History:
Princess Margaret Hospital in Swindon was designed for the Oxford Regional Hospital Board as a 400 bed general hospital with outpatients clinics and treatment departments.
It was the first major post-war hospital in England to be started. The recommendations of the major research study by The Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust entitled 'Studies on the Functions and Design of Hospitals' published in 1955 were incorporated into the design of the hospital. The research was undertaken by a multi-disciplinary group including architects, historian, nurse, statistician and accountant. It was amongst the first systematic investigations into health care and hospital buildings. Research focused on specific departments such as outpatients, inpatients and surgical departments. Environmental studies were undertaken on natural lighting, ventilation, colour, noise, and safety for infection control and fire risk. Quantitative measurements were undertaken to inform issues about the sizing of hospitals . Demonstration projects were designed and constructed to bring together findings and formulate a basis for evaluation.
The research study had a major influence on the planning and design of hospitals in the UK from the 1950s. The characteristics of the of the Nuffield proposals for ward design - the first variation on the 'Nightingale wards' -were the small groups of beds on either side of a central block of ancillary rooms. As patients were encouraged to get up during the day, large easily observable day spaces were recommended. Ample bathrooms within easy reach of the patients were also suggested.

Architecture:
The architects for the hospital were Powell and Moya with R Llewelyn Davies as consulting architect. The Princess Margaret Hospital was designed in two phases. It is located on a high ridge to the west of Swindon and has views over the Wiltshire Downs. The sloping site enabled two levels of entry: the public entrance is on the upper ground floor serving the wards and outpatients department. The lower level entrance is for internal hospital circulation, distribution of supplies food and waste removal. The major operating theatre, x ray pathology and sterilising were also located on the lower ground floor. The service building was separately located and connected to the lower ground floor by a short underground link.
The main hospital buildings consist of a multi-storey ward block at right angles to the single and two storey outpatients and treatment departments, maternity and children's wards. It was known as the 'matchbox on a muffin' design comprising a compact slab block over a horizontal building spreading from the base of the block. It was envisaged that this block plan would enable the maximum freedom for growth and change to the diagnostic and treatment areas that were considered the most likely to change.
Consistent with the Nuffield research, the wards are arranged in pairs either side of a central area with stairs and lifts. The outpatients area contains small waiting areas arranged for clusters of rooms, each with a view onto a garden or the surrounding countryside.