Multi faith chapel plans in new hospital design (FOI)

Request 694444991

​A

With the new hospital build, what design considerations are being given to the multi faith area (which would also serve as a hospital chapel) by the architects? Please can I have sight of any documents relating to this.

​B

Have they taken into account comprehensive studies such as that done by Durham University (attached)? 

C

Are key stakeholders actively involved in the process rather than just being told what is happening?

Response

A

The development of requirements for this space has followed a standardised design process. Explanations of the design process and spatial requirements have been provided to stakeholders during consultation, as well as the objective to improve healthcare outcomes and the welfare of patients, staff and visitors.

Multi-faith facilities for reflection and prayer

Facilities will be provided for patients, visitors and staff to receive spiritual support whilst at each new health facility. Provision will be made for:

• Multi-faith space for reflection
  
• Washing prior to prayer
• Storage
• Multi-faith administrative space and counselling

These functional requirements have remained constant throughout all of the previous new hospital projects (Our Hospital and Future Hospital), and have not included the provision of a designated hospital chapel.

All design has to be carried out within project controls (e.g. cost, quality, et cetera). Functional requirements are translated into departmental adjacencies which focus on the right location for each hospital function. Once agreed by key stakeholders, the architects planned out each department into the relevant rooms. Plans were then workshopped with all key stakeholders before advancing to the room and equipment layout.

Hospital buildings are amongst the most complex to brief, design, build and operate, and multi-faith facilities often form part of these. The Government of Jersey has assembled a team of hospital construction professionals with part of the overall output being the design of the multi-faith area in the context of the Acute Hospital. There is no single source of information which can be directed to, nor document readily available, that could fully explain all of the considerations for the multi-faith area. Therefore, Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies. 

B

This process was undertaken by expert technical advisors and healthcare architects, working closely with the New Healthcare Facilities Programme (NHFP) team and key stakeholders to ensure that the design is safe, and compliant with all guidance and regulations. The Durham University study has been forwarded to and reviewed by the NHFP team, alongside many other studies and years of national and international leading practice.

C

There has been considerable stakeholder consultation over the past year on the design.  The draft design has been shared and amended on multiple occasions, following feedback from the Chaplaincy team and a number of different Faith groups, both separately and following joint group discussions.

Article applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.​