Peter Hodgkinson Centre, Lincoln

Nominee Information

Lincoln Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s (LPFT) commitment to eradicating outdated shared dormitories from its sites, drove the development of two new acute inpatient wards at the existing Peter Hodgkinson Centre (PHC), Lincoln County Hospital.

The Ellis and Castle Wards – named after Lincoln landmarks, will be complete this spring in readiness for accommodation in June.

Deliberately identical, to promote familiarity, ease of management/maintenance, and equity of patient spaces, each ward provides 19 ground floor ensuite bedrooms, supported by dining and social spaces, therapy suites, staff welfare, meeting and admin facilities.

The design has been shaped in consultation with patients, carers and clinicians in a ‘Building Together’ approach, throughout lockdowns and the pandemic, embracing new ways of collaborating.

Elevations are simple and uncomplicated, conveying calmness and low stimulus to service users. The building form and materials intentionally contrast PHC’s existing architecture, to signify a modern, progressive mental health service.

Specific design choices that support a therapeutic environment, include:

• A quiet room/sensory area for patients requiring tranquillity
• Family rooms located away from wards
• Maximum natural daylighting
• Materials to limit noise transfer which can be distracting to patients’ recovery
• Underfloor heating and air conditioning for comfort
• Flexible workstations for staff access to online patient records

Access to outdoor space is key in mental wellbeing and healing. The building arrangement has created three safe, secure courtyard gardens (making ‘institutional’ fencing unnecessary), physically and visually accessible from inside the wards. Sheltered areas and robust seating support group sessions, family visits, dining and individual contemplation. Planting will provide year-round interest using colour, fragrance and texture.

Ellis and Castle connect to the original building and share an entrance. New landscaping to this zone helps destigmatise and reinvent PHC; drop-off facilities and parking have also been improved.

The all ground level accommodation supports operational control/restraint, mobility and sensory impairment issues. Interstitial blinds shield vulnerable windows to preserve privacy.

Flexible Extra Care areas can be used independently or as part of the main patient area.

Consultees agreed on a warm, neutral, nature-inspired palette for internal décor. A review of product materials, durability and practicality, influenced furniture selection from a specialist mental health supplier.

Throughout construction, regularly engaging with existing hospital stakeholders has ensured minimal disruption and good relations – particularly important for the adjacent Renal Ward. Intricate planning of new services connections ensured only essential shutdowns happened and were completed out-of-hours, during times of least demand.

A ‘fabric first’ design optimises thermal performance, and the reduced demand for heating and cooling is met with energy efficient systems. High efficiency LED lighting throughout and roof-mounted photovoltaic cells linked to battery storage will also minimise energy requirements.

Promoting social and economic sustainability, LPFT and IHP have supported wellbeing-focused community and education activities, like:

• Lincolnshire Schools Construction Week
• Apprenticeships and placements
• Commissioning bespoke artwork by Lincoln School of Creative Arts students
• Donating fencing/pallets/concrete to local charity Green Synergy for repurposing/reuse in their therapeutic community gardening projects
• Mental health awareness talks
• Donating cash and groceries to Lincoln foodbank, and gifts to the Christmas Sacks project.

< Back to shortlists