Grove View Integrated Health and Care Hub

Our team of health experts worked with Central Bedfordshire Council to deliver Grove View Integrated Health and Care Hub, which includes 98 homes.

The 6,375 square metre Hub offers a wide range of services, including community mental health and children’s services. The scope included 98 homes for residents over 55, offering a mixture of one and two bedroom apartments.

The Grove story

Grove View Integrated Health and Care Hub, redefines healthcare delivery by combining cutting-edge design, state-of-the-art facilities, and a patient-centred approach. With a focus on early engagement, placemaking, and an innovative standardised model for delivery, Grove View aims to enhance patient and service user experience, improve access to care, and promote overall well-being in the heart of the community.

Grove View Integrated Health & Care Hub

Located in Dunstable, Grove View integrates health and care providers to deliver health and wellbeing services for the local community. Delivered with support from the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICP and Central Bedfordshire Council, it serves approximately 50,000 people, providing accessible health care provision for all.

The four storey metre health and care hub offers both primary and community care services and voluntary sector activities, including General Practice, social care, mental health, services for children, and people with long term conditions, and dental suites, to name just a few. Bringing these services together in one place provides personalised, easy access, holistic care for all patients.

This hub design was delivered using the cura system principles. The cura model is an offering from Collida, Willmott Dixon’s integrated construction platform, and is a suite of pre-designed modules which can be assembled into healthcare buildings to suit the unique needs of each community. This pre-designed model brings a number of benefits, including consistency, efficiency, adaptability and enhanced building performance.

As well as the Health Hub, the development includes 98 later living homes in a scheme which seeks to be a good example of joined up development. It aims to create a sense of place, homes and health for all, co-located in the heart of the community.

Early Engagement: Empowering the Community

Willmott Dixon was engaged in this scheme from RIBA Stage 0. From the very beginning, they worked closely with Central Bedfordshire Council and the ICP, NHS providers and primary care network to develop the brief /clinical service model and presented various masterplanning options to shape the scheme. This level of involvement allowed Willmott Dixon to deeply understand the needs and aspirations of the local community, healthcare providers, and residents over 55.

By actively involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, Willmott Dixon ensured that Grove View's design and functionality align with the community's vision and requirements. This collaborative approach not only fosters a sense of ownership among stakeholders but also enhances the overall quality and relevance of the facility, leading to a more successful and impactful project.

This early engagement meant that Willmott Dixon could gather valuable insights and expertise, enabling them to deliver a facility that truly meets the diverse needs of this community.

As a result, Grove View boasts a thoughtful layout, efficient use of space, and seamless flow between each department, ensuring a user-friendly and accessible environment for both patients and staff.

Placemaking: Delivering Services at the Heart of the Community

Grove View embodies the concept of placemaking, bringing health and care services directly to the heart of the community. The facility ensures convenient access for local residents, promoting a sense of familiarity and comfort.

The integration of multiple services not only improves convenience but also facilitates collaboration and coordination among health and care providers, leading to a more holistic and patient-centered approach to care. Additionally, the facility incorporates outdoor spaces, gardens, and recreational areas to promote physical activity, social prescribing, relaxation, and overall well-being.

Enhancing Patient Experience

Grove View's primary focus is on enhancing the patient experience. The hub incorporates the latest advancements in healthcare design to create an environment that is both welcoming and functional. Patient-centric features such as comfortable waiting areas, soothing colours, and natural lighting promote a sense of calm and well-being. The spacious layout ensures privacy and ease of movement for patients, while accessibility is prioritized through the integration of elevators, and user-friendly wayfinding.

The wellbeing principles of the end users were factored into the design of the health hub, key features of this included:

• Natural light to all occupied rooms, short journey times to lifts and stairs from all areas of the building, and all rooms are regular shapes and sized for ergonomic and multiple service delivery.
• Out of hours activities concentrated on the ground floor to maximise security and avoid lone working on upper levels.
• Provision for vista and outlook onto green spaces to enhance the therapeutic environment characteristics for the end users.

Innovative Solutions: The Standardised Cura Model

Grove View's adoption of Willmott Dixon’s, innovative standardised cura model stands at the forefront of healthcare transformation.

The cura model emphasizes the integration of care services, enabling a personalized and holistic approach to patient care. The configuration of the hub provides a standardised grid optimised for the clinical room sizes and standardised components which improved quality and the speed of delivery. Its flexible design and construction solution provides the end users with the option for future expansion with multi-use rooms and design principles that allow spaces to be repurposed as service needs change.

The MMC system based design approach enabled the project to deliver a combined MMC value of 78% with high levels of pre-manufactured value (PMV) equating to; over 60% of the overall build. Key elements contributing to the PMV fall into a range of MMC categories and include for example the pre-cast concrete lift shafts, precast concrete staircases precast concrete floor planks and pre-manufactured MEP systems. Limiting the number of variations in the repeatable components also enables the customer to realise operational efficiencies in the maintenance of the hub. There are multiple additional prefabricated elements and these include staircases, external linking and escape walkways, doorsets, clinical room WHB/ WC IPS units, reception desks and staff bases, lighting wiring and control systems, roof mounted ductwork, AHUs and all switchgear and distribution boards.

Early involvement & implementing standardised features

The early involvement allowed Willmott Dixon to work with Central Bedfordshire Council, the ICP, GPs and local NHS providers to develop this standardised service model and schedule of accommodation. They held several workshops with key stakeholders to understand their needs and tailor the cura offering to suit this.

Sustainability and Future-Proofing

The project team’s commitment to sustainability is exemplified through Grove View. The hub is designed to minimize its carbon footprint by implementing energy-efficient technologies, renewable energy sources, and eco-friendly low embodied carbon materials. Green spaces and biodiversity enhancements contribute to a healthy environment, promoting well-being for patients and staff alike.

Sustainable features include:

1. Building Fabric Performance: Grove View’s fabric performance goes well beyond Part L regulations with enhanced U-values and a robust airtightness performance of 1.89m3/hr/m², ensuring superior energy efficiency with a low Energy Use Intensity (EUI).
2. Energy Monitoring: Grove View utilises energy monitoring as part of its commitment to sustainable operation. The building is equipped with sub-metering systems placed strategically throughout the facility to monitor departmental usage and subdivide tenant costs. These systems are integrated with a central Building Management System (BMS) that logs energy usage. The collected data is benchmarked against design stage expected usage and analysed for optimizing energy consumption. Seasonal commissioning further assesses the data and adjusts building systems accordingly to align with climate and seasonal changes. Additionally, an independent Post Occupancy Evaluation is scheduled one year after occupancy to evaluate the building's performance comprehensively and provide recommendations for further energy improvements.
3. MEP System Design: The design of Grove View's Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems incorporates various energy-saving features. And the building relies entirely on electrical services, eliminating the need for fossil fuels. The building utilizes air source heat pumps for heating, electric boilers and hot water storage for hot water generation, and photovoltaic systems for renewable energy generation, reducing overall energy consumption and environmental impact. Each wing is served by a dedicated AHU which allows for ease of future alteration while minimising disruption to other departments.

Conclusion

Grove View, with its emphasis on early engagement, placemaking, and the innovative standardised cura model, represents a ground-breaking approach to integrated health and care delivery.

By actively involving stakeholders, delivering services within the heart of the community, and implementing a patient-centred model of care, Grove View is poised to transform the local healthcare landscape.

As patients, service users and healthcare providers benefit from improved access, personalized care, and enhanced well-being, Grove View sets a new standard for health and care facilities that prioritises community engagement, innovation, and comprehensive care delivery.