Consent For World’s First Self-Administered Dialysis Ward
We have achieved planning consent for the world's first self-administered dialysis ward. The Bancroft unit in Mile End Hospital in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets is being extended and reconfigured to accommodate this pioneering facility.
Its design includes three specialist wards for haemodialysis. Two will teach patients how to self-administer at home, one for adults and one for young adults, while the final ‘nocturnal’ ward is designed to be used as a ‘home from home’ for patients to receive overnight treatment. Further spaces include staff training areas, a plant room and equipment stores.
To ensure this novel facility was fit for purpose, we undertook a Virtual Reality (VR) live test with multiple staff members working together in VR headsets in the proposed space to ensure it is optimised for use when built.
Our director, Oliver Lowrie said: "VR testing is a crucial step in our design process, but it was more important than ever on this project, as this type of facility does not exist anywhere else in the world. It’s essential NHS staff know exactly what we are building so they are ready to use it as soon as it completes, eliminating the teething problems that can exist with new facilities.”
Construction has already commenced on the internal reconfiguration, and the new ward should be operational by May 2023.
