Sustainable design project to support a ‘greener’ NHS awarded £3M funding boost

A pioneering research project to reduce the environmental impact of the healthcare system has secured further funding of £3.1M from the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Design HOPES (Healthy Organisations in a Place-based Ecosystem, Scotland), is using design-led research to identify barriers and opportunities for change within the healthcare system.

Heriot-Watt researchers from the Schools of Textiles and Design, and of Engineering and Physical Sciences, are using their expertise to improve the service and delivery within the NHS through environmental and efficient ways.

They are part of a collaboration led by the University of Strathclyde and Dundee, that includes the universities of Heriot-Watt, Abertay, and Edinburgh, with the aim of reducing NHS Scotland’s carbon output by creating new products and services, prototyping and testing tools.

Across two phases, the project has received a total award value of £7.75M and the latest boost builds on successes including a range of fully sustainable and biodegradable reusable textile products including theatre caps, developed in collaboration with NHS Scotland.

An earlier work-in-progress exhibition at the V&A in Dundee, Scotland’s Design Museum, attracted more than 50,000 visitors.

The second phase of Design HOPES, which runs from October 2025 to March 2028, will continue to support the UK’s transition to net zero through the scaling up of design interventions and engaging diverse public audiences with the power of design.

“We’re proud to be supporting NHS Scotland in advancing a range of interconnected initiatives focused on planetary health," explains Euan Winton, Assistant Professor of Design at Heriot-Watt University.

"It’s an energising and purposeful opportunity, and we’re thrilled to be contributing to meaningful, lasting change."

Dr Lisa Macintyre, Associate Professor in Textile Technology at Heriot-Watt School of Textiles and Design, is working with lipoedema, which affects the way that fat is stored in the body, leading to a wide range of problems.

She said on the latest funding award: “This is a rare opportunity to follow through on our initial findings and initiatives, to optimise better products and services that concurrently improve people’s lives and reduce waste.”

Marc Desmulliez, Professor in Medical Device manufacturing at Heriot-Watt, is collaborating with a company on evaluating a system that can crack down nitrous oxide in maternity wards. He says: “The funding will provide the necessary manpower to evaluate the efficacy of the device and its potential deployment in NHS Scotland.”

Design HOPES is generating tangible outcomes in innovative methods, products, services, and policies that promote sustainability relevant to buildings and land, travel, care, communities and digital design, including toolkits, blueprints, prototypes and storytelling.

The two-year project includes fostering green enterprises and businesses to advance the transition to a more equitable and sustainable future.

Design HOPES is also partner with several NHS Boards across Scotland, the Scottish Government, V&A Dundee, and will include diverse patient and public representation in its aim to become an internationally recognised centre of excellence for the UK.

An exhibition featuring Design HOPES opened this week at the Design Museum in London.

AHRC is part of UK Research and Innovation which is funded by the UK Government.