LIGHTING


Lighting the way with wellbeing-led design


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.


Refurbishment works Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (MKUH) is a medium-sized general hospital, delivering a range of acute and specialist services to Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas. As the population of Milton Keynes continues to grow, demand for treatment is increasing. This puts pressure on the hospital to balance operational efficiency with the need to create environments that support patient comfort and wellbeing during visits. As part of ongoing refurbishment works at MKUH, we carried out work to improve the cardiology department waiting area. The project was part of C&B’s local community giving and social value programme, and involved installing illuminated ceiling panels depicting open sky scenes, with the aim to introduce a more calming visual environment while maintaining suitable lighting conditions for a clinical setting. Although modest in scale, the project offers wider lessons for estates professionals considering wellbeing- focused environmental interventions within NHS facilities.


Environmental context and patient perception The ceiling lighting installation follows the guidance published by NAHN, which highlights how hospital environmental conditions can influence comfort, stress, and behaviour, particularly in spaces without access to natural daylight. The guidance draws together research examining how lighting, imagery, and visual complexity shape the experience of healthcare environments. Organisations such as Arts Council England have also acknowledged the relationship between creative health


interventions and health outcomes. Some might not automatically see lighting in the same terms as art, but the two are closely connected, and these findings demonstrate how environmental cues can contribute to emotional responses, particularly in clinical environments where patients may already feel uncertain.


The impact of daylight on patient wellbeing Studies have also explored the relationship between daylight exposure and clinical recovery. Access to natural daylight supports circadian rhythms, which influence sleep patterns, mood, and hormonal balance. In healthcare environments, these factors can affect how patients rest, recover and respond to treatment. A study by University College London (UCL) found that patients exposed to better daylight conditions experienced hospital stays between 16 per cent and 41 per cent shorter than those with lower levels of daylight exposure. In practice, however, clinical departments such as


radiology, cardiology, imaging suites, and specialist treatment areas are frequently positioned within the internal footprint of hospital buildings to accommodate complex equipment and shielding requirements. These environments


are typically designed primarily around clinical function and operational efficiency. As a result, access to windows and external views is often limited. In the absence of


natural light, healthcare designers are increasingly looking for lighting systems that replicate the visual qualities of natural daylight.


Simulated skylights,


backlit ceiling panels, and daylight-mimicking lighting installations are now used in clinical environments to introduce visual cues associated with open sky and outdoor environments. While these systems


October 2026 Health Estate Journal 181


MKUH Cardiology Department with illuminated ceiling panels depicting open sky scenes.


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