A sensory approach to primary school design
Children learn best when all their senses are engaged. Nightingale THiNK is exploring this philosophy and working directly with schools to improve their environments through the implementation of our sensory research.
The growth of Medical Tourism in Asia
The medical tourism industry is booming despite a global recession. People from all over the world are choosing to travel to other countries to fulfil their healthcare needs, particularly in Asia. But what is the appeal of hospitalisation on holiday? And what is Nightingale Associate’s contribution to the phenomenon?
Exotic destinations and high quality facilities attract patients abroad
What is medical tourism?
In recent years there has been a surge of individuals choosing to go abroad for healthcare. Travelling for healthcare services is particularly appealing because of low costs and quick treatment of non-critical conditions. ‘Medical Tourism’, as it is known, has opened up the healthcare market for private hospitals around the globe, and companies are eager to provide services for which their clients are willing to pay and travel across borders.
According to the Journal of Asia Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, the term ‘Medical Tourism’ refers to “travel activity that involves a medical procedure or activities that promote the wellbeing of the tourist” . However, it is now common that patients wish to combine their treatment with a holiday . Consequently, there is a growing requirement for hospitals to be located in desirous holiday destinations and provide hotel and leisure facilities. To be successful, private healthcare providers must charge for their services competitively, whilst at the same time, maintain high standards of care. Also, private hospitals must adhere to strict international standards and gain accreditations where possible in order to appeal to international clients. Because of the range of facilities required and increasing numbers of private patients, many healthcare providers are commissioning new hospitals to meet the demands of these new medical tourists.
A worldwide trend
Medical tourism is flourishing across the globe
Medical tourism is a worldwide trend. According to Keith Pollard, Managing Director of Intuition Communication and commentator on medical tourism , patient flows “follow low cost airline routes with short flight times or cross border land routes. Americans flying or driving south for surgery, Brits travelling to Budapest for dental treatment, the Japanese heading west to Korea for cosmetic surgery, the Indonesians travelling to Malaysia and Singapore, Central Africans heading for South Africa” . The number of tourists is subject to great debate, one London consultancy, Tourism Research and Marketing has estimated that by 2010, 38 million trips are taken worldwide every year, and some reports claim the industry is now worth £20 billion.
Medical tourism in Malaysia
Malaysia is a well-established holiday destination that is fast becoming one of the most popular countries for medical tourists. Frequented by people from Indonesia and other parts of Asia, the country has built up a strong reputation as an affordable, multi-cultural and easily reached destination to receive treatment. The government strongly supports the influx of medical tourists, not only because it supports the country’s economy, but because Malaysia has the potential of becoming a world leader in health tourism. The government have made it easier for people to use medical services by improving the county’s infrastructure and allowing medical tourists to extend their visas if desired.
It is important that hospitals are recognised in order to maintain high standards and instil a sense of trust with new clients, therefore many are internationally accredited. The Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation is the benchmark certification for foreign hospitals that works with healthcare organisations, ministries of health, and global organizations in over 80 countries. Malaysia also has its own internal system, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) accreditation.
Nightingale Associate’s Malaysian project
Nightingale Associates is currently designing a new private hospital in Malaysia that will cater for medical tourists. The new KPJ Specialist International Hospital will be built in the city of Johor Bahru. The 440 bed hospital will provide consultation, diagnostics and treatment, and feature six dedicated Centres of Excellence for oncology, cardiology, orthopaedics, general and elderly medicine, cosmetic and reconstructive, and woman and children. Luxury facilities include a futuristic atrium, dedicated VIP bedrooms, suites, lounges and clinics, day-care and retail facilities. In addition a hotel, wellness centre and residential facilities for older people are planned for the “Meditel” which will be built adjacent to the hospital.
KPJ International Specialist Hospital
Medical tourism has the potential to grow from strength to strength in the coming years. This demand will open up more opportunities for architects to design healthcare buildings that are tailored to the tourists’ specific needs. Nightingale Associates already has vast experience in the public and private healthcare sectors, and are taking their clinical design excellence to an international audience.
