The world is steadily recovering from the COVID-19 outbreak, and it’s no surprise that society needs to adapt to various changes. The healthcare industry, for instance, now gives more priority to its design and architecture as the spread of the coronavirus demanded isolation rooms, PPE stocks, and other storage facilities that cater to the new reality in 2020.
Part of the changes includes incorporating innovative designs that ensure regular patient treatment can continue smoothly even when dealing with a pandemic. In response, the healthcare industry needs a strict design layout that promotes better control over cross-contamination.
Combining an “Open” and “Closed” Design for Nurse Stations
Nurse stations play a crucial role in maintaining an efficient workflow for medical professionals, so it has a large impact on the quality of care given to patients. Moving forward, a post-coronavirus world, hospitals are no considering enclosing nurse stations in glass bubbles to ensure the safety of your staff’s health without impeding communication.
Incorporating bespoke solutions make it possible to create a design that fits your reception desk and nurse station to your current needs.
Adding Dedicated Isolation Rooms to Minimise the Risk of Spreading Contamination
Hospitals across the world struggled to provide proper isolation to a massive number of patients coming in every day, which is why healthcare professionals and patients alike were at risk of contributing to the spread of the virus.
The need for dedicated quarantine rooms is now a necessity, along with features like portable partitions to act as a safety barrier between wards. Other improvements like a shielding polyurethane can be added to beds to manage the infection while having a dedicated medical cart complete with PPE stocks per ward is a must.
Investing in HTM71 and HTM63 Compliant Furniture to Enhance the Set-Up’s Sanitation and Cleanliness
Investing in equipment and furnishings that meet the Health Technical Memorandum’s standards can go a long way in improving the storage solutions in hospitals. Modular shelves, for instance, can help make more room for bigger nursing stations or isolation rooms. HTM71 or HTM63 compliant furniture can also promote a cleaner environment, especially when placed in disinfection or washing stations.
The Bottom Line: How the COVID-19 Outbreak Changed the Healthcare Architecture
The furniture, layout, and overall design of a healthcare facility has an impact on the performance and quality care given to patients. In response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, different healthcare facilities are embracing in mitigating the spread and ensuring that all operations can run smoothly in case another pandemic occurs.
If you’re looking for high-quality healthcare storage options that can enhance the design and architecture in the healthcare industry, we’re the best medical storage providers in the UK to call. Get in touch with us now!