between healthcare and academic partners and the inclusion of the experts, patients and visitors of current rehabilitation facilities who realised the original vision for the centre.   

Located near Loughborough, the NRC is being built in the beautifully landscaped grounds of Stanford Hall and is designed to create a world class facility with the architecture, as much as the treatments offered, contributing to wellbeing and patient recovery.  It will bring together NHS patients and unite NHS staff, clinical experts and academics from world leading organisations into a single building that promotes learning, research, teaching, and healing. 

birds eye view of long building in green landscape

Reflecting on the discussions over the two day event, Paul expressed how energised and aligned the conversations were: “It was good to see that the key considerations of connecting with light and nature are still firmly on the design agenda.  In the push towards improved efficiency, we must not lose sight of environmental quality and the benefits that brings to both patients and staff.  There is a depth of knowledge, experience and skill in the sector, and this is a perfect stage to gather and share knowledge to create healthy and healing health facilities.”  

Ryan McCormack summarised the revolutionary impact on patient care that the NRC is going to bring to the UK in Building Design and Construction magazine.  Ryan said: “Seeing the building emerge from the ground, it’s thrilling to witness the tangible progress. You can now walk the spaces and visualise what a great facility it’s going to be.”

Read the full article. 

On day two, Mark Carter’s presentation introduced our recently completed Highgate East and Lowther Road facilities as examples of blurring the boundaries between mental health services and the community.  Mark shared best practice from the clinical brief, engagement, the design response and the construction to deliver successful outcomes.   

A leading aim for both projects design was to address the stigma that often exists around mental illness, which can cause feelings of exclusion from society, through the buildings’ urban context.  Mark showcased our approach to creating facilities as a ‘good neighbour’ which are accessible to all to engender feelings of belonging and help service users feel part of the local community.   

With input from clinical staff and service users throughout the design process, the inclusive design welcomes the public into the buildings through cafés and community spaces on the ground levels to improve visitor access whilst maintaining respect and privacy of service users.  This is mirrored outside of the buildings, where active frontages, pocket gardens, and a non institutional aesthetic create a welcoming environment that is akin to a private residential block or office building.  

Thank you to everyone who joined us, both day and night.   

Find out more about Ryder’s healthcare expertise.