Architecture + Design Scotland

A+DS Healthcare Design Programme

Architecture and Design Scotland is working with the Scottish Government Health Directorates and Health Facilities Scotland to support Health Boards to create truly healing places. The NHS in Scotland has a vision for

'an estate designed with “a level of care and thought that conveys respect”; buildings that grow from the local history and landscape, that are developed in partnership with the local community. A work of joint learning and joint responsibility that is particular to that community and that place; “not off the shelf shoe boxes”.'

A+DS, SGHD and HFS are working together to support boards to deliver on this vision; to deliver places that contribute to a Healthier Scotland. The way we work is tailored to the circumstances, but in general terms we:

• engage with partner organisations and central procurement agencies to assist them in their work and in raising awareness of external parties involved in delivery.
• provide a co-ordinated assessment of the potential quality of proposed projects to support those responsible for decision making within the business case process.
• assist in building a body of knowledge and evidence of good practice in both processes and products across NHSScotland by providing dedicated support to ‘demonstration projects’ where ambitious parties are taking on particular aspects of work, particularly around cross‐sectoral working; and identifying and commissioning targeted pieces of work by relevant specialists to inform, test, and develop concepts and tools to support Health Boards and their stakeholders in their delivery of good design.

The new 'Healthier Places' website is the home of a unique web case study resource called 'Pulse' . Pluse is a database of case studies and images of healthcare environments across Scotland and beyond, allowing clients and design teams to share their successes and explore possibilities for new projects. It is designed to support the production of Design Statements within SCIM , clarifying objectives and providing benchmarks for delivery and will be launched in June 2010.

This programme is underpinned by the Scottish Government Health Directorate's ‘Policy on Design Quality for NHSScotland'. This important piece of guidance recognises the increasing body of evidence that the principles of good design - such as integration into the community and a sense of place - make a quantifiable positive impact on patients, visitors and staff.