Surface specification is a crucial part of the process when specifying for healthcare estates, laying the foundations for a more hygienic environment that improves patient wellbeing. The need to ensure surfaces across hospitals are sufficiently durable for a challenging, high-traffic environment – while being easy to clean – is of paramount importance. Naturally, patient health is the top priority, so high levels of functionality are expected to come as standard. Besides this, healthcare spaces are increasingly expected to deliver soothing and welcoming experiences for all occupants, from patients to staff and visitors.
Washrooms, changing facilities and patient bathrooms are no exemption. These are vital and frequently used spaces within healthcare settings, meaning careful consideration needs to be given to material selection in cubicle and panel systems. As such, specifiers must choose surfaces that will successfully create a more calming environment while meeting the highest standards of durability and hygiene.
HYGIENIC VS ANTIBACTERIAL
Cleanliness is the key consideration, though not all hygienic surfaces are created equal. Surface materials used in healthcare settings must go beyond simply being hygienic to being antibacterial as well. Surfaces must be non-porous, simple to clean and durable enough to withstand chemical cleaning for their entire lifetime, defending against the build-up of microbial growth, dirt and moisture.
These features should be considered standard in challenging healthcare environments, though there is an opportunity to go a step further. Antibacterial surfaces are ingrained with silver ion technologies that break down bacteria between cleaning cycles, making them suitable for high-traffic areas like bathrooms, washrooms, and changing rooms, where contamination may be a greater risk.
There are no standards determining the use of antibacterial surface technologies in hospitals or clinic settings but, with the risk of infection foremost in specifiers’ minds, these solutions are growing in popularity.
INSPECTING AIR QUALITY
Besides the distinction between antibacterial and hygienic properties, ever greater focus is being given to how material choices affect indoor air quality, particularly in environments where occupant wellbeing is of principal importance. Specifiers should consider volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when selecting cubicle and panel systems for healthcare estates. VOCs can have a detrimental impact on air quality and even worsen respiratory conditions. This can have a significant effect on patients with allergies and sensitivities that, if triggered, could impact their recovery.
That’s why decision makers should explore VOC-specific certifications when choosing panels for changing rooms, bathrooms and washrooms, such as Eurofin test reports or the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) Seal of Quality, and ensure any chosen surfaces are hypoallergenic. The vital nature of this is underscored in facilities where service users might be particularly sensitive to environmental factors, such as paediatric or mental health wards.
THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF CONSIDERED DESIGN
Well-designed hospital and clinic spaces can create a soothing environment that aids wellbeing for all occupants. Warm tones, soft colours or facsimiles of natural materials like wood, for example, can help estate managers avoid an overly clinical feel. Pairing informed specification with large-format panels that create seamless finishes across work surfaces and walls can give spaces a much cleaner appearance, while reducing the spaces where moisture or dust can gather.
However, this should not come at the expense of surface durability. Surfaces in healthcare settings are subject to various stresses and strains caused by impacts and abrasions, as well as cleaning with harsh chemicals in high-use washrooms and changing room spaces commonly exposed to moisture. With an imperative need for surfaces not to degrade over time, engineered surfaces like compact grade and high-pressure laminates are often favoured for such applications. Correctly specified, they can lessen the frequency of necessary repairs and maintenance works, further alleviating estate manager workloads while reduce costs and disruption.
Ultimately, surface specification in healthcare estates must extend beyond meeting technical requirements solely, supporting the wellbeing of all occupants. Smart surface selection can help foster a soothing environment that puts safety first, producing estates that prioritise physical health while remaining as comfortable as possible for users.
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