Brain Injury Unit
The transformation of a neglected inpatient ward into a welcoming, therapeutic mental health unit for people with acquired brain injuries — improving patient experience, safety, and care outcomes.
| Duration | 22 days |
|---|---|
| Sector | Healthcare, Mental Health |
| Cost | £1.2M |
| Role | Project management, stakeholder coordination, interior design, signage, artwork |
the brief
Transform an unused, semi-derelict inpatient ward into a new mental health unit for people with acquired brain injuries — creating a safe, therapeutic environment with bespoke design and clear, patient-friendly signage.
what studio mode did
Working as part of the NHS estates team, we managed the project from inception to completion. We produced the initial concept plan and led a full design team through all stages. We handled on-site liaison and acted as the key interface between the contractor and the live, working hospital — including its many and varied stakeholders. We also designed the entire interior environment, all signage, and commissioned a bespoke programme of artwork.
The new unit was received with aplomb. Ten patients were relocated in a single day from their previous facility elsewhere in the county. While there had been concerns about how they would respond to the move, every one of them embraced their new surroundings. Metrics published after the unit had been in use for a while showed that patient aggression had reduced, length of stay was down, staff sickness had fallen, and both patient and family satisfaction had risen significantly.
anything else?
Yes — Studio Mode director Abi Dowell developed a series of easy-to-read, graphic-style door signs to support patients with cognitive difficulties in navigating their surroundings. These have since been adopted by the Trust as their standard approach to patient-facing signage.
“I just wanted to extend my sincere personal thanks to you and your team for all the dedication, skill and professionalism that you have brought to the project in order to make it such a resounding success.”
— NHS Trust COO
“The Board expressed its gratitude in the public meeting yesterday for the superb job done on the new Kite unit at the Western. Extremely high praise was noted by the Chair and the CEO for the delivery of this project, particularly the way that you worked very closely with the clinical service.
Well done and thank you.”
any tricky bits?
The existing building was a challenge. Interconnected with neighbouring wards, it came with its fair share of backlog maintenance issues. We worked closely with the Estates Maintenance Depot to develop a strategy that tackled these issues as part of the project — including front-loading critical elements such as a new fire panel serving the entire building.