Design and business experts at Brunel University of London are working with nearby Hillingdon Hospital in a £252,000 push to get its services to work better for the people who use them. The 26-month government-backed project aims to make behind-the-scenes running more compassionate, efficient and people-centred.
Patients, staff and visitors will see smoother services, better-designed spaces and other improvements that add up to make their time at the hospital less stressful. The focus is on finding the right problems to fix and putting people first.
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The project is one of Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), which are designed to help companies tap into university research and top talent. Led by innovation experts Gabriella Spinelli from Brunel Design School and Brunel Business School’s Professor Fiona Dennis, staff and students will work with the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust estates and facilities team. The 500-strong department handles everything from the digital framework and building maintenance through to making meals, portering, parking and security. Together they’ll co-design hospital spaces, equipment and services that prioritise patients, staff and visitors.
‘It may seem an oxymoron that we want to emphasise caring and compassion in the NHS,” said Spinelli, who is the director of innovation and digital health at Brunel Partners Academic Centre for Health Science, and reader in innovation management at Brunel Design School. ‘But we think refocusing on listening, caring for staff, patients and the environment are key to collaboration and innovation. Co-design is about involving everyone who interacts with the hospital to arrive at successful solutions.’
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With a new hospital planned to be built by 2031, another major goal is to help staff feel more supported, improving both their work lives and the care they give.
‘The KTP funding is fantastic news and a great achievement for the trust,’ said Steve Wedgwood, the hospital’s director of operational estates and facilities. ‘I’d like to see staff at all levels involved in improving services and putting forward their views and ideas. Those ideas I hope will lead to improved processes – for example, to cut waste, cut cost and improve productivity – that will generate more income for the trust to invest in patient care and in staff satisfaction and development.’
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The partnership aims to leave a legacy by bringing design know-how into hospital processes, enabling it to creatively address the needs of the community it serves. There are plans to expand the approach across the trust, setting a new standard in people-centred healthcare. ‘Embedding design engineering in the trust is important,’ said Spinelli, ‘but most often innovation can happen only when the culture of an organisation is ready.’