Further Reading:
Connell, John (2006) Medical tourism: Sea, sun, sand and … surgery [Online]. Tourism Management 27 (2006) 1093–1100. Available at: http://ataland.com/Files/Articles/z4.pdf
Lee, Christine (2006) Medical tourism, an innovative opportunity for entrepreneurs. Journal of Asia Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, Volume III, Issue 1. Available at: http://www.asiaentrepreneurshipjournal.com/AJESIII1Lee.pdf
Pollard, Keith (2010) Medical tourism statistics: Comparing apples with apples. Health tourism blog, [blog] June 2011. Available at: http://www.imtj.com/blog/
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Cardiff University launches high profile Research Institutes
Cardiff University’s strategy to advance its research division is progressing thanks to the appointment of high Profile Patrons, Stephen Fry and Sir Terry Matthews. The Patrons will work to promote the new mental health and cancer Research Institutes, which will be based in the purpose-built ‘Hadyn Ellis Building’.
Research-led Institutes
The University Research Institutes (URI’s) have been created to tackle key scientific problems, with the intention of becoming world-leaders in their specific fields. Two of the institutes specifically target health conditions:
• The Cancer Stem Cell Institute will focus on examining the stem cells of specific types of cancer to gather more information on the disease, which could ultimately lead to new treatments.
• The Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute will help devise new treatments for psychiatric disorders like Schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and attention deficit disorder, and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Famous Patronage
Actor/author Stephen Fry and Technological entrepreneur, Sir Terry Matthews will promote the new Institutes. Their endorsement will undoubtedly gain the public’s attention and may even spark further interest into Cardiff’s successful science research programme.
Stephen Fry is an honorary fellow of the university and now represents the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute. The TV personality suffers from bipolar disorder and is heavily involved in raising awareness the condition.
Sir Terry Matthews is representing the Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute. The renowned billionaire was born in nearby Newport and owns the famous Celtic Manor Resort that hosted last year’s Ryder Cup.
The ‘Hadyn Ellis Building’
As well as new Patrons, the Institutes will have a brand new building that will open next year.
The two Institutes will be based in the Hadyn Ellis Building that has been designed by Nightingale Associates. Named after the late Deputy Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University, it will also accommodate the well-established Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics. New facilities include top of the range laboratory, teaching and office space, lecture theatre and cafe, all arranged around a large public atrium with exhibition space.
The new building will be constructed on a derelict railway site near the city centre. It marks the first phase of a 10-15 year plan to completely transform the disused site into a whole new university campus. The New Maindy Park Campus will become Cardiff’s centre for research, and the Hadyn Ellis Building will act as the gateway to this development.
Nightingale teams in every office took part in a cross-studio design charrette aimed to motivate and challenge the teams in a fun and engaging way.
For those who do not know what a charrette is, it is a short but intensive design exercise that promotes innovative and creative thinking. Every studio was involved in the exercise, which brought together all the different disciplines within the practice.
All the teams were assigned a brief devised by our founder, Mike Nightingale, and Advance Aid, a charitable initiative that provides strategic disaster relief in Africa. The brief asked the teams to design medical support facilities for disaster stricken countries using 40ft shipping containers .
Staff came up with a plethora of ideas, from immediate response units to long term solutions such as community hospitals. Up to six containers could be used, so they were organised into large compounds, creating a multi-crisis centre and even a disaster HQ. Containers were cleverly adapted by opening out the sides and linking up with canopies. Some responded to uneven terrain/flooded areas by incorporating adjustable hydraulic legs and leveling pads, and most of the designs came up with solutions to provide comfort in a potentially inhospitable climate.
“The THiNK charrette pushed my mind to be creative, and yet keep solutions simple and adaptable. From my own experience, I believe it helps to keep our minds fresh and I look forward to the next one”.
Stuart Roberts, Architect (Rochdale)
“The subject content was very thought provoking, especially in light of recent events, and encouraged us to push boundaries to create something worthwhile for those who truly need it.”
Abigail Amos, Interior Designer (Harwell)
‘It was a great challenge. Time constraints meant any second guessing was subordinate to design instinct and problem solving. It was beneficial to be in a team with colleagues that I had never worked with before.”
Darryl Scotsman, Architectural Technician (Cape Town)
“At first I was a bit skeptical, but in the end I really enjoyed it. The brief proved to be very abstract and topical, and was a refreshing change.”
