Academics from CPM input on Department of Health clinical and design guidance

Philip Astley and Richard Hind at The Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management have been commissioned by the Department of Health to conduct research focusing on the introduction of health technologies in hospitals to inform new models of care with the purpose of co-producing  asset assurance which will trigger new investment service-led opportunities.  

The work will be carried out in collaboration with Cambridge University Emergency Consultant Dr Sue Robinson, and on behalf the College Of Emergency Medicine, for new non-prescriptive clinical and design guidance for Type 1 Emergency and Unscheduled Care.

This project follows the publication of Philip and Richard’s 2011 EPSRC HaCIRIC commissioned research into Open Planning for Healthcare Infrastructure with Emergency and Unscheduled Care case studies working with seven Acute Foundations NHS Trusts across England and in collaboration with HaCIRIC  partners Loughborough University. 

The outcome of this previous research led to the conceptualisation of the 'Big Front Door' for Emergency care networks. The aim to both visualise and communicate the strategic processes and flow of patient care networks across healthcare commissioning boundaries. Operational concepts demonstrate how through innovation in the delivery of care these impact on patient organisation and space by acuity, activity analysis, use of technologies and in particular diagnostics and imaging as well as emergency clinical assessment units supported by mobile specialist teams. This has led to the closure of two inpatient wards in one of the Trusts by reducing patient referrals to wards - getting the patient home quicker and better.

Contact p.astley@ucl.ac.uk