Share your vision for the future home of the RCoA

As we embark on the journey to find our new home, we invite you to share in our vision and contribute your valuable insights.

Dr Claire Shannon
President

Dear Colleagues, 

As you may be aware, after careful consideration of expert advice and after consultation with Council, the RCoA Board of Trustees made a significant decision during the summer of 2024 to initiate the process of relocating from our current home at Churchill House, Red Lion Square. We encourage you to watch the accompanying video in which our CEO, Jono Bruun, elaborates on the rationale behind this decision.

We have established an Estates Programme Delivery Group. This group collaborates closely with the Council and reports directly to the Board of Trustees and will play a crucial role in guiding their decision-making during this pivotal and exciting time in our organisation’s history.

As we embark on the journey to find our new home, we invite you to share in our vision and contribute your valuable insights. The future growth of the Royal College of Anaesthetists will be focused not just on the physical space we occupy, but on the supportive community we cultivate within it. We want our new location to blend physical and digital environments that facilitate our diverse activities across the UK while embodying our unwavering commitment to excellence in anaesthesia and related professions.

How you can contribute 

We are eager to ensure member engagement throughout this process. In this initial phase we invite your feedback on the key attributes we should seek in our new building. The Estates Programme Delivery Group has been collaborating with Trustees, Council members, and other key stakeholders to outline our vision for the new RCoA building, and we welcome your thoughts and suggestions. 

I emailed all College and Faculty members on 4 December 2024, inviting you to contribute by completing an online form, which presents our overarching aims and broad themes for your feedback.

These aims and themes are also published below. If you haven't received the email and have checked your junk/spam folder then please email us at engage@rcoa.ac.uk with your name and College Reference Number and we will send you the link to the online form. 

A source of pride for our specialties 

It is imperative that our new home reflects the prestige befitting a Royal College, serving as a source of pride for our professions and Faculties while effectively supporting our goals and enhancing the visibility of our specialties.

Preliminary feedback from our members indicates a preference for remaining in central London, where we can maintain our presence among similar organisations and policymakers, ensuring accessibility for all members across the UK.

We want our new facility to emphasise functionality, adaptability and sustainability, featuring effective training spaces, collaborative meeting areas, and versatile event spaces that maintain our commitment to training, education and CPD. This vision for the future of the RCoA not only addresses our current needs but also anticipates the evolving landscape of anaesthesia and our Faculties. 

A focal point for our community

Beyond the essential criteria for accessibility, sustainability and versatility of buildings, we aim to incorporate features that will enhance our operations and member engagement. These may include sustainable practices that go beyond minimum required standards to reduce our environmental footprint, as well as technologies that enable virtual collaboration, ensuring that every member across the four nations remains connected and supported by their College. 

Furthermore, we will explore features we could integrate to enrich the experience of members when they visit the College such as workspaces, cafe facilities, child friendly areas and outdoor space. Our aim is to create not just a building but a focal point where knowledge thrives, and our members feel engaged and part of the anaesthetic community.

Thank you for your commitment to the future of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. We look forward to your contributions and insights as we navigate this project together.

Best wishes,

Dr Claire Shannon 
President  

Overarching aims
  • Creating a space where Members, Fellows and employees feel welcomed, accepted, and inspired. A building that creates a sense of belonging, honours the specialty's history and looks ahead to the future and the next generations of College members and its Faculties.
  • Working within the financial envelope provided by the sale of Churchill House, rather than incurring debt through this process. We do not wish to burden our members through asking for additional funds.
  • Using our resources wisely with an emphasis on core business that benefits members and patients.
  • To plan the move so that there is minimal disruption to members during the relocation.

Broad themes we consider essential
  • ‘A prestigious home for the RCoA’ – a building that resonates with our members and creates a sense of belonging, looking to the future and the next generations of College members.
  • Central London location within reasonable distance of major transport hubs.
  • A visible location e.g. not accessed via a side street or alley.
  • Flexible and modular, with configurable rooms and agile spaces
    • A comfortable and productive working environment for our staff, which is flexible enough to cope with changing working patterns in the years ahead.
    • Collaboration space to hold 40-50 people in a meeting, for example a Council meeting.
    • State-of-the-art connectivity and AV for hybrid collaboration.
    • Flexible spaces for hosting events.
  • A place to celebrate the achievements of our members
    • Smaller Diplomates Days across the year (4-6 each year), celebrated at the College, with capacity for 100-200 dips + families.
    • Celebration space with ceremonial backdrop for photos.
    • Other award ceremonies for prize winners.
    • A space to host influencing dinners and events.
  • Accessibility at the heart of the building
    • Compliant with legal accessibility standards now and for the future.
    • Embracing neurodiversity by creating supportive spaces for members and staff.
  • Compliance with changing legal sustainability standards.
  • Employee changing and shower facilities / employee break rooms / bike spaces.  
  • Right-size the floorspace to approximately 25000+ sq. ft.
Things we think our building should also have if possible
  • Potential for a configurable/flexible space that could be designed to incorporate a lecture theatre as well part of other educational space.
  • Space for commercial stands and displays near event spaces.
  • Recording studio / space for educational content production e.g. podcasts and video production.
  • A space to recognise our legacy and history
    • Digital walls/immersive displays.
    • Curating and displaying our artefacts.
    • Designated space to celebrate the history of the profession.
  • Commitment to develop a digital space for the RCoA Community so all members can connect with the College regardless of their physical location.
  • Consideration of moving examinations out of the College building to external (including the possibility of regional) exam centres. Off-site external venues may meet our exams needs better but if suitable space within our new building we could still run some exams on site.

The future growth of the Royal College of Anaesthetists will be focused not just on the physical space we occupy, but on the supportive community we cultivate within it.

Dr Claire Shannon
President

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