Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research Opens

ADP’s recently completed multidisciplinary centre in Bradford promotes clinical and academic collaboration.

The ADP-designed Wolfson Centre for Applied Healthcare Research was recently opened on the Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust site.

The new centre is co-opted by both the University of Bradford and the University of Leeds, who will work with clinical researchers from the Bradford Royal Infirmary. £1m was donated to the project from the Wolfson Foundation charity, which awards grants to support and promote excellence in education, science and medicine, the arts and humanities, and health and disability.

Strong multidisciplinary clinical and academic collaboration will be developed in one applied health research building, with the ultimate aim of tackling key questions of health and social care. The focus will be three key areas of healthcare research: children’s health, life expectancy, and the standard of care received across the UK.

Echoing modern thinking around research, the building delivers communal “breakout” spaces for developing ideas, connected welfare areas, “outward looking” facilities and collaborative work spaces.

The Wolfson Centre accommodates the Centre for Ageing, one of the UK’s most successful research groups in applied health research for older people, and the National Institute for Health Research’s National Patient Safety Centre. The building promotes an interdisciplinary approach to research activity, enabling the partner organisations to become nationally and internationally competitive in terms of grant acquisition and research impact.

The combined expertise of health researchers and clinicians means research findings can be quickly put into practice, resulting in better health and social care for patients. The centre provides specialist knowledge in research design, implementation sciences, psychology, social sciences, informatics and statistics, as well as skills in communicating with clinicians, scientists, policy makers, healthcare providers, the public and patients.

Len Wilson, deputy director for estate services, commented: “This was an exemplar scheme both in design and construction. The successful relationship between the three partner organisations has enabled the building to be delivered on time and budget.”