Dominic Conlin, Hospital Director - Chelsea & Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, joined our 3rd NLA Expert Healthcare Panel meeting chaired by Mark Rowe. Dominic set out the Trusts mission to be an Anchor Institute. This provides better outcomes for patients alongside wider community benefits including employment, economic stimulus, education and general health and wellbeing improvements.

The Chelsea Hospital has been particularly successful for staff, patients and visitors. The incorporation of art and the open daylit atrium space bring a quality that puts people at ease leading to improved patient outcomes. This approach is being extended within the Trust aiming to maximise space flexibility including encouraging local community groups to use the hospital for musical performances and healthy activities such as dance classes.

It was noted that the speed of delivering injections to children increased by 500 per cent by having spaces with murals or ipads for entertainment. Chelsea Hospital is in the top three for low nurse turnover with the environment being a strong retention factor. Charlotte Ruben asked about the management of art including the need to refresh it regularly. The art attracts donors which benefits the hospital and also encourages local engagement.

Dominic spoke about the social determinants of health and the seven domains of deprivation – income, employment, education, health, crime, barriers to housing and services and living environment – and how a community embedded hospital can help to tackle these.

Jonathan Martin confirmed that the new Whipps Cross hospital development will have a community building and 1,500 new homes with wide consultation with community groups to maximise mutual gains.

Simon Hodson mentioned the upcoming Wolfson Economics Prize for the design of new hospitals focussed on patient experience, clinical outcomes and staff wellbeing integrated with wider health and social care.

Edith Blennerhassett asked about the impact of net zero as a healthcare driver. This is a major motivator for staff in hospital design and healthcare delivery. The advent of COVID has seen 40 per cent of outpatient clinics being done remotely with significant carbon savings. The move to 23 hour recovery and more day patients frees up space to allow an increase in single patient rooms with infection control benefits. 

Benedict Zucchi queried how teaching, research and learning can bring benefits to the hospital. This is currently small at Chelsea and Westminster and there is benefit seen to increased research activities in encouraging the next generation of healthcare workers and to attract and retain staff.

The final panel discussion focussed on the need for the public to feel safe and have confidence in the hospital. Big data is helping in assessing demographics to inform healthcare requirements and to get the maximum social and economic benefit from the hospital alongside delivering top class healthcare.