Northumbria Health and Care Academy

Northumbria Health and Care Academy

In response to the priority areas defined by the NHS to ‘train, retain and reform’ the workforce, the Northumbria Health and Care Academy located in the grounds of the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Hospital (NSECH), provides a centre of training excellence for nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, radiographers, podiatrists and occupational therapists. The 8,000 square metre building also features conference facilities, office space and meeting rooms and innovative training spaces.

The ground floor of the Academy is home to the newly relocated Brockwell Surgery, enhancing access to primary care services for local residents while providing an improved working environment for healthcare professionals. By integrating this GP practice into the facility, the Academy not only meets the community’s need for better healthcare but also creates a modern space that supports the development of the health workforce, benefitting both the community and the next generation of healthcare professionals.

The Academy’s strategic location, innovative design, and multi-purpose use make it a pioneering model in healthcare education and service delivery, positioning it as a vital asset to the NHS’s long-term workforce development goals.

End User

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Client

Assura plc
Contractor

Meldrum Group
Value

£32 million

Working in partnership with Sunderland University, Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust has described the scheme as “a trailblazing partnership launched to deliver the NHS workforce of the future”. The partnership means the Academy is the first facility of its kind in the North, and believed to be just the second in the country. Stakeholders from the nursing school and the Trust have worked with the developer and the design team for over two years to design the bespoke spaces for education and training.

The new Academy offers incredible teaching facilities including a Simulation ward, consultation room, community bedsit, immersive suite and state-of-the-art classrooms with video conferencing. Benefitting from clinically based staff, the facility provides a fantastic opportunity for students to have real life examples to learn from, there is also involvement from patient carers and training where students can come in and take part in workshops.

Rooms and conferencing

Spaces have been designed to allow flexibility in the courses which can be provided by the Academy. There are 4 large classrooms which seat 20 people cabaret-style or up to 50 lecture-style. All four classrooms have movable partition walls for flexible classroom sizes, accommodating up to 200 for conferences or large events. There are 4 smaller classrooms which accommodate 10 to 15 students. All classrooms have a full video conferencing set-up, interactive c-touch teaching screens with digital whiteboards and links to SMOTS observation cameras in simulated clinical practice areas of the academy.

There is a large breakout area with pods for single-person use and multiple seating areas. In addition there is a fully resourced and staffed library with 12 adaptable sit/stand workstations which will offer skills sessions on referencing, essay-writing and study skills for all programmes associated with the academy. The new building also provides flexible meeting, conference and boardroom space for use by the Trust.

Food options are available within the building for staff and students, with a focus on locally sourced healthy food at the café and self service ‘mini-mart’

Primary Care Provision

The Academy provides not only a teaching and education hub but also creates a new home for local GP practice, Brockwell Surgery which has recently become part of Northumbria Primary Care, rebranding as NPC Northumbria Way. An extensive process of stakeholder engagement was carried out to design the new sate-of-the art primary care provision, which includes a range of consulting room sizes, recognising that not every patient interaction requires a full size consulting exam room with a couch.

BREEAM and WELL Accreditation

The Academy is designed with a commitment to sustainable development, targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, reflecting its dedication to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. International Well Building Institute (IWBI) WELL Gold accreditation is also targeted, with information currently being processed by IWBI for certification; it is hoped that this will be the first Gold accredited healthcare building in the UK.

Elements promoting well-being have been incorporated within the design, such as large windows that provide views of the surrounding landscape and a nature walking trail, along with a calming, honeycomb-inspired interior palette that fosters a sense of calm. Artist-led workshops with local schools and patient groups also contributed artwork inspired by nature, local scenery, and landmarks, which is displayed both inside and outside the building.

‘For students who are going to come through the academy, they are literally a stone’s throw from our emergency care hospital. They’re going to get opportunities that nobody else in the country has ever got, in terms of the training that, the personalisation of that training and the support from the trust. It’s really exciting and I just think what pioneers we’ve got coming through here and how lucky they are and how lucky we are to be part of that journey with them. I’m lucky enough to be working within a great team for a fantastic trust for something that’s never been done before."

Jess Harrison, Programme Lead for the Trainee Nursing Associate Programme

Take a look at the video tour of the new building below, which provides more information about the partnership with Sunderland University. The Trust has also shared a series of videos on their YouTube channel prior to welcoming its first cohort of Trainee Nursing Associates (TNAs) in June 2024. These videos provide valuable insights from the staff who will be working in the new facility and are available for viewing here.