Identifying sustainability requirements in the refurbishment of hospitals: the built estate, models of care, and the challenge of adaptation planning.

Wilson, Grant; Kishk, Mohammed; Laing, Richard

Abstract

Public spending across the United Kingdom is facing unprecedented challenges as a result of the economic downturn. Nowhere is this more keenly felt than the interface between the National Health Service (NHS) and the construction industry. Limited government investment is challenged by the ever-evolving demographics and technological changes which are driving the need for flexibility and progress throughout the NHS. In tandem with these financial and evolutionary challenges, the NHS bears a legal responsibility to reduce its Carbon Footprint significantly, in line with the requirements of the Climate Change Act. Additionally, the service is driven by the organisational and legal requirements of the wider sustainability drivers. The emphasis on construction within the NHS has focused predominantly in the area of new build within the last 10 years. This paper discusses the need to focus on the area of Refurbishment. The main aim of this paper is to present a contextual basis for an ongoing research study to develop a sustainable refurbishment model for hospitals. A comprehensive literature review has been employed as the methodology to discuss the current situation relative to organisational, financial, and sustainability factors. It is demonstrated that an understanding of the nature of refurbishment is required. Challenges specific to refurbishment, such as lack of as-built data and information on the state of the existing fabric and services, may have significant effects on the project in regard to time and cost. It is further demonstrated that the hospital facility has unique characteristics and Client expectations which do not affect a 'standard' commercial refurbishment.

Citation

WILSON, G., KISHK, M. and LAING, R. 2013. Identifying sustainability requirements in the refurbishment of hospitals: the built estate, models of care, and the challenge of adaptation planning. Public health frontier [online], 2(2), pages 114-121. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5963/PHF0202009

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 26, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Jun 26, 2013
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2013
• Deposit Date: Feb 25, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 25, 2014
• Journal: Public health frontier
• Print ISSN: 2227-457X
• Electronic ISSN: 2227-4561
• Publisher: World Academic Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 114-121
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5963/PHF0202009
• Keywords: National Health Service (NHS); NHS Refurbishment; Sustainability; Management; Climate Change Act; Adaptation
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/940