Endoscopy and paediatric audiology building submitted for planning
Our proposals to expand community diagnostic services at Newmarket Community Hospital have been submitted for planning approval, with the focus on providing a welcoming environment for all ages.
The proposed new building for West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which sits alongside Newmarket’s recently completed Community Diagnostic Centre, will accommodate endoscopy and paediatric audiology services, bringing an expanded offer to the local community. The planning submission was coordinated by Lawson Planning Partnership.
A calm environment which prioritises privacy
In developing the design, we worked closely with the Trust to implement a clinical model that supports patient privacy and dignity, utilising individual patient pods for preparation and recovery. This also provides the flexibility to accommodate varying numbers of admission, recovery, and genders.
Internally, spaces are organised in an efficient loop with circulation and waiting located around the perimeter, providing visitors and staff with excellent orientation, views and daylight as they move around the building. Designed to create a calm environment for those anxious about their procedure, each key step on the patient journey is easy to navigate, from the main entrance, to the reception, to waiting, and to each clinical space.
The main waiting area is located to take advantage of views to a secluded wild garden and retained mature trees which the building wraps around. A dedicated children’s waiting area is designed to accommodate differing age groups with pockets of space appropriate to each. The interior is designed to be calm and provide points of interest, with a variety of colours, natural materials and artwork throughout. The children’s areas are playfully designed to create delight and distraction.
In the current context of growing investment in community and neighbourhood healthcare, we’ve worked hard with the Trust and the design team to create a flexible community asset that offers long-term value.
Concept sketch for the ground floor endoscopy unit
Retained mature trees to the rear which the building wraps around.
A complementary addition to the hospital site
Externally, materials have been selected to complement neighbouring buildings with details inspired by historic buildings in Newmarket. The public facing side of the two-storey building is designed to be prominent and inviting, providing a subtlety playful rhythm of vertical elements. A generous canopy guides visitors to the entrance, with colourful features that continue into the interior.
Designed to enable modern methods of construction and future adaptation, the building is coordinated to a consistent grid with windows located on a regular pattern, allowing straightforward replanning of internal spaces.
The expansion of diagnostic services at the Newmarket Community Hospital will provide our communities living in, and around Newmarket, with quicker access to the services they need.
This is an exciting opportunity to develop the existing estate for patients at the Newmarket site. The expansion of services will mean closer alignment to regional and national strategy and enable us to deliver more diagnostic activity. The Medical Architecture team have ensured we had the right stakeholders involved to help keep the project developing at pace and ensured each design process was focused on the best interests of our patients, visitors and staff.