Government makes first response to Healthy Hospitals campaign - Feb. 2004
The new standard, now out for consultation calls for health care to be provided in well-designed environments that promote patient and staff well-being, and reflect respect for patients needs and preferences, and staff concerns.
The publication of the new standard comes at the end of several months of relentless campaigning by CABE and the Royal College of Nursing, as part of their Healthy Hospitals initiative calling for radical improvements in hospital design.
Jon Rouse, Chief Executive of CABE, said:
For sometime, CABE has been working to demonstrate how the needs of patients and staff in the 21st century need to be reflected in the buildings and environments they use and how they contribute to their overall well-being. This demonstrates the importance the government now attaches to quality design in health care environments.
Recent research by CABE with nurses revealed that 91% believe a well-designed hospital environment was significantly related to patient recovery rates. Moreover, 90% believed that working in a poorly designed hospital contributed to increased stress levels.
This week CABE announced the results of its Healthy Hospitals campaign, revealing that 83% of people who took part had had some negative experiences of hospital environments. CABE also asked 4 teams of architects to come up with visions of future hospitals. 53% voted for designs which were dominate by space and light, two factors that were prioritised by more than half of voters. To find out more go to www.healthyhospitals.org.uk
