SURFACING MATERIALS
Selecting surfaces that fulfil multiple needs
Given the ongoing need for healthcare providers to balance form with function when it comes to interior furnishings, surfaces are one such area where estate stakeholders can make efficiency gains, while also ensuring cleanability, antimicrobial protection, and durability, in line with rigorous standards. George Emms, Specification leader, UK & Ireland, at Wilsonart, sets out some of key considerations when specifying surfaces for the modern healthcare estate.
One of the key functions of the healthcare estate is to provide a care environment that helps the clinicians and nurses working in the facility to improve patient outcomes. All design, wherever possible, should be geared towards this aim – providing care and comfort in an environment that is effective, safe, and operationally efficient. Each aspect of a modern built environment contributes towards this, whether directly or indirectly. Indeed, beyond the clinical aspect, it is important for patients and providers alike to be in a comfortable and convenient setting if the best outcomes are to be achieved. Engineered surfaces such as melamine-faced
chipboard (MFC), high-pressure laminate (HPL), and compact laminate, are key to this. Beyond intangibles such as developing trust and comfort through high-quality aesthetics in public spaces, a hospital’s décor must match form with function. This includes acting as a safeguard against the risk of infectious agents and healthcare- associated infections (HAIs). This conclusion is neither new nor novel for specifiers working on healthcare projects, yet there are important nuances and details to be discerned when discussing surface hygiene and specification in the hospital environment.
Going beyond the expected When it comes to selecting surfaces, the Equality Act 2010 must be kept in mind. It requires that all new and refurbished public buildings offer equal access to all, regardless of disability, age, or gender, ensuring safe entry, exit, and passage, through the building. Alongside this, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 should also be considered. This legislation requires facilities and services with buildings to be easily accessible to all, regardless of the adverse effect that physical or mental impairments may have on the individuals within. Given that hospitals are demanding places, built with vulnerable people in mind, and subject to unique stresses and strains, this commitment to providing safe and accessible spaces is further underlined. Surfaces have a key role to play here. Cleanliness has always been vital to the healthcare
estate, so these components should be selected to facilitate the best possible hygiene management. This is vital, as any significant bacterial proliferation could impair patient outcomes and healthcare procedures. Consequently, any specified product should be hard- wearing as standard, while simultaneously being easy to clean and maintain without requiring additional protective coatings such as varnish or paint. Surfaces in healthcare facilities must also be able to withstand intensive cleaning procedures such as bio cleaning or disinfection with hydrogen peroxide, alongside being resistant to a large variety of cleaning products.
Aim to exceed commonly held standards In fact, these are all regular and long-held considerations within the healthcare estate, and in areas such as these where hygiene is vitally important, meeting these requirements should be the bare minimum. Even the selection of passive components within the healthcare environment can have a direct and indirect impact on patient outcomes. Consequently, specification professionals should look to exceed commonly held standards to best safeguard patient health, while also providing staff and visitors with a clean, comfortable, and calming environment. Taking this into account, the role of microbial protection
within surfaces should be further analysed. Here, an important distinction must be made between coverings that are classed as ‘hygienic’, and those designated
Blanc Absolu through- colour core high-pressure laminate Monochrom at Hospital Center Angèle Barbion in Dunkerque, northern France.
May 2025 Health Estate Journal 53
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