Designing for the Health of Coastal Communities

According to 2017 data, there were approximately 11.8 million people aged 65 and over in the UK, and by 2050 that number could reach 19 million. Hospital admissions are also steadily increasing year-on-year, a good proportion of these represented by elderly people who rely on continuing care.

In parallel to this trend, England’s Chief Medical Officer has signalled that the country needs a national strategy to tackle health inequalities for seaside towns. Coastal towns often have older populations with more complex health needs, but historical planning has often underprovided for these areas.

This presentation will explore the changes that can be made to the way that health is managed and delivered to enable health and social care to operate together to support wellbeing, rather than responding to accident and illness. This integrated care model has a strong focus on patient wellness, with less-institutional community spaces and therapeutic environments that provide excellent daylighting, ventilation, views, comfortable acoustics, and access to outside space.

The presentations will explore forward-thinking projects where an integrated model of care has been used to address the complex health needs of coastal towns and discuss the design factors that are critical to their success.

One such project is the redevelopment of Whitby Hospital, which sees the adaptation of an outdated and under-utilised facility to create a health and social care hub, which supports the integrated delivery of primary care, secondary care, and community services.

Another is the pioneering Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in Hull, which is the first of a new class of NHS facilities to cater for the needs of an increasingly elderly population without the recourse to hospital admission.

The presentation concludes by looking at the lessons that can be learnt from these examples and how the fundamental principles can be applied across the country.