World class Cystic Fibrosis unit to open in Sheffield - AUDIO

March 2010 by Hannah Johnson

A world class Cystic Fibrosis unit at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital will transform life-saving treatment for young people in the region with the debilitating condition.

The green light has been given for the state-of-the-art, 12 room unit which offers young patients the chance to stay in hotel-style rooms themed on everything from a New York loft to an Oriental garden.

The ground-breaking scheme has been designed by leading healthcare architects Race Cottam Associates, who were appointed by BAM Construction, and will be the only one of its kind in South Yorkshire and North Trent.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the UK’s most common life-threatening inherited diseases, affecting over 8,000 children, teenagers and young adults. There is currently no cure for the condition which mainly affects the lungs and body’s ability to digest food and absorb nutrients.

CF patients need hospital treatment for up to two weeks at a time, several times a year. The regional specialist Adult CF Centre at the Northern General currently uses inpatient facilities on a medical ward which caters mainly for very elderly patients.

Frank Edenborough, lead consultant at the CF Centre, said: “We had to make provision on the existing ward for young people in an environment that is usually full of much older patients.

“When the project got to the point of involving Race Cottam, we sat down and spent a long time talking about our aspirations and we were completely bowled over by the concept they came up with, something that could be either a penthouse flat or a posh hotel.

“All of the medical facilities are there but have been cleverly hidden so it looks like a home from home, which is exactly what we wanted to do.

“We have had a very interesting time working with Race Cottam realising a project that is going to be far better than I personally have ever had the imagination to realise, but as practical and as useable as we had first conceived.”

Because infection control is paramount, CF inpatients need their own rooms and cannot mix with other patients. Race Cottam’s innovative design will deliver 12, en-suite single rooms each one with a different theme.

The latest entertainment technology, such as computers with internet connection and Nintendo Wiis, has also been incorporated into the design to make days of enforced isolation and treatment as enjoyable as possible.

Becky Haverty, Race Cottam’s lead designer for the project, said: “The brief was to design a unit that wasn’t like a typical hospital building and we’ve created 12 individual bedrooms with a boutique hotel theme.

“It has been a hugely exciting and rewarding challenge for us. We’ve been working for the past few years with BAM Construction and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals on a number of schemes and I think this project continues to build on that relationship.

“This new ward will provide a fantastic new environment for the specialist treatment of young people with CF who need prolonged stays in hospital, as well as offering a great atmosphere for members of staff to work in.”

The new unit will be at the cutting edge of healthcare provision in the country, enabling a dedicated and integrated teams of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and dieticians to come together to meet the needs of young people fighting this debilitating disease.

It builds on Race Cottam’s strong reputation for delivering innovative and sustainable design solutions for NHS projects. The Sheffield-based practice, which also has studios in Greater Manchester, has delivered major schemes for a number of acute and primary care NHS Trusts across the country, including the Critical Care unit at the Northern General Hospital and Walton Hospital in Chesterfield.

The Race Cottam design team has worked in close partnership with the Procure 21 Principal Supply Chain partners BAM Construction and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who are providing the space and meeting 60 per cent of the capital costs.

The remaining £1m is being met through the Sheffield Cystic Fibrosis Appeal – a Sheffield Hospitals Charitable Trust fundraising initiative.

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