By Damien Troy / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

If someone mentions "design"and "healthcare’" in the same sentence, your mind probably goes to the dingy, sterile looking and smelling practices that we’ve become to accustomed to over the years. From the best clinics for light treatments London has to offer, to your local GP surgery, the décor of the interior and exterior has probably never been something you’ve taken much notice of beyond a quick glance when picking a seat in the waiting room. But healthcare practices are getting smarter. Their designs are changing, and for the better too, but is this important? Why are they changing, and how? You’ll have to read on to find out.

Morale boosting

It’s no secret that dull waiting rooms at healthcare practices aren’t the most pleasant of places to wait, and when you already feel under the weather, it’s not the most enjoyable experience. However, this is changing. These days, healthcare facilities are switching out months-old magazines and uncomfortable seating for light, colourful décor and creative play areas for children. Patient satisfaction is a vital part in boosting the morale of not only the patients themselves, but the staff that work in the surgery. Spacious layouts that are still as sterile as before but with a fun, morale-boosting twist can reduce the chance of cross-infections, and an improved mood alone can go the distance when it comes to helping a patient feel better!

Safety

The interior and exterior design can play a huge part in the safety of a healthcare practice, so it’s vital that designers get it right first time. From improving and installing assistive devices for low-mobility patients, to increasing ventilation and filtration to control and prevent the spread of diseases, there is so much that can be done to improve the overall running and everyday care a practice can provide. Easily-cleaned surfaces, quickly available alcohol rubs and generally making sure that the practice can cater to every patient that comes through the door – or up to it – is as important as having trained staff on hand.

Impression

Making a good impression on the patients and staff that come in and out of the practice, as well as those that may come into the practice in the future, is just as important as ensuring patient safety. The area needs to be clean, sterile, and appear as efficient and effective as it really is. Ensuring that the exterior of your surgery is as clean and impressive as the interior isn’t something that always crosses minds, but a patient is more likely to feel comfortable entering a surgery with a clean and tidy front garden, so to speak. There doesn’t necessarily need to be plant, but including some easy-to-keep greenery can create a cosier, more trustworthy feel that can leave all of the right impressions on those passing by or entering.

Efficiency

In short, interior and exterior design needs to play a part in the efficiency of a surgery. From ensuring the lighting helps to enable visual performance, to controlling noise and even standardizing room layout through location of supplies and equipment to increase overall efficiency, there is so much a designer can do to aid how a surgery works and runs. On the exterior ramps can be installed, more car parking spaces made available where there is enough land to do so, and just generally being sure that every patient has the ability to enter and exit while feeling like they are being cared for efficiently, effectively and equally.

Damien Troy is a freelance content writer.