Salisbury District Hospital Health, Education and Training Proposal – Economic Case

The Salisbury HEAT project is a proposal for a mixed-use development of the Salisbury District Hospital site to include health, education and technology (HEAT) activities alongside the development of the core hospital buildings. The purpose of this redevelopment proposal is to build a critical mass of complementary functions around the hospital to strengthen its long-term future.

HJA was appointed by the partnership between Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (SFT) and Salutem Developments to set out evidence of the need and demand for the proposed uses at the Salisbury District Hospital site.

The evidence presented considered current activity, policy drivers, demand drivers and need and opportunity of healthcare education, training and R&D and innovation and employment workspace.

A review of policy drivers in healthcare, education and training showed the national policy position for the healthcare sector to be focused on a significant increase in training and recruitment of new staff, as well as significant improvements in training and retention of existing staff, while more locally, the health and social work sector was forecast to be one of the sectors with the greatest requirement for new labour supply in the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP area. For R&D workspace, the UK Industrial Strategy and the Emerging Swindon and Wiltshire Local Industrial Strategy was identified as a policy area which is in line with the ambitions of the proposed development in its support for life sciences (including medtech, pharmaceuticals and biotech) and health care sectors.

HJA identified a range of demand drivers influencing the need for significant growth in training and education provision in the health and social care sectors, particularly though further and higher education. These included significant forecast growth in health and social care employment, the continued turnover in the health and social care workforce; changing delivery models of care, in particular in response to ageing populations and digital technology; and changing delivery models in health and care education and training. Significant employment in the life sciences sector, success of the nearby Porton Science Park and enquiries put forward to Wiltshire Council were identified as clear demand drivers of new R&D workspace.

HJA also identified a number of universities partnered with SFT, which presented opportunities to for Salisbury Hospital campus to expand its role in delivering and supporting higher level skills training and development. A number of case study precedents were also identified as proof of concept that co-location and collaboration has successfully elsewhere in the UK, and presents an opportunity for a further step-change in the growth of south Wiltshire’s life sciences cluster.

Based on these findings HJA successfully demonstrated the benefits of the proposed use at Salisbury District Hospital.