Key Lessons from the 18th Future HealthSpaces Forum: Prototyping the Future of Healthcare Design
- Future HealthSpaces
- Dec 12, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 4
On November 26th, Future HealthSpaces hosted its 18th forum, titled “Innovations in Healthcare Delivery: Prototyping the Health Spaces of the Future.” Held at the Innovation Hub in Clerkenwell, London, the forum brought together senior leaders and experts to share knowledge on the transformative potential of prototyping in healthcare design.
The event explored how prototyping is shaping innovative, cost-effective, and flexible healthcare spaces. Through real-world examples and expert-led discussions, attendees were encouraged to consider the wider implications of testing and iteration in creating spaces that align with NHS priorities and operational demands.
Expert Insights
Tom Stocks | New Hospital Programme (NHP)
Kicking off the forum, Tom Stocks shared the New Hospital Programme’s vision for fostering supplier-led healthcare innovation. Central to this approach is the use of physical mock-ups and iterative design processes to minimise risks and validate concepts effectively. Stocks emphasised that the upcoming Tier 1 contractor framework is not just about adhering to budgets—it’s about achieving high-quality outcomes within a defined cost envelope.
A significant focus of the program, he noted, will be the forthcoming tenders for prototypes, which will prioritise both the manufacturing and delivery phases. These efforts aim to ensure that every stage of the process contributes to functional, efficient healthcare spaces.
Stocks also highlighted the importance of clinical and operational input, urging the industry to adopt more rigorous methods for analysing clinical risks. He advocated for a collaborative approach where the supply chain plays a key role in refining solutions and feeding lessons learned back into the process. Stocks also addressed pressing challenges like RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete), underscoring the need for robust feedback loops to share lessons learned across the healthcare sector.
Rosemary Jenssen | Jenssen Architecture
Building on Stocks' emphasis on collaboration and feedback, Rosemary Jenssen brought valuable insights from the P22 Repeatable Room Prototyping project, showcasing how standardised designs can streamline healthcare delivery while maintaining flexibility for local needs. She spotlighted the 32 standardised room templates now available on the P23 Club website, a significant resource for those shaping the future of healthcare spaces.
Jenssen stressed the critical role of C-sheets in capturing the fine details of Room Data Sheets (RDS), ensuring robust documentation and clarity from design to delivery. She also outlined the industry's next steps, highlighting the upcoming P24 procurement process and its potential to promote value-based purchasing strategies.
A key theme in her presentation was accessibility— She called for a centralised digital library, emphasising its potential to enhance collaboration, streamline project delivery, and support continuous improvement. This, she suggested, would not only enhance collaboration but also support continuous innovation and improvement across projects.
Raymond McFee delivered a thought-provoking session addressing the governance challenges inherent in healthcare innovation. He highlighted the pressing need for clearer governance structures, particularly in managing the complexities of modern healthcare projects.
Drawing on his experience with the Norfolk Centre for Interventional Radiology, McFee highlighted how prototyping serves as a critical tool for aligning project designs with tangible health outcomes. He emphasised that early clinical and operational input is vital, not only for guiding design decisions but also for validating them through patient and staff feedback.
McFee’s discussion also explored the practical considerations of healthcare design, posing key questions around patient flow and comfort. McFee stressed the need to test innovations under real-world conditions to align operational policies with patient flow and comfort, ensuring designs actively improve both patient outcomes and staff workflows.
Hannah Chamberlain’s session offered a deeply reflective exploration of empathy and inclusivity in healthcare design. She questioned whether current healthcare environments genuinely reflect the identities and needs of their users, highlighting the tendency for patients to become secondary considerations in the design process.
Chamberlain emphasised that hospitals should be seen as part of a broader journey, not just standalone destinations. Prototyping, she argued, is essential—not only to refine designs but to experience these journeys firsthand, enabling healthcare spaces to meet the real needs of both patients and staff. This approach fosters a deeper understanding of how environments can support identity, comfort, and operational efficiency.
She also reinforced the importance of integrating patient and family stories into design briefs, ensuring that spaces reflect lived experiences and address worst-case scenarios. Building strong community connections, training staff to appreciate the evidence behind design decisions, and aligning facilities with prevention-focused care models were among her key recommendations for creating environments that truly support healing and wellbeing.
Collaboration and Continuous Improvement
The forum’s discussions consistently returned to the importance of collaboration across disciplines. Whether refining designs for operational efficiency or integrating patient and staff feedback, the consensus was clear: prototyping must remain a key strategy for addressing complex challenges in healthcare delivery.
Looking Ahead
Future HealthSpaces continues to facilitate dialogue on critical issues in healthcare design. Join us in March 2025 for the unveiling of our Concept Ward Space in London—a milestone event showcasing innovation in healthcare environments. Register your interest to stay at the forefront of this transformative field:
