Health on the High Street
Bringing healthcare to the high street can revitalise towns and cities, but understanding the retail perspective and using data is essential to success.
WORDS: PATSY WESTCOTT
Hit hard by the rise in online shopping and sluggish investment, owners and developers across the UK are on the hunt for new ways to fill vacant stores and increase footfall. Meanwhile, NHS Trusts are looking to shrink waiting lists and ease pressure on hospitals. Bringing health services to the high street, as is already happening in many areas, could help solve these twin dilemmas. But as Health Spaces Design Manager Valentin Gheorghian points out, there are factors that hospitals and Trusts need to consider.
A conflict of interest?
The high-end, international brands that high street stakeholders are eager to woo can make for uneasy bedfellows with healthcare facilities. “These influential tenants have clout,” explains Valentin. “They may demand larger display windows, additional access directly from outside, longer or shorter opening times, separate service yards and segregated supply corridors. To avoid conflicts of interest, their vision and strategy must be considered from the outset.
“If a premium brand is seeking a place in a mall, the owner or operator may want to dismiss or move previous smaller tenants and rearrange the space to triple rental income. There might be a big healthcare facility taking up a third of the space, with semi-independent mechanical and electrical systems. Furthermore, if their rent is capped or controlled, it’s not great for business,” Valentin observes.
From a retail perspective, healthcare spaces may also be less profitable than shops, cafés, or restaurants, with rental rates often restricted with limited scope for increases. “Landlords tend to prefer a free market approach, taking advantage of opportunities as they arise. This can conflict with the long-term stability required by healthcare providers,” says Valentin.
The atmospherics – layout, sound, sight, smell and overall ambience – of a shopping centre or mall, carefully crafted to create an upbeat mood to entice shoppers to stay and spend, might also be at odds with the needs of people coming for diagnosis or treatment, who may be anxious, unwell or in pain.
An architect with a background in retail design management, Valentin understands these competing needs, but insists they are not irreconcilable. Harnessing architectural principles used in the design of hospitals and clinics can help smooth the way.
“You need separate flows to keep visitors, staff and operations apart, with clear wayfinding, dedicated entrances and segregated areas,” he suggests.
“Understand the local market and tailor the design to your neighbourhood”
“Each high street has its own dynamic. It’s essential to understand the local market and tailor the design to your neighbourhood.”
Data counts
Independent location and data analytics consultant Laura Harris agrees that careful planning based on accurate data is key. “NHS Trusts and hospitals should start with a ‘whitespace’ analysis. This involves identifying new or untapped opportunities. For example, looking for geographical gaps suitable for healthcare facilities,” says Laura, who has previously worked for Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and BSkyB. “This can pinpoint viable locations and ensure that areas with the most need are prioritised,” she explains.
A keen advocate for the high street, Laura outlines that combining these insights with data on existing healthcare provision, patient statistics, waiting times and population demographics – including ethnicity and age – can help identify the best place for a healthcare facility.
She suggests approaching the town council officer, the town Business Improvement District (BID) or tap into existing ‘place partnerships’ with wider membership or instruct the Trust’s own commercial property agent to do so. Visiting the area and connecting with agents representing potentially suitable properties could also be a good move, bearing in mind that (according to The Vacant Shops Academy) only an average 40% of visibly vacant units are not represented by an agent.
“Consider competing and complementary businesses in the area. Coffee shops, restaurants, libraries and retail options like gift shops or small grocery stores can all attract and enhance patients’ experience,” she adds.
Public perception is crucial as negative stereotypes tend to dominate the media. Laura’s High Street Positives initiative aims to highlight positive news stories to counter these. It’s gaining support from local authorities, BIDs, retailers, landlords and managers. “By showcasing success stories, it aims to boost footfall, attract investment and inspire creative ideas,” she says. You can read it here: High Street Positives.
© Dialogue Content Marketing Ltd 2024.
This article was taken from the November 2024 edition of FORTIS magazine.
FORTIS magazine is a Health Spaces Limited publication. Opinions expressed in FORTIS magazine are not necessarily those of Health Spaces Limited or Dialogue Content Marketing Ltd. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publishers. No responsibility can be taken on behalf of advertisements printed in the magazine.
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This article was written for the November 2024 edition of FORTIS magazine; a forum for the NHS to share ideas, innovations and case studies. To read the publication in full and access digital copies, visit FORTIS magazine. FORTIS magazine is free for NHS change-makers and leaders and is available as a print or digital copy. FORTIS magazine is managed and owned by Health Spaces Ltd.
