The Building Better Healthcare awards, recently held in London, recognise innovation within the UK wide healthcare sector. The Clinician’s Award is presented to the entry, across all categories, that has the biggest impact on patient experience and outcomes.

The Goathill Development Project consists of the 52-bedroom Taigh Shiphoirt Care Home, 50-unit Bremner Court housing with extra care development and 74 affordable homes.

The development has been 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 were built by the construction and civil engineering business McLaughlin & Harvey and the affordable homes were built 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 (Seaforth House) was designed with four wings for small group living, arranged around safe courtyard spaces. This maximised natural daylight and has provided human scale and a welcoming, 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.

At the awards, Peter Carter OBE and Dr Patricia Wilkie sit on the panel as clinical and patient experts and pick those projects they believe have the biggest positive impact on patients and healthcare workers. From major hospital developments and interior design projects to innovative software solutions and individual pieces of furniture, they reward the entries that best support the delivery of high-quality, modern medical services. In this year’s judging, they described their winning entries as ‘imaginative, inclusive, sympathetic, practical’, and engaging’.

Speaking following the announcement, Emma Macsween, head of partnership services, 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, commented: “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.”