Improving Healthcare through Built Environment Infrastructure (PDF)

From the Foreword by Rob Smith, Director of Estates and
Facilities (NHS England), Department of Health

'The built environment for the delivery of Healthcare will
continue to change as it responds to new technologies and
modalities of care, different expectations and requirements of
providers and consumers of care. It is vital that built environment
students and practitioners alike avail themselves of the best
possible information to guide them in their studies, continuing
professional development and the delivery of their tasks. The range
is enormous from the assessment of need, planning the service
delivery to design, construction, commissioning, maintenance and
operation of the healthcare environment.

The book that follows addresses these areas from a blend of
contributions of experienced practitioners to the descriptions of
the output from recent research that moves forward the frontiers of
knowledge and practice in the many areas of the healthcare built
environment.

I happily commend this book to all engaged in the exciting
fields of planning, delivering, maintaining and operating
healthcare environments. When we get it right, we are able to do
immeasurable good.'

This book helps academic researchers as well as practitioners to
understand how the healthcare infrastructure sector works by
addressing the crucial issue of healthcare delivery from a built
environment perspective.

It explains the trends in healthcare, models of healthcare
delivery; healthcare planning; the NHS building and investment
programmes; the procurement process; and facilities management;
financial models - including PFI and LIFT; risk allocation
and partnering.

Past investigations in the area of healthcare delivery have
concentrated on either the medical aspects or the design issues of
buildings but Improving Healthcare through Built Environment
Infrastructure is unique in considering the 'meeting
space' of built environment technologies and modern methods
of procurement with the medical and operational needs of healthcare
settings.

The authors have brought together key industrialists and
academics, all heavily involved in the formulation and delivery of
new practices. Case studies illustrate how policies and healthcare
models are implemented in practice and help identify the key
challenges for the future.