Callum Biscoe, director of C&B Electrical Contractors Ltd, looks at how lighting, imagery, and visual complexity can shape the patient experience within healthcare environments, and suggests ways in which healthcare designers can implement lighting systems that, by replicating the visual qualities of natural daylight, can have a positive effect on wellbeing.
An anxious wait is an unavoidable part of many hospital visits. Moreover, departments are often located deep within buildings or acute services blocks, where enclosed corridors and limited natural daylight can negatively impact how patients feel while waiting for appointments.
With millions of people waiting for NHS treatment, and more than 25 million diagnostic tests carried out each year in England, the cumulative time spent in hospital waiting areas before diagnosis, procedures, or consultations is significant.
According to the National Arts in Hospitals Network (NAHN), the ambience of healthcare surroundings can influence stress levels and patients' overall perception of care. For NHS estates managers, this makes lighting design an important consideration, particularly within waiting areas.
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