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At the Tipping Point:
Designing for Population and Planetary Health

14-18 September, Virtual

23 September 2020

EHD2020 (virtual): First virtual congress attracts 1000+ delegates; watch sessions on demand


We've had a few days to gather our breath back after the conclusion of the 6th European Healthcare Design Congress, which took place last week across multiple time zones. And we've been overwhelmed by the response and loyalty of the healthcare design community in our efforts to transition the physical event into a virtual one. 

Last week's virtual congress featured more than 200 talks and nine keynotes across 60 sessions, including a 'conference within a conference' in the form of the COVID-19 Global Summit on Healthcare Design. There was also an expo area with more than 25 virtual exhibition booths – and the ability for attendees to network via live chat, messaging, and video meetings. And the congress culminated with a virtual ceremony to celebrate the winners of the European Healthcare Design Awards 2020.

We are grateful for the patience of speakers and delegates when at times the digital technology failed to meet expectations, but excited by the opportunity created for the congress to extend its reach, attracting more than 1000 delegates from all corners of the globe. Not only that but the recordings of the majority of the talks are now available to watch on demand for 30 days via the virtual events site.

So if you didn't register in time for the live event, there is still the opportunity to register now to watch the recordings over the next few weeks.

The organisers would like to extend our sincere thanks to all delegates, exhibitors, speakers, chairs, event partners, awards judges, and, of course, to all our sponsors for their support and loyalty in these challenging times. The congress would not have been possible without them. Congratulations as well to all the awards winners – see below for the full list of winners and highly commended projects.

EHD Awards 2020: Winners revealed

As has become tradition, the European Healthcare Design Congress 2020 was brought to a close with a ceremony to celebrate the winners of the European Healthcare Design Awards 2020, supported by Integrated Health Projects (IHP) and category sponsors WSP, Hoare Lea and Medical Architecture.

This year, however, the ceremony was delivered exclusively online – marking a fitting conclusion to celebrate the incredible innovation, collaboration and adaptation in healthcare design projects witnessed over the past 18 months. 



The Awards shortlist was announced in July, following a hotly contested competition and intensive judging process. It comprised organisations and multidisciplinary project teams, considered by the judges to have achieved shining examples of design projects and innovations in healthcare, and which will help raise the bar in healthcare design and service delivery in Europe and across the globe. 

Prizes were given in a number of categories across primary, community, secondary and tertiary levels of international healthcare provision and delivery.

Read more to view the winners and the full shortlist

Hospice triumphs in competition to win calming clinical lighting solutions

Wakefield Hospice has won a prize of clinical lighting solutions, worth £10,000, donated by Visualite. 

The hospice was announced as the winner during the European Healthcare Design Awards 2020 closing ceremony, which was hosted this year virtually. It will now benefit from installation of the solutions, which aim to create a relaxing ambience, help calm anxiety, reduce claustrophobia, enhance wellbeing, and offer a source of distraction for patients. 

The competition saw Visualite, in collaboration with Luxna Lighting and YESSS Electrical, team up with Salus Global Knowledge Exchange. It was open to any department treating and caring directly for patients, in any healthcare facility operating within the primary, community, secondary or tertiary care sectors in the UK. 

The competition attracted a fantastic response and three entries were shortlisted: Solent NHS Trust, partnered with Sonnemann Toon Architects; Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and Wakefield Hospice.

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EHD2020 round-up: Inspiring keynote talks

EHD2020: Designing for population and planetary health

The 6th European Healthcare Design Congress – the first-ever delivered virtually, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and necessary restrictions on social gatherings – kicked off last week with a hard-hitting opening plenary looking at designing for population and planetary health within the context of climate change and COVID-19.



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EHD2020: The health gap – building a healthy and health-creating society

The 6th European Healthcare Design Congress continued on day two with another plenary of keynote talks, exploring wider issues around health, wellness, life expectancy, health inequalities, and how technology may be deployed to address these problems.



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EHD2020: COVID-19: a new paradigm – systems, science and society

This year’s 6th European Healthcare Design Congress featured a special COVID-19 Global Summit – a ‘conference within a conference’ comprising two days of talks from researchers, policy makers and practitioners from all over the world, exploring the healthcare design community’s response to the ongoing pandemic and sharing the lessons learned.



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