Health innovation neighbourhood

The health innovation neighbourhood scheme is a cutting-edge £500m development supporting the understanding, care and innovation of products and services for an ageing population. On the site of the former General Hospital on Newcastle’s Westgate Road, the new development will help people live longer and healthier lives through global leadership in ageing and research.

The planned development will take approximately 10 years to complete, will link research and innovation across the whole 29-acre site and will be a global exemplar for healthy ageing, enabling people to live longer, healthier lives.

Under the approved plans, the wide-ranging research on the site will take a whole-system approach to tackle major challenges in ageing and health. This will include developing new precision diagnostics and therapeutics, tackling mental health issues and health inequalities, and better integrating health and care across the life course.

A cornerstone of the site will be the urban testbed, enabling the real-world application of research in residential facilities on-site. Ensuring residents’ needs are foremost, it will evaluate prototypes and interventions to maintain wellbeing through early detection with the aim of avoiding emergency NHS admissions.

The outline masterplan for the site focuses on integrating the site with the surrounding communities and infrastructure. The submitted application includes capacity for a residential and commercial mix, with a proposal for a range of housing suitable for the local population and it is anticipated this will include housing complementary to the purpose of the site, such as:

•  Assisted Living (Future-Facing Extra Care Housing) which will use technology to improve the quality of life for residents and staff
• ‘High’ Care Home accommodation which will provide the opportunity for people with complex and advanced care needs to stay in their own homes for as long as possible
• Retirement Living – accommodation that maintains independent lifestyles for later years living but also allows access to support services.

A joint venture has been established between Newcastle University and Genr8 Kajima Regeneration Ltd to secure funding to develop the site, which is expected to generate hundreds of millions in gross development value (GDV).

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For further information contact the Invest team on +44 (0)191 440 5761 or invest@ngi.org.uk.