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Video: Cancer Care Unit – ORMS

This programme is a building study of 'The Skypad' – the new Teenage Cancer Care Unit at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The Skypad is an attempt to normalise the experience of cancer treatment for teenage patients, and to 'de-institutionalise' this area of healthcare. Funded by public and private donations rather than by government, the appointment and delivery process was more flexible than for most NHS facilities. Consultations on design suitability included the design team, nurses, clinicians, oncologists, patients and their families, while the project architects ORMS were selected precisely because they had no previous experience of healthcare design.

This programme takes a look at the Unit's location, layout and facilities, considering the influence of environment and design upon patient well-being and recovery. It also explains the collaborative design approach that has created a healthcare facility which feels more like a hotel than a hospital.