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In-patient accommodation options for choice - HBN 4, Volume 1

Health Building Note 4 - Volume 1 (1997), In-patient accommodation options for choice, provides guidance on the planning and design issues of hospital accommodation for people with acute illness or immediately before and after an acute intervention. It replaces HBN 4 (1990), The guidance in this Note can be used to inform the decisions to be made during the planning of a project or for evaluating a design solution. It will provide a basis for making decisions on the nature and configuration of accommodation for any scheme from a relatively small upgrading programme to a major newbuild project. This HBN may also be used to stimulate discussion in the development of the business case and to review the level of need and the nature of in-patient accommodation in the light of local circumstances. The principle of devolved clinical care management to the patient bedside with services and supplies located as close as possible within a cluster is enabled by the modular approach.

Health Building Note 4 'In-patient accommodation' (1997) is currently being updated. As part of this work, the Department of Health has commissioned some research into the size and layout of single room en-suite bathrooms to identify a space-efficient design that would meet the needs of all patients. A full size mock up of the new design has been built at Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge. More details

Contents of Health Building Note 4 - Volume 1

1: Scope of Health Building Note 4
• The rationale for review
• Balancing the priorities

  2: The desirable environment

• Courtyards
• Environmental control, diversion and entertainment
• Practicality
• Maintenance and cleaning

  3: Details of room spaces

  Bed and sanitary facilities; sanitary facilities; showers and bathrooms; bidet; patient records
• Patient support facilities
  Consultation/examination room; interview/sitting room; informal social space; pantry/beverage making; food trolley bay; resuscitation trolley bay; storage; clinical store/Controlled Drugs cupboard; large equipment store; linen trolley bay; clinical supplies trolleys
• Administration areas
  Reception; office meeting room; stationery store/IT room; day space/waiting area; staff lockers
• Utilities
  Utility; domestic services/cleaners room; disposal hold/bay; wwitchgear cupboard
• Essential complementary accommodation
  Seminar room; staff rest room/beverage bay

  4: Modules and schedules

• Modules
• Schedules of accommodation
  Planning single-bed rooms
  5: Engineering and mechanical services
  Activity Data; safety; fire safety; noise; space for plant and services; engineering commissioning
• Mechanical services
  Heating; ventilation (general); hot and cold water services
• Electrical services
  Electrical installation; emergency electrical supply; electrical interference; lighting; socket-outlets and power connections; personal alarm transmitters; security alarm; staff location system; patient/staff and staff/staff call systems; telephones; patient communications systems; data links; clocks
• Internal drainage
  General; design parameters

  6: The business case

• Design and cost
• Construction cost
• Refurbishment of existing buildings

  7: Hospital wards in the UK

  8: Case studies

• Introduction
• The selection of case studies
• Floor area analysis
• Poole Hospital NHS Trust
  Background; design, form and layout; floor area allocation; comment; the Planetree principles of care
• Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
  Background; design; floor area allocation; comment
• Trafford General Hospital
  Background; admissions and assessment unit; design; floor area allocation; comment
• Northwick Park Hospital
  Background; design; floor area allocation
• Nucleus – exemplar design for in-patient accommdation
  Background; single-bed room option; floor area allocation

  9: The evidence base

• Space configuration
• Bedroom dimensions
  Orientation
• Ensuite bathroom options for single-bed rooms
• Single-bed room designs in NHS guidance
• Layout of two single-bed rooms with ensuite bathroom

  10: Ward design evaluation

• Size of unit
• Bed area
• Shallow or deep ward planning
• Shape
• Number of beds per room
• Design efficiency

  11: Impact of the environment on patients

• General environment
• Stressors
• Privacy and dignity
• Visual perception/stimulation
• Noise

  12: Suitability of the single-bed room

• The discussion...

  13: Design options evaluation tool

• The tool
  Using the tool

  14: Useful reading