T
he NHS is in a mess, the siloed
machinery of the state is outdated
and broken. Hospital sites across
England are cluttered with buildings which
have depended on NHS five year cycles for
years, enabling the well meaning architect to
earn a crust, but too often leave behind a
depressing, fragmented built environment.
Frankly, I feel ill whenever I walk on to
hospital sites in the areas we are working in.
But now there’s a golden opportunity for a
new approach. My colleagues and I at the
Bromley by Bow Centre in the East End of
London have been at the cutting edge of the
integration and ‘place making’ agenda
for 35 years. We are generating a national
and international movement, and infecting
NHS culture – encouraging new thinking
linking health, cultural transformation
and entrepreneurship.
Last year we welcomed leaders from
23 countries to see our buildings and
their operating culture. Four years ago, the
CEO of Public Health England asked me to
take our experience into 10 towns and
cities in the north of England, through the
Well North programme. This has now
evolved into a new social business which is
called Well North Enterprises.
In the health projects we have built, thearchitect has always been an integral partner.
We have encouraged them to challenge
traditional NHS briefs, engage with local
people and explore with us the fundamental
questions about how, why and by whom
buildings will be used.
As social entrepreneurs we are also
bringing the private sector on board, working
with leading practices like YEME Architects
in Bradford, led by Amir Hussain, and
Ibstock plc, who are rethinking their role in a
changing industry. These firms are at the
cutting edge of the placemaking agenda. We
are encouraging a programme of Corporate
Social Opportunity (CSO), seeking ‘win win’The Government’s announcement that £13bn will be spent on healthcare projects,
including six new hospitals, is an opportunity for a radical rethink about health
and the built environment, says ‘social entrepreneur’ Lord Andrew Mawson
VIEW POINT
BROMLEY BY BOW
Renowned in healthcare design circles, the Bromley By Bow Centre in east London is regarded as an exemplar of an integrated health and social enterprise
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