ABSTRACT
A healthcare building includes a large number of functions and activities across a range of healthcare provision services and non-healthcare support services such as laundries, kitchens, supplies and disposal services and estates maintenance facilities. These were previously collectively known as departments. We would like to avoid the use of this term as it has its history in an inflexible organisational structure. This is reflected in a building based on historic concepts of standard sized, standard types of healthcare buildings (Figure 19.1). District General Hospitals, Teaching Hospitals, Community Hospitals are examples of these stereotypes. The terminology will continue in use for some time but this chapter aims to separate out activities and the physical requirements for these activities. In some cases, these will be rooms, in others suites. Each could be applied in the context of a larger or smaller facility.
