HEALTHCARE FURNITURE
Balancing functionalityand a patient-focusedenvironment
William Tonkinson, managing director of healthcare furniture manufacturer, Deanestor, explains how furniture for healthcare environments ‘does not have to compromise design’.
Deanestor manufactured more than 300 bespoke bedheads, finished in a natural oak laminate, and with provision for medical gases, electrics, nurse call systems, and lighting, in a £1.4 m contract for the new Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary.
As patients continue to develop ‘a more consumer mindset’, healthcare providers are simultaneously under increasing pressure to reduce cost, improve quality, and promote safety and best practice in infection control – as well as to enhance the patient experience.
Balancing these requirements is a major challenge, and furniture manufacturers have an essential role to play in the development and commercial production of items which meet those needs. Furniture is an integral part of most healthcare projects, providing comfort, while expressing positivity in waiting areas, facilitating communication between clinicians and patients, and supporting staff in their tasks.
Adapting to change Fitting out a complex healthcare environment that meets the ‘24/7’ needs of inpatients, outpatients, staff, and visitors, is a challenge. These environments should be adaptable and designed to accommodate change – whether changing local demographics or for the introduction of new models of care. The design and layout of furniture should facilitate efficiency and communication to support care co-ordination and information sharing. Efficiency is also very important, with space planning that minimises walking distances for both staff and patients.
Technology has impacted on the design of healthcare environments. In older
furniture layouts, clinicians often had their backs to patients and family members during consultations. With new models of care and the use of ‘tablets’, eye contact is maintained, and the consultation process is less intimidating. Clinicians as a result need to be able to move around freely and engage effectively, which further enhances the quality of the patient experience. Modular furniture – for example in laboratories – can be adaptable and expandable, creating functional, lean spaces with no unnecessary surfaces.
Fundamentals of infection control Infection control is central to the processes of any hospital. Fundamental elements of furniture design should
A palette of materials was developed for the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary scheme to convey longevity, and create an uplifting, person-centred facility for patients, staff, and visitors.
October 2020 Health Estate Journal 85
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