COMHAIRLE nan Eilean Siar’s Goathill development project has been presented with the Clinician’s Choice Award at the Building Better Healthcare awards.
Held in London, the Building Better Healthcare awards recognise innovation within the UK-wide healthcare sector.
Peter Carter OBE and Dr Patricia Wilkie are on the panel as clinical and patient experts, choosing projects they believe have had the biggest positive impact on patients and healthcare workers.
The Goathill development project consists of the 52-bed Taigh Shiphoirt Care Home, 50-unit Bremner Court housing with extra care development, and 74 affordable homes.
Delivered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in partnership with the Western Isles Integration Joint Board and Hebridean Housing Partnership, the care home and housing with extra care facility was built by McLaughlin & Harvey, whilst the affordable homes were constructed by local firm O’Mac Construction.
The project team worked closely with the Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling to achieve a dementia-friendly environment. Taigh Shiphoirt was designed with four wings for small group living, arranged around safe courtyard spaces.
The design maximised natural daylight and has provided human scale and a welcoming and familiar environment for residents. Taigh Shìphoirt also accommodates a daycare facility occupied by Solas (Alzheimer Scotland), a corporate training suite, and a new location for the Faire community alarm service.
Emma Macsween, head of partnership services at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said, “It is fantastic to see the development recognised in this way. The design choices made throughout this project prioritised achieving a high quality of care for all our residents. Receiving this award is recognition of our achievements against this aim and the success of the partnership project as a whole.”
Gordon Macleod, Chair of HHP, added, “We are delighted that our development at Goathill has been recognised by this prestigious award. Our partnership with CNES is transforming housing and care provision for some of the most vulnerable in our community and provides high quality accommodation for the next generation and beyond. This award is a testament to the vision and ambition shown by all the partners in making this development a reality.”
Jonathan Potter, director of project architect Robert Potter and Partnership, added, “I am very pleased that the CnES vision of developing an excellent care environment has been recognised in the awards. The design reflects research into how the provision of personal space helps people with dementia, and the benefits of ample natural daylight. The care team have commented that Taigh Shìphoirt has “an aura of calm” which is what we aimed to achieve in the design.”
