London Metropolitan University and Newham University Hospital (Barts Health Trust) KTP 24_25 R4

Newham University Hospital is redesigning itself from the inside out, treating the hospital building and grounds as a tool for health rather than just a place to treat illness. This matters because hospital environments are rarely designed with staff wellbeing or preventative care in mind. Corridors, waiting areas, and staff spaces are often afterthoughts, contributing to burnout and inefficiency. The project combines urban design, co-design with hospital staff and patients, and change management principles to embed "healthy placemaking" directly into the hospital's physical and operational fabric. If successful, the approach could improve staff experience—reducing stress and turnover—while supporting preventative healthcare by making healthy choices easier within the hospital setting. It also aims to optimise financial efficiency, potentially saving money by reducing staff sickness and improving patient flow. The work is applied, not fundamental science: it tests a practical toolkit for embedding health into hospital infrastructure. If it works at Newham, the same principles could be adapted for other NHS hospitals, quietly reshaping how healthcare environments support the people who use them every day.