Acute Frailty Unit

Health Spaces worked closely with clinicians, estates teams and senior stakeholders to understand the clinical strategy, patient experience, operational requirements and estate implications of the proposed development. This included stakeholder interviews, clinical workshops, leadership reviews, concept design workshops and concept design leadership reviews.

The work also considered how the new facility would need to relate to the existing Emergency Department. The FIT needed to be close enough to ED to allow frail and elderly patients to be transferred quickly into assessment bays, reducing pressure on emergency teams and supporting faster decision-making.

The site itself created important constraints. The proposed development was located on a busy live hospital site and would require changes to internal access, car parking and ambulance drop-off arrangements. It also needed to connect with the original hospital building, where the existing estate, servicing and fire strategy would influence how future development could be planned. Understanding these clinical, operational and estate pressures helped define the purpose of the scheme: to create a dedicated frailty environment that could improve patient flow, support earlier intervention and provide a better setting for some of the hospital’s most vulnerable patients.

Following feasibility work, demand and capacity modelling, and analysis of the wider estate strategy, Health Spaces developed a concept design for a new co-located AFU and FIT facility. The Frailty Intervention Team was proposed for the ground floor, linked to the existing Emergency Department. This would allow patients to be transferred quickly from ED to dedicated assessment bays, where specialist frailty teams could work together to assess needs, provide therapy input and coordinate care-at-home packages.

The FIT department was designed with both trolley and chair bays for swift assessment and treatment. The bay area was arranged in a racetrack layout to support clear circulation and good staff visibility. Half-depth partitions were included to balance observation with privacy and dignity, while perimeter windows brought natural light into the clinical areas.

The Acute Frailty Unit was proposed for the first floor, providing a contemporary care environment for patients requiring admission. Modern space standards were prioritised in patient areas, with an increased proportion of single inpatient bedrooms compared with the existing unit.

The design considered the needs of predominantly elderly patients, including those with mobility issues or dementia. Accessibility, nursing visibility, dementia-friendly design, safe circulation and clear communication spaces were central to the concept, supporting movement for patients using walking aids, wheelchairs, beds or trolleys. Because of the urgent need and the location of the proposed facility, off-site modular construction was identified as the most appropriate route for future delivery.