First new concept designs for Leeds hospitals unveiled

A central island garden takes its cues from the nearby fells, dales and erratics in Yorkshire and ward-level terraced gardens will provide a connection to the outside world for patients. The design concept draws on the Trust’s aspirations to deliver a welcoming hospital, suffused with light and fresh air with green landscapes, play areas and panoramic views that connect the building to nature and the surrounding city.

The development of a new adults’ hospital, along with a new home for Leeds Children’s Hospital, is set to be one of the most significant healthcare projects in the UK.

Andrew Smith, head of healthcare , said: “By applying our experience in designing the best healthcare facilities around the globe we are delivering a healthy and thoughtful hospital design for Leeds that looks to the future of best practice and innovation.

“Following a year where our NHS workers have, quite rightly, become the pride of the nation, we have evolved our clinically-led designs into also thinking about the hospital as an exceptional workplace. That means the design will contribute to a more efficient, familiar and pleasant environment for all staff, making it a great place to work. We are delighted to work with LTHT to bring this concept to life.”

Julian Hartley, Chief Executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The building of our two new hospitals is the most important development in Leeds city centre for a generation. 

“It’s wonderful to see that BDP has listened to the feedback we’ve given and has come up with these concept designs that are thoroughly patient focused, and which place patient and staff wellbeing at the heart of our new hospitals. These concept designs give extensive access to daylight and greenery, and not only do they maximise wellness, but they also bring something of the Dales into the city centre.

“These inspirational designs will see not only the creation of world class medical and research facilities, but also the creation of a landmark public building, of real architectural quality, of which Leeds can truly be proud.”

For the first time in Leeds, a brand new Leeds Children’s Hospital (LCH) will bring all clinical services for children and young people under one roof. The new hospital will enable LCH to expand and meet the demand for highly specialised services in areas including cancer treatment, neurology, liver, kidney and bone marrow transplantation and congenital heart surgery.  

A new maternity centre will incorporate a dedicated midwifery-led unit and co-locate all inpatient maternity services and neonatal services on one site. This will give expectant mothers more choice about how they give birth, helping to make sure they are able to stay with their new babies, even if they need extra care.

The new adults’ hospital will create a state of the art facility to enhance the outstanding clinical services currently provided, supporting patients with all aspects of their care, from those attending for an outpatient appointment or a day case surgical procedure, to those needing the most advanced specialist care and support to recover from critical illness or injury.

A 24-bed extension to the critical care unit will provide extra capacity for treating patients – and a new ambulatory imaging unit will help with diagnostics. The adult critical care service will provide care for a wide case-mix of patients and this increase in capacity will also support the Trust in meeting the delivery of more complex services across a range of clinical services. 

A new diagnostic imaging department is expected to be at the heart of the hospital with rapid uninterrupted flows from outpatients as well as maintaining a separate and lower volume of inpatients from cardiac and nuclear physics. It will support streamlined patient flows and make full use of digital technology to support virtual clinics and self-check-in.

The outstanding new facilities in both hospitals will benefit not just patients in Leeds, but also patients from across the Yorkshire and Humber regions, and in some cases even further afield.

The project is part of the government’s commitment to build 40 hospitals by 2030, backed by an initial £3.7 billion.