ABSTRACT
The concept of a ‘healing environment’ dates back to the Crimean War and the work of Florence Nightingale who needed little convincing as to the benefits of light, fresh air and access to nature on recovery from illness and trauma. It seems to have taken an interminably long time for the built environment in healthcare to embrace these simple and seemingly common sense notions. In 2002 Mizan conducted a simple, single site interventional study looking closely at the effect of the environment on doctor-patient interaction in primary care – the first study of its kind. The ‘Healing Environment’ cluster was therefore created with these tasks in mind: to start thinking again about community healthcare facilities in the light of the new shape of the National Health Service, and to forget what has gone before – to offer up a blank slate upon which novel designs can be generated.
