RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES

Arcadis’ Sarah Miles and Smriti Singh discuss a recent project with an acute NHS Trust to discover how the pandemic has changed perceptions of hospital workspace, and ‘how we can start to implement change, both in physical space, and also in cultural views of hospital roles’.

A new 48-bedded Critical Care building at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, and built by Modern Methods of Construction specialist, MTX, for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been completed in just 15 months – from initial design to handover.

NHS Trusts across England were required to submit a Green Plan by mid-January as part of the drive toward a Net Zero Carbon NHS. Beth Goodwin, an NHS specialist at Inenco – which has been helping a number deliver their Plans – discusses the approaches taken, and some as yet underexploited carbon reduction opportunities.

Jimmy Walker PhD, BSc, a microbiologist with over 30 years’ experience in water microbiology and decontamination, discusses the important aspects of Legionnaires’ disease for those with responsibility for hospital water systems, and what we need to understand about the presence of this waterborne pathogen in such systems to safeguard patients.

Canadian journalist Rebecca Melnyk describes the light, airy, and spacious design of what is reportedly Canada’s first ‘smart’ hospital – the new Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital in Vaughan, Ontario.

Biophilic design’s benefits for both acute and mental healthcare settings are well-recognised. South African interior designer, Antoinette Greeff, discusses the fundamentals of the ‘art’, and explains how the principles were deployed at a new assisted ward at a psychiatric facility.

NHS Orkney has recently extended its use of neQis independent monitoring solutions, adding continuous particle monitoring for the cleanroom of its central decontamination unit.

Gavin Thompson, former CEO of engineering consultancy, Buro Happold, explains that the business is ‘transforming how healthcare estates collaborate… by adoption of digital innovation’.

HTM 06-01 is one of the most recognised sets of guidelines in the healthcare sector. Samuel Rea, Healthcare divisional manager at Power Control, emphasises the importance of secondary and tertiary power supplies, drawing on an example of a recent project undertaken by the company at Scarborough General Hospital, where it stepped in rapidly to help when two of the main generators failed.

Antimicrobial solutions specialist, BioCote, on how to help guard against microbially induced corrosion from microbes such as bacteria, mould, and fungi.

Jess Twemlow, associate director (Sustainability and Circular Economy), at global strategic and environmental consultancy, Ricardo, argues that the NHS in England’s Net Zero ambitions will only be achieved ‘with radical and immediate engagement of the clinical community’, including work around sustainable models of care, procurement, food and catering, and medicines.

Stephanie Allchurch, Product Development manager at Altecnic, discusses the importance of getting it right when it comes to products and procedures with water systems in healthcare settings. She focuses on some of the key components needed to ensure that water systems in such settings are as hygienic and safe as possible, particularly for vulnerable end-users.

The pandemic has further highlighted our concerns about the ‘health’ of our built environments. ‘Next generation’ building energy management technology can help, explains a senior Design partner – Healthcare, at Trend Control Systems.

Dr Céline Glipa, CEO of dynamic glass specialist, Eyrise, discusses how recent developments in glass technology ‘offer intelligent opportunities to re-shape the design of healthcare buildings’.

Neil Orpwood, head of Healthcare at architecture, landscape, and interior design practice, HLM, argues that healthcare needs to ‘take a more holistic view, creating healthy environments that champion local community care’.

Nick Keegan, an expert in building energy efficiency and energy performance contracting, and a director at EEVS, considers some effective approaches to ‘de-risking’ heating projects in the drive towards Net Zero.

A look at the work that went into the development of a ‘new generation’ drive through clinic, piloted in Birmingham during the pandemic, which allowed patients to simply drive in to see a doctor when conventional appointments were hard to get.

Mark Smith, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at NHS Property Services, explains how the company has been able to make valuable savings that are reinvested into the NHS.

Alex Solk, Partner and Healthcare lead at Sheppard Robson, argues that the next generation of hospital design should ‘learn from the office’s drive for wellness’. He believes that ‘wellness in the workplace is as vital to hospital design as it is to re-thinking our offices’.

Infection control is critical in healthcare environments to protect patients, visitors, and staff. Here Tim Checketts, head of Specification at dormakaba, discusses how the right door and access control solutions can help minimise the spread of germs, while still achieving the required accessibility, security, and safety.