Office Fit Out Services to The Healthcare Industry

Hospital refurbishment presents the challenge of making buildings look modern and welcoming while ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and quality. At GDL Interiors, we have the expertise needed to update a hospital or health clinic effectively, without causing unnecessary disruption for staff and patients in the process.

Hospital and Health Clinic Refurbishment – Putting the Emphasis on Hygiene

The enormous cost of providing major new-build hospitals in the current financial climate means refurbishment is the preferred option for NHS buildings at present. Refurbishing a hospital or clinic is likely to mean restructuring the layout to allow increased efficiency in the use of departments and buildings. Areas of a hospital may also be adapted to serve multiple functions.

At GDL Interiors, we are registered as an approved NHS contractor and tender for and take on a variety of hospital and health clinic refurbishment projects. Here we will explain how we go about carrying out such a project while putting emphasis on hygiene at all stages of the work.

Organising a Hospital Refurbishment

A main priority throughout the work is to minimise the impact on the everyday operations of wards and clinics and ensure minimal disruption to the well-being and security of the patients. As experienced and expert contractors, we at GDL always make the working area as safe as possible not only for staff and patients, but also for the constant stream of members of the public who are always present in hospitals.

Security is paramount at all times during a hospital refurbishment, and we sign in and out of hospital premises via the security office. When our staff are on the site outside normal working hours, a security guard is assigned to be with them at all times, and there are never any patients or medications near an active working area.

Hygiene: Hospital design has historically been influenced by the need to control the spread of infection, with improvements including the introduction of air conditioning and the creation of specialist function rooms such as those for anaesthetics. Advances like these have been achieved through refurbishment works, and hygiene is still a top priority in all improvements at healthcare sites.

The strictest standards of cleanliness are required at all times during hospital and health clinic refurbishment work. As experts in this field, staff at GDL know that flooring laid in all areas of the building, including treatment rooms, operating theatres, public areas, corridors and toilets, must be anti-slip, durable, dust-free, anti-static and easy to clean. Choice of the right products, including commercial laminate flooring, plays a vital role in minimising the spread of diseases.

Fire resistance is an important factor when it comes to wall coverings in hospitals or health clinics. Depending on the location, hospital walls must be rated fire resistant in time increments ranging from 30 minutes to two hours, so it is vital that the correct products are used to comply with these rules. We at GDL ensure that all the hospital wall coverings we use are durable, washable and stain resistant. Most products of this type used in a hospital or clinic environment also contain Bio-Pruf, a hi-tech ingredient which inhibits the growth of bacteria, fungi and micro-organisms and so reduces risk of cross-infection.

We also ensure that any other equipment we install during a hospital refurbishment, from glazed partitions and hollow core doors to reception office furniture, meet all relevant regulations and hygiene standards. Once our works are complete, we carry out a builders’ clean-down and the hospital then undertakes a full sanitisation of the area after we have left.

About GDL Interiors

Expert contractors GDL, based in Essex, have built up a wealth of experience over nearly 30 years in carrying out work for many private companies and public organisations. This includes office interior design, office partitioning and school and college refurbishment projects as well as work in the healthcare sector. We project manage each job from start to finish, whether it is large or small, and pride ourselves on sticking to both timetables and budgets. For more information, you can contact us on 01621 842484.