This project was supported by Lexica prior to its acquisition by WSP.

With the highest level of critical maintenance backlog of any acute hospital in England (by m²), Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the most urgent within the NHP portfolio. Today, the Trust is embarking on an exciting journey to change this.

The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is developing a digitally advanced, state-of-the-art hospital on the existing Hillingdon Hospital site as part of the New Hospital Programme (NHP). Backed by £62.2 million in planning and development funding, the new facility will be fully compliant with Hospital 2.0 standards, delivering a digital-first, standardised design that supports high-quality, sustainable care for Hillingdon’s residents.

To support the development of the Outline Business Case (OBC), Lexica, member of WSP, led the Trust’s digital planning over a two-year period.

Location

  • London, United Kingdom

Client

  • Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Lexica played a pivotal role in the engagement work with clinical and operational stakeholders, both within the organisation and with local health and social care partners. The team’s experienced, knowledgeable and creative resource guided the digital agenda to build a robust financial case and embed our aspirations, including the Smart Buildings approach, into the business case.

Creating a holistic digital healthcare strategy

We worked with the Trust to define and cost a bold digital vision, one that supports their clinical ambitions and enables high-quality, sustainable care for the local population. This demanded strong digital leadership and comprehensive business analysis to ensure that the digital strategy was both ambitious and achievable, while remaining financially viable.

To support this, our experts established a robust digital governance structure, ensuring alignment with NHP requirements and enabling timely delivery of key milestones ahead of the OBC submission.

Collaboration was central to our approach. We worked closely with multiple stakeholders to optimise this, including clinical and non-clinical leads, patient groups, programme teams, architects and health planners, the Trust’s Chief Information Officer and finance stakeholders.

Together, we shaped an ambitious digital contribution to the hospital’s design, embedding innovation and future-readiness into every aspect of the strategy. This included defining a strong financial case for digital transformation, aligning digital plans with Hospital 2.0 standards and smart building principles. This also involved articulating future patient and staff experiences and integrating digital and estates planning for a seamless smart hospital environment.

Key achievements

Hospital 20 compliant

Hospital 2.0 compliant, digital-first design

The new facility meets national standards for smart hospitals, integrating digital systems, smart building principles and patient-centred design from the ground up.

Exemplar status within the New Hospital Programme

Exemplar status within the New Hospital Programme

Recognised as a benchmark for innovation and integration, the project has influenced digital planning across other NHS Trusts.

Icn-Frame-Handshake

A clear roadmap for sustainable, high-quality care

The strategy supports clinical ambitions and operational goals, ensuring the delivery of modern, connected services for Hillingdon’s residents.

Meet our Visioneers

We delivered a fully costed digital strategy embedded within the OBC, meeting all programme deadlines and supporting the NHP’s evaluation process. The impact didn’t stop there. 

Recognised as an exemplar within the NHP, the project reflects a bold vision for future-ready healthcare, anchored in innovation, integration and impact – with several elements of the work have since been adopted by other Trusts within the programme. We are providing ongoing support to the Trust in developing digital capabilities and aligning them with clinical and operational goals.

Unlock potential for healthcare

We collaborate with clients and partners to deliver future-focused, people-centric healthcare facilities and estates across the UK and globe.

Learn more

Related projects