Hybrid Vascular Theatre at Lister Hospital

Creating a hybrid vascular theatre at Lister Hospital meant bringing together a complex set of clinical, technical and estate requirements from the outset.

Health Spaces worked closely with the Trust to understand what the theatre needed to achieve for patients, clinicians and the wider estate strategy. This included looking at future demand analysis, models of care, healthcare accessibility work, site appraisals, feasibility studies and client workshops, so the project could be shaped around both the clinical ambition and the realities of the existing estate.

Because vascular surgery is highly specialised, the brief needed input from a wide range of voices. Senior vascular surgeons, theatre teams, anaesthetists, nursing staff, fire advisors, radiation protection advisors, medical technology specialists, engineers and equipment suppliers all helped inform the requirements for the new theatre.

This early work was also critical to unlocking the project. The Trust had previously submitted a business case to the Elective Hub National Fund, which had been unsuccessful. Health Spaces developed a detailed cost plan, benchmarked against current market rates, and supported the Trust in creating a more robust business case to secure funding. From there, the brief was translated into a defined concept design, a detailed technical design and a delivery programme. Each stage was fully costed and informed by early clash detection, helping the Trust move forward with greater certainty around scope, cost, buildability and programme.

With the brief defined, the design process focused on turning a highly specialist clinical requirement into a theatre that would work safely, efficiently and intuitively for the teams using it every day.

The theatre needed to bring together an aseptic surgical setting, advanced imaging equipment, anaesthetic support, clean air technology, medical gases, teaching capability and the supporting spaces needed around the operating room. Each element had to be carefully coordinated so the final space could support patient safety, staff movement and clinical performance.

Through clinical workshops, design sessions and regular stakeholder engagement, we worked with the Trust to test how the space would function in practice. 3D BIM modelling and virtual reality helped clinicians walk through the proposed layouts, understand the scale of the rooms, challenge assumptions and refine patient, staff and equipment flows before the design was finalised.

Several layout options were developed and tested to reduce unnecessary patient movement and support safe, efficient working. Early contractor involvement also meant specialist requirements, including imaging equipment, clean air systems, medical gases, structure and services, could be coordinated against cost, compliance, buildability and performance, helping the team make informed decisions while maintaining alignment with HBN, HTM, CQC and other relevant industry standards.

The design also considered the experience of the theatre environment. Unlike many operating theatres, the room includes windows and natural light, helping to support staff wellbeing and reduce anxiety for patients who may be conscious during image-guided procedures. Shading was incorporated to prevent direct sunlight affecting clinical use, while maintaining access to daylight and outlook.

Delivering the theatre required a construction strategy that could respond to both the constraints of the site and the technical demands of a specialist surgical environment. The new theatre had to be built above a busy service road and delivery yard, which needed to remain operational for the hospital. This made a traditional construction approach difficult, as it would have created prolonged disruption to an important part of the estate.

At the same time, a standard modular approach would not have met the performance requirements of the theatre. The advanced imaging equipment and precision of the procedures meant the structure had to meet strict vibration standards, particularly around floor stability.

Health Spaces developed a hybrid construction approach. Concrete slab floors were constructed on site to achieve the required performance, while floorless modular units were manufactured off site and craned into position above them. This approach allowed the project to benefit from the speed and reduced disruption of modern methods of construction while still meeting the technical standards required for a high-performance surgical theatre. Once the modules were installed, internal fit-out could continue while the service road and delivery yard returned to use, helping the hospital maintain day-to-day operations throughout delivery.