Lindsay Gibbon, Associate (Cardiff)
As well as promoting teamwork and creativity, charrettes help with personal development. Nightingale is actively taking steps to do more exercises like this and is constantly coming up with new ways to motivate our hard working team.
Brighton Design
Cape Town Design
Cardiff Design
London Design
The opportunity to photograph the last few weeks of Peterborough District and Edith Cavell Hospitals’ was an irresistible opportunity for local ‘Paramedic Paparazzo’ Chris Porsz. An amateur photographer and full time paramedic, Chris has amassed thousands of images of Peterborough and its residents over the years.
Chris has been working for the hospital’s for over 30 years, first as a hospital porter and then as a paramedic. So it was very fitting that, with his insider knowledge and attachment to the buildings and the people, he should capture its last few weeks.
Edith Cavell Hospital shortly before its closure
He said: “Whoever came up with idea was very forward thinking in trying to record and preserve for posterity, what otherwise would just be memories and soon to be a pile of rubble”.
Not the usual hospital trolly
In between his shifts, he spent several weeks wandering through the buildings recording tiny snapshots of life in the hospital. He explained; “I love street photography and approached the project as if the corridors, wards, offices and departments were my town centre where I have roamed for years”. Most of his images portray the patients and the staff; the lifeblood of the hospital. The buildings act as a backdrop, providing his shots with a sense of scale and context.
Peterborough District's front entrance
Behind the scenes at Peterborough District Hospital
This is not the first time Chris has captured the hospital. His photos taken in the 1980s give real insight into the changes that have taken place. Looking back, the changes are most evident by the staff uniforms, early computers and interiors that seem dated and uncomfortably clinical.
The labs in Peterborough District Hospital in the early eighties
Sister Jayne and patient Ron in A&E
Moving forward, Chris now hopes for the opportunity to photograph the new Peterborough City Hospital that opened last year. He acknowledged that “its scale and design will make my project in the other hospitals seem easy by comparison”, but joked how “the lighting should be better”. If this goes ahead, it will add to his extensive photographic record of Peterborough, depicting the social history of the city’s hospitals.
Chris’s hobby as an amateur photographer continues to flourish. Thanks to the success of a 2010 exhibition of his work, he has been invited to stage further exhibitions in the local shopping centre. He is currently working on his third calendar and reunion project which involves recapturing shots of people he has photographed over the past three decades. He also hopes to fulfil his dream of writing a book about his family history and photography.
Chris Porsz caught on camera
To see other photographs of Peterborough over the years, visit http://www.peterboroughinpictures.co.uk/.
Nightingale Associates is passionate about designing buildings that not only cater for the individual needs of its users, but also improve their general wellbeing.
Tags: art, Healthcare, photography
Richard Mazuch, director of Design Research and Innovation, will be talking about ‘Re-thinking space – Innovative approaches for inpatient accommodation’.
The last 12 months have seen unprecedented changes in our political and economic situation, making the challenges facing healthcare estates bigger than ever before. The paper will describe three innovative approaches developed by Nightingale Associates for the provision of Inpatient accommodation for both existing and new build healthcare settings.
Tags: bedpod, Healthcare, nightingale, product design
Dan Savage and Linda Schwab have been selected to provide wall and glazing treatments throughout Peterborough’s new City Hospital, which has been designed by Nightingale Associates under contractor, Brookfield Construction (UK) Ltd.
Tags: art, Healthcare, Interior Design, public spaces, wayfinding
UK chancellor George Osborne has announced that £1.7bn of contracts across all sectors will be delayed or stopped to achieve £6.2bn of savings.
Image used via Creative Commons licence, courtesy of Buggolo, Flickr
Even the role of architecture minister is changeable with Ed Vaizey only being in office for four days before John Penrose took over.
Tags: building schools for the future, coalition, cuts, government
The aim of the Design Council scheme is to improve patient experience in hospital with particular emphasis on the separation of male and female patients through innovative product and service design.
If you missed the Design Council’s exhibition from 23-25 March 2010 of the resulting designs, here is a collection of images and video of the event and the design process.
Tags: bedpod, Healthcare, hopsital design, innovation, mazuch, product design, THiNK