St Catherine’s plans for bigger in-patient rooms

Building Ideas was hired by developer Thakeham to design a new site for St Catherine’s Hospice in a five acre 600 homes development east of the Pease Pottage M23 service station.

Architect Martin Robinson said the sitting room could be used for younger relatives and private conversations between clinical staff and relatives. It would share a wall with another patient’s which could be removed to create a larger temporary private space for families. The ground floor rooms were to be arranged in a block of four with views of a communal green which patients could use for gardening and have their beds moved to. West of the in-patient area will be a ‘wellness spa’ where people can receive a range of therapies including massages, clinical and occupational, for patients to live independently after a loss of mobility. In-patients have lacked privacy and needed to be carried in corridors to use the bathroom.

He said: “We’ve started from the patient’s point of view.

“The design work that we did was around the patient experience and the difference of what a patient might expect in a hospice and they might expect in hospital.

“If we are looking after someone in a holistic way we are always looking after their family.

“One of the things people most want is to be close to each other.

“It’s very different from what it is at the hospice.”

Mr Robinson said: “The rooms are big enough for twins or double beds. Family members can group around them.”

Emily Baddeley, marketing and communications manager for St Catherine’s added: “The whole idea was to make a home from home for people and the gardens will make a huge difference.

“The en suite bathroom is a huge thing for people, specially in terms of dignity in end of life, for people that aren’t able to get out of bed.”

Patients, their families, clinical staff and volunteers had been consulted on the designs.