The shortlist for the 2021 Wolfson Economics Prize has been released, at which the challenge was planning and designing the hospital of the future.
The 2021 question asked entrants: ‘How would you design and plan new hospitals to radically improve patient experiences, clinical outcomes, staff wellbeing, and integration with wider health and social care?’
The five shortlisted finalists have each identified problems with the current system of hospital planning and design and put forward suggested solutions. These include: transforming the hospital into a centre that is focused on patient healing and the wellbeing of staff in a sustainable environment; creating a nurturing environment in which design is part of a caring, human-centric system; a welcoming, modern hub surrounded by satellite centres of excellence within a campus, town or city; a new approach to the Emergency Department that fosters an orderly, calm and efficient environment; and a concept to re-position hospitals as the centre of their host town and civic life – both physically and metaphorically – with enhanced integration and closer working between health and social care.
Lord Kakkar, Chair of the Judging Panel, commended the “impressive” level of entries to this year’s prize, saying they “represent examples of brilliant thinking, the world over, about how better to serve patients and support staff in hospitals.” He adds: “With a renewed focus on hospital building in the UK, these finalists have a really exciting opportunity to shape how NHS hospitals look, feel and function.”
The five finalists now have until the end of October to expand and refine their submissions before an overall winner is announced in November.
More details of each of the finalists and three highly commended entries may be downloaded here.
