Working for everyone
Bringing healthcare to the high street can revitalise towns and cities, but understanding the retail perspective and using data is essential to success
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. “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, Business Improvement District (BID) manager or BID CEO – 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 on 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 asset managers. “By showcasing success stories, it aims to boost footfall, attract investment and inspire creative ideas,” she says. You can read it here: bit.ly/3zzPNFz [https://highstreetpositives.beehiiv.com/p/highstreetpositives-newsletter-sept24?_bhlid=71d23fd768c7662f59fe9ff6925b29cd5e7f2dbc]
From heritage to health
The Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Barnsley’s uber-modern The Glass Works is one of 165 such facilities springing up across England, many located in shopping centres.1 It was designed and built in collaboration with Barnsley Facilities Services (BFS). BFS Project Manager Alan Heathcote co-ordinated the design and construction phases of the CDC. Design services were provided by James Totty Design Partnership and construction services by O&P Construction Ltd.
“We have this amazing development that combines Barnsley’s industrial heritage with something modern and aspirational attracting a demographic that wouldn’t usually visit the town centre. Commercially, it’s a no-brainer,” says Bob Kirton, Managing Director at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. He explains that 80% of people visiting the CDC go on to shop, eat or drink at The Glass Works.
Partnership with the local council has been essential to appreciate the health and economic benefits of locating the CDC within The Glass Works. “There’s a real mixture of ownership,” says Bob, whose early career at HMV has given him insight into how healthcare and retail can sit side by side. “In the ’90s, everyone wanted brands like M&S and Boots next to HMV in shopping centres. The NHS is a similarly trusted brand that draws people in.”
Phase one of the CDC opened in March 2022, offering services including phlebotomy, DEXA scans and non-obstetric ultrasound scanning (USS). Limitations in the building’s weight capacity delayed the installation of a CT and MRI scanner until last year. But now, with around 60,000 visitors annually, the CDC is significantly reducing the hospital’s pandemic-related backlog, halving waiting times for DEXA and USS from six weeks to three, as well as significantly reducing no-shows.
The CDC, which received £2.8 million and £4.6 million from the national CDC programme across its two phases, has greatly improved patient experience. “Everyone knows where it is and it’s easy to navigate, making attending an appointment simpler and less stressful,” explains Bob.
He is especially proud of the CDC’s breast screening unit. “During the pandemic, it operated from a van in the car park – not ideal. We have increased uptake rates from 50% in April 2022 to almost 80% currently, above the national average.”
The hospital is now working to expand services into the Alhambra Shopping Centre, recently acquired by Barnsley Council with funding from the South Yorkshire Mayor Combined Authority (SYMCA).
“We’ve engaged with a range of people – public services, the voluntary sector, patients, families and colleagues – to learn what they want, leveraging shared knowledge and best practices from other NHS and public sector entities, as well as local businesses.” With 100,000 visits expected annually, the expansion will help ease waiting times further and reduce traffic congestion around Barnsley Hospital.
A high-quality modern eye care facility offering everything from eye screening to cataract surgery will be the focus of the first phase. “The current ophthalmology service is completely linear with everyone spaced out along one long corridor. Modern services have better flows. We’ve been working closely with our ophthalmology service to develop a more user-friendly model,” Bob explains.
A key focus is to create an inviting space that doesn’t feel medical. Barnsley Premier Leisure is planning a Feel Good Hub on the first floor, expected to attract 150,000 visitors annually. “We want to offer a mix of services – advice, information, events, shared clinics and more, involving public services, commercial and the voluntary sector. And given that we operate in an area of high deprivation, we’re dedicated to engaging with the most challenged communities and enhancing their awareness of health and wellbeing. We’ve not always got it right, but it’s been a success.”
Bob Kirton’s top tips
Think big – have ambition and vision. We’ve gained confidence from the success of the CDC in The Glass Works to support our plans for the Alhambra.
Reach out – there’s so much support available nationally and locally. We’re working with a healthcare planning partner learning from other facilities.
Listen to the public – engage with potential users to understand their wants and needs. This will usually include easy access to healthcare that they can fit around whatever else they are doing.
FOOTNOTES
1 [https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/community-diagnostic-centres/
© Dialogue Content Marketing Ltd 2025.
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.
