Together with other members of the EOA (Employee Ownership Association) ECA's Community Healthcare Team enjoyed a tour of CircleBath Hospital last week. As members of an architectural cooperative we were interested to see another cooperatively run company in action. Circle is co-founded, co-run and co-owned by clinicians. The consultants and healthcare professionals who work for the organisation own the facilities they work in and from what we were told and shown this seems to motivate and empower the staff to put patients first in everything that they do.
The project was designed by Foster and Partners and some of the ambitions of the building reminded us of our Maggie's Centre North East in Newcastle which is due to start on site later this year. Circle has a calm domestic feel with lots of natural light (even in the operating theatres), great views to open countryside and, in contrast to typical healthcare facilities, a palette of warm and textured materials. Institutional corridors and signage are avoided as much as possible, and many of the rooms are multi-use and can be allocated to staff as required. Interestingly, the hospitality side of things is run by a former hotel manager in tandem with a Michelin star chef. The food, rooms and views are so good that many patients literally don't want to leave.
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