SLUICE ROOMS
Integrating sluice room design into hospital builds
Stanbridge Limited’s Margot Glover, managing director, and Claire Durant-Liley, business manager, explore how contractors should be proactively incorporating dedicated spaces, workflows, equipment, materials and utilities for sluice rooms during the design phase of hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
In healthcare construction, some of the most critical spaces are also the least glamorous. Plant rooms are engineered with precision. Operating theatres receive forensic attention. Patient bedrooms are designed with hospitality in mind. And then there is the sluice room. Often treated as a secondary consideration, squeezed
into leftover space or revisited late in the build programme, the sluice room is in fact one of the most important infection control environments in any hospital. When designed properly from the very outset, it protects patients, safeguards staff, supports compliance, and prevents costly redesigns at commissioning stage. When treated as an afterthought, it can jeopardise
CQC sign-off, disrupt workflow, increase infection risk, and require expensive remedial work. For contractors, designers, and developers working
in healthcare environments, the message is clear: sluice room design must be integrated at concept stage and not retrofitted when space is already constrained. Successful integration of compliant, efficient sluice room design in hospital builds requires careful consideration of workflow, mandatory equipment, materials, utilities, and regulatory requirements.
Why the sluice room deserves early-stage design attention The sluice room is the controlled environment where human waste is disposed of safely and where reusable items such as bedpans are cleaned and disinfected. From an infection control perspective, it is a high-risk
zone. Poor layout, incorrect material specification, or inadequate utilities can compromise the separation between clean and dirty processes, creating potential cross-contamination. While sluice rooms represent a small part of a
healthcare build, they often carry the most compliance risks. Contractors must navigate multiple regulations and requirements, such as:
n Health Building Notes (HBN) – specifically HBN 00-09 regarding the built environment. A building’s design can help infection prevention and control (IPC) by providing an environment that is easy to clean and maintain. This document highlights the major IPC issues and risks to address to achieve designed-in IPC.
n Health Technical Memoranda (HTM) – particularly HTM 01-01.
The HTM 01-01 consists of a list of documents from Parts
A-E, which provide guidance and information on the management and decontamination of reusable surgical instruments used within healthcare. Part D of 01-01 specifically focuses on Washer Disinfectors.
n Water Regulations Approval Scheme (WRAS) – critical for backflow prevention.
WRAS is an independent UK certification body that rigorously tests plumbing products and materials, helping businesses and consumers meet regulations to keep our water safe.
n The Health and Social Care Act 2008. Code of practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance – this is key guidance to follow to keep patients, residents and staff safe from infections.
n CQC – fundamental requirements for safety and hygiene.
The CQC is the independent regulator, ensuring hospitals and GP practices provide safe, high-quality, and compassionate care. It monitors, inspects, and rates services, and acts if these services are not met.
Failure to provide these core elements, or to position them in a way that supports correct infection control workflow, can delay or prevent final sign-off. For contractors and developers, that risk translates
October 2026 Health Estate Journal 171
Sluice room design must be integrated at concept stage.
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