https://www.murphyphilipps.co.uk/knowledge/building-blocks-the-stakeholder-role-in-health-space-design

Building Blocks: The stakeholder role in health space design

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Stakeholder Engagement

All healthcare projects benefit from positive stakeholder engagement forming an integral part of the design process. To that end, and with over 25 years’ experience in the sector, Murphy Philipps has developed a range of methodologies that maximise the effectiveness of engagement with a wide range of users and stakeholders.

There are well researched, proven benefits of involving stakeholders such as better clinician outcomes, cost savings and improved value for money.

By involving stakeholders throughout the design process, healthcare facilities can create environments that better serve the needs of patients

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Shaping future health spaces

Incorporating diverse stakeholder perspectives enables healthcare providers and researchers to develop more robust and applicable technologies, services, and care delivery processes. This leads to better-informed decisions that address real-world scenarios and user needs, including.

  • Enhanced operational efficiency: Involving stakeholders, particularly clinical staff, in the design process helps identify and remedy potential care pathway bottlenecks and assists with streamlining workflows. This can result in cost savings by reducing delays and improving resource utilisation.
  • Improved space utilisation: Stakeholder engagement allows for a better understanding of how different departments and staff perform their jobs, leading to more efficient floor layouts and equipment placement. This optimisation can result in significant cost savings over the long term.
  • Better alignment with user needs: Engaging stakeholders allows for a deeper understanding of the daily challenges faced by clinical staff and patients, ensuring that the built environment effectively addresses these issues. This can lead to cost savings by reducing the need for post-construction modifications.
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Enhancing value for money

  • Preventing costly mistakes: Early stakeholder involvement can help avoid unwelcome surprises and design flaws that may require expensive corrections after construction. For example, without proper input, issues such as inadequate receiving areas or poorly placed nursing stations can result in operational inefficiencies.
  • Future-proofing investments: By involving various stakeholders, healthcare facilities can better anticipate future needs and changes in care delivery. Designing flexible and adaptable buildings based on these findings can potentially save money on future alterations or expansions.
  • Reduced project delays and budget overruns: Leveraging stakeholder expertise can help eliminate complications that might delay the project programme or cause it to exceed its budget.

By involving stakeholders throughout the design process, healthcare facilities can create environments that better serve the needs of patients, staff, and the broader community, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes, increased satisfaction, and optimised value for money.

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Building Blocks for Clinicians

As part of our commitment to improving communication and stakeholder engagement, Murphy Philipps is a member of the Building Blocks for Clinicians initiative. This is a multidisciplinary group of architects, academics and clinicians who, since 2017, has been running workshops and courses to empower clinicians in building projects.

Through these courses we have identified gaps in the current processes when designing and building hospitals. Current governance arrangements are plentiful but can be ineffective, complicated and add cost. We have also identified that the research base for design decisions is lacking and there is typically little learning that is shared across the sector. Building Blocks for Clinicians aims to improve the situation through education, developing improved methodologies, conducting research in the field and carrying out post-occupancy evaluations to assess the performance of various departments and facilities.

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