Jurong Health Campus

The campus is based around two hospitals, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) and Jurong Community Hospital (JCH), designed together to achieve a seamless patient experience. The 700-bed NTFGH provides accident and emergency (A&E) capability, intensive care, high dependency care and general hospital services, while the neighbouring 400-bed JCH readies patients to return home by providing a range of community and therapeutic services.

From the outset, the hospitals were central to a vision to transform healthcare in the region. By collaborating with a range of partners from general practitioners through to community and social care, health and wellness are brought closer to the community with an adaptable, resilient and digitally enhanced design.

Patients are transferred between the two hospitals according to their needs, so it was important that the design and engineering strategy supported the movement of patients in a safe and secure way. The concept of ‘patient-centric’ services has been applied thoughtfully throughout the campus. An intelligent and innovative approach to the design and engineering of the buildings was essential to allow resources to be deployed with maximum efficiency between the hospitals and across clinical departments.

NTFGH houses Singapore’s first facility to combine the functions of an intensive care unit (ICU) with those of a high dependency unit (HDU); this enables one team, in one location, to deliver critical care. Twinning ICU and HDU means that a patient whose critical condition has stabilised need not be transferred to another ward, making the provision of care seamless.

A&E is designed flexibly so that services can be scaled up to meet an influx of admissions; and the demands of events such as pandemics, mass-casualties or decontamination have been considered as part of the design process. Critical care services are planned vertically and horizontally to facilitate swift care. Built-in flexibility makes it possible to adapt A&E from everyday needs to exceptional circumstances. Planning for an ageing population, A&E is also designed with elderly-friendly features such as natural lighting and ambient temperatures.

JCH, promotes post-acute and rehabilitative care with the design of a life-sized LIFEHub and Mobility Park. LIFEHub educates the elderly and physically challenged to regain their independence with the guidance of the hospitals’ therapists. It also features a three-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat mock-up and acts as an information and education area for patients and caregivers. By showcasing a variety of products and practical solutions, LIFEHub is helping patients to live more safely and independently in their home environment. The Mobility Park simulates a public transport setting where patients can, within a safe environment, re-adjust to everyday scenarios before returning to their daily lives.

Designed to be patient-centric and operationally streamlined, NTFGH’s technological transformation included the implementation of 976 medical devices interfaced directly into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. With 97% utilisation of electronic orders, 98% adoption rate of barcoding and comprehensive analytics across clinical and operational data, the campus is highly energy-efficient. As a result, the development has been awarded a ‘Platinum’ Green Mark Award from the Singapore Government’s Building and Construction Authority.