John Wells Thorpe’s scientific contributions

John Wells-Thorpe, South Downs Health NHS Trust Trust Initiative When self-governing NHS Trusts were set up a decade ago they were given a surprising amount of autonomy. Hitherto, capital projects had been subject to supervision by Regional architects and others further up the line, with local input being confined to detail. All of a sudden the whole process of design procurement became freer and, being one of the first formed, South Downs Health NHS Trust decided to review completely how it handled its ongoing construction programme. Through deft financial stewardship and the sale of surplus property the Trust was able to fund new projects independently with only supplementary help from other quarters. In these circumstances it was relatively easy for its first chairman, John Wells-Thorpe to devise a new design approach that was more responsive to perceived clinical need and patient welfare, not least of all because he was himself an architect. A number of limited competitions were launched with the help of the RIBA Competitions Office covering, in the first instance, a new clinic in Brighton and thereafter a hospital for the elderly physically and mentally frail at Newhaven. In inviting architectural competitors emphasis was placed on at least fifty per cent participation by younger practices who would not have fallen into the category of established hospital architects. The benefit of this approach was immediate. At briefing stage a fully inclusive dialogue engaged local users at each level and their input was maintained throughout each project to ensure a sense of ownership with the finished building, working alongside an enthusiastic design team.