Evaluation
There has been a hospital on the site of Barts since 1123 and Gibbs's 18th century redevelopment was, in a way, a PFI of its time. The West Wing had been built in accordance with the latest thinking about hospital design and infection control. The creation of a new centre of excellence within the framework of the Gibbs building turned the wheel full circle. There was a price to pay, £13 million, a figure which included medical equipment and the costs associated with working in a Grade 1 listed building, but 90% of the target had been raised by the time the building contract was completed in May 2004.
Before the building work began one senior member of the nursing staff had envisioned 'a light, bright, welcoming space where women will receive the best medical care'. The Breast Care Centre, which opened in September 2004, is an elegant and highly successful conversion of an 18th century building to 21st century use. 'By careful consideration of the brief and full consultation with the hospital community, previously obsolescent accommodation has been transformed into a fully functional medical asset with a high level of staff satisfaction.' Already it has been found easier to recruit and retain staff.
Critical to the success of the Centre has been meticulous attention to the patient journey and the subsequent preparation of a clear plan, beginning with the tranquil Georgian square, which acts as a focal point for visitors and as a bridge between a therapeutic urban landscape and the ordered and carefully planned internal design of the centre itself.
Undoubtedly the cost was high but much of this was because of site-specific factors, including the cost of sophisticated medical equipment and listed building requirements. When the latter are discounted, 'the out-turn cost bears comparison with Departmental cost allowances for similar facilities.'
The visitor reaction has been very positive - 'the way it's laid out makes you think of a swish hotel' said one. 'It goes beyond being functional, it's beautiful. It's a different world from what we had before.'
