What are the real differences between HTM71 and HTM63, two key specification requirements for fitted…
Top tips for choosing your healthcare facility’s fixtures
When it comes to design, it’s the little things that count. The same is true of healthcare furniture, as it’s important to make patients feel at home while keeping them safe during treatment. In this post, we’re going to take a look at some things to keep in mind when choosing your healthcare facility fixtures and fittings.
Check their compliance
Ensure your furniture is compliant with current healthcare guidelines. For example, do your drug and medicine cabinets meet British Standard BS2881, which specifies the requirements for storing medicines in a healthcare facility?
It’s for reasons like this that it’s essential to find a British furniture manufacturer for healthcare. Check your manufacturer’s knowledge of the UK’s Health Technical Memorandums (HTMs), such as HTM 63 and 71 to ensure your fitted hospital furniture is up to scratch.
Safety first
In any healthcare facility, the safety of patients is paramount. It’s vital to consider the risks of improper fixtures and fittings in this specialised environment in line with health and safety regulations. For instance, if you’re choosing mirrors for bathrooms, check to see if they have safety backs, are fire resistant, and have smooth edges to protect patients against potential breakages. Equally, consider integrating grab rails into the bathroom to help patients with reduced mobility.
Think about the aesthetics
Cultivating a calm and relaxed atmosphere is sometimes the determining factor of a patient’s healthcare. So, when designing a hospital space, take a holistic approach to its aesthetics that encompasses all fixtures and fittings. For example, adding coat hooks to every room, which are easy to clean in a hospital environment, shows patients that you’ve considered their needs and makes spaces feel homely. Additionally, consider the importance of communication with patients by adding fixed notice boards at the entrance to each ward.
Colour
As a final note, colour can have a significant impact on your healthcare facility’s atmosphere. So, factor your changing room benches, grab rails, and medicine cabinets into your colour scheme. When you’re choosing your fitted healthcare furniture, make sure you pay attention to the small details and find the fixtures your building needs to guarantee a winning design that meets patients’ needs.
Healthcare facility fixtures – where to find out more
At David Bailey Furniture Systems, we have have helped architects and contractors design fitted furniture for the hospital and other healthcare environments for over 35 years. Our factory is in Broadstairs, Kent in the UK and we have provided furniture for many NHS hospitals and private hospitals, including Wexham Park, Guy’s & St Thomas’, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Spire Hospitals and University College London Hospital (UCLH), as well as many regional hospitals, GP surgeries and health clinics around England and Wales.
Read case studies about furniture contracts we’ve completed for many hospitals & healthcare facilities throughout the UK.
Check out our Video & Library resources section for colour cards, BIM drawings and other aids for architects and contractors.
If you’re specifying hospital furniture or if you’d like to discuss a healthcare or hospital project, please get in touch.
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