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Dorset Health Village

Facts

Location Client Cost Completion
Poole Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group £1.5M 2021

Project details

Dorset Health Village exemplifies an innovative approach to healthcare, aimed at enhancing the resilience of the health system and addressing the challenges posed by the post-Covid era, particularly the backlog in elective care. This model serves as an example of diversifying healthcare investment by repurposing retail facilities for health services, thereby improving accessibility and revitalising town centres.

As part of a network of 40 diagnostic centres, Dorset Health Village is a pioneering diagnostic facility. In recent years the waiting lists for elective services have surged significantly, resulting in an unprecedented number of untreated individuals, particularly in critical areas like cancer care. Recognising the urgent need to enhance community capacity and allow hospitals to focus more on emergency services, government ministers have provided funding for these diagnostic centres. The University Hospital Dorset Trust took the lead by engaging BDP to design an outpatient clinic within a vacant department store located in the Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole, Dorset.

Taking advantage of the open-plan space, the design accommodates three distinct clinical streams: breast screening, ophthalmology, and general services. The general services encompass a range of medical specialities, including dermatology and orthopaedics, with the potential for expansion in the future. To ensure smooth patient flow, separate entrances and exits were implemented, mirroring the successful model employed by Covid vaccination centres.

Integrated services

acoustics, architecture, building services, interior design, project management, structure design, town planning