Stephen George + Partners (SGP) designs inclusive new amenities at York Hospital

SGP was appointed to assist in the design and the delivery of two special projects at York Hospital. The Maternity Bereavement Suite scheme and the Ablution Room project are part of the hospital’s focus on inclusivity and enhancing the facilities available to both patients and staff.

The Maternity Bereavement Suite, funded by York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity with generous donations form York Sands, responds to the needs of the family by giving them their own space to grieve for their child in an area designed specifically to support this. SGP put together a specialist team, including interior designers, which worked closely with the hospital throughout the scheme. SGP created a set of contemporary rooms which offer multi-purpose medical functions that are less clinical in their appearance than those rooms traditionally found in a hospital environment. Every detail was carefully considered, from the design of bespoke furniture down to the tone of the bedding.

Says Steve Batson, Studio Director at SGP: “These were important projects for us, and we were delighted to be able to use our skills and technical abilities to help deliver rooms that the hospital and patients needed, in a landlocked area where the surrounding facilities remained in daily use. We used digital formats to help the stakeholders to engage with the spaces and see how they would work, emotionally and practically.”

Sarah Ayre, Associate Director of Midwifery said: “On behalf of the midwifery team at York Hospital, we would like to thank the project team for all their hard work and dedication on this project over the years. Having recently shown a bereaved family around the suite, we are aware of the impact it is having already and cannot articulate passionately enough the comfort the suite will bring to families during such heart breaking times”.

SGP also created an Ablution Room, funded by NHS Charities Together, which offers specialist fixtures and fittings to provide a new ritual washing facility for Muslims.

Jonathan Hazelgrave, Associate at SGP explains: “Wudu is the Islamic procedure for cleansing parts of the body before prayer and is a central part of their faith. Our team fully understood the importance of the room and, through stakeholder engagement and careful design, we were able to create a space that balanced the hospital’s needs with the specific religious requirements.”

Concludes Steve: “SGP’s ethos is We Care, We Challenge, We Deliver and in these special spaces, we’ve seen the very best real-world outcome of our promises. This project has been very close to our hearts, not only in terms of producing the design but in also helping York Hospital raise money for the Bereavement Suite, with efforts such as completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. We hope that by using our professional skills and personal empathy, we have created a space where people facing the most terrible loss can grieve privately and hopefully begin their own healing process.”