Mace's New Hospital Programme Design Director joins Future Cities Forum at Barts

Above: the new James Paget Hospital in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, which is in the first wave of the government's New Hospital Programme (courtesy James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)

Future Cities Forum is delighted that Mike Shaw, Design Director at Mace and working as a technical lead on NHS England's New Hospital Programme, will be contributing to our 'Future hospital' discussion event at the North Wing, St Bartholomew's Hospital.

Mace leverages over three decades of leadership in architecture and design, with a focus on integrating innovative technologies to transform construction practices. The organization benefits from contributions to its diverse portfolio, including major infrastructure, education, urban regeneration, office, and residential projects. 

Mace says:

'Mike's team drives advancements in Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Design for Manufacture and Assembly, improving productivity and user experiences. The commitment to disrupting traditional construction methods is paired with a passion for enhancing design efficiency and collaboration.'

Mike told Future Cities Forum:

'We are working on an enormous programme of fifteen hospitals to be completed in just five years and that is just four per cent of the NHS footprint. We have a standardisation programme that enables us to do this and does not reduce quality. There has been a lot of research from clinicians to get the design right and we are also very concerned with environmental issues. Mace has worked to set carbon standards for hospitals around the world. We are mindful of the importance of including nature in our design programme and creating links to community.'

Mace states:

'Back in March of this year, NHS England appointed a joint venture of global delivery consultants and construction experts, Mace, and global professional services company, Turner & Townsend, as the Programme Delivery Partner (PDP) for the New Hospital Programme (NHP). This once-in-a-generation scheme will deliver much needed new hospitals and transform healthcare facilities to benefit patients and clinicians nationwide.

'The NHP was first established in October 2020 to build a series of new hospitals across the UK, alongside replacing or refurbishing existing facilities and improving access to modern healthcare nationwide. Following a strategic review in September 2024, the Secretary of State for Health announced a rebalancing of the portfolio of hospital schemes, with secured funding in five-year waves of investment. The programme will prioritise rebuilding healthcare facilities built using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), with the first seven projects being delivered by 2030. Further hospitals will be delivered in waves over the next fifteen years and beyond.

'Mace and Turner & Townsend will lead the delivery consortium, working together with an extensive national supply chain. Together, they will act as delivery partners for the NHP, guiding the programme, safeguarding the schedule and budgets, and creating a legacy with the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care for outstanding healthcare facility delivery long into the future.

'The NHP will champion a programmatic approach to deliver hospitals at greater speed, value for money and safety. This will complement an industrialised construction methodology and utilising standardised designs and off-site manufacturing to unlock opportunities for small and medium suppliers across the country, while driving faster delivery of future-facing facilities that take advantage of modern clinical technologies.'