Neonatal Unit stands the test of time in Architecture Today Awards
13 October 2022
"CONSTRUCTED FROM CLT, THIS AMBITIOUS AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MOVES THE HEALTHCARE AGENDA FORWARD."
The Dyson Centre Neonatal Unit at Bath RUH, now over 10 years old, is a finalist in the inaugural Architecture Today Awards 2022, launched to celebrate buildings that have stood the test of time.
The Dyson Centre presented the rare opportunity to quantify the impact of a new building by collecting data sets in the old facility and repeating the exercise upon completion of the new building. Data collected from families and staff in the old unit and in the new unit has delivered compelling evidence that the quality of the environment has a direct impact on clinical outcomes. Findings included:
Nursing staff spent up to 20% more time in clinical rooms in the new unit.Parents reported feeling less cramped with a greater sense of privacy and less interference from noise and light.In the old unit parental anxiety increased over time; in the new unit it reduces.Parents are more actively involved in their baby’s care in the new unit with greater physical contact.In the new unit 90% of babies go home breastfeeding, compared with 64% in the old unit.Babies spend 20% more time asleep in the new unit - and while they are resting they are recovering and growing.
Winners will be announced in February 2023.