Acute Care (Hansard, 22 July 1999)

§ Mr. Norman
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is set by the NHS as the minimum acceptable(a) distance between hospital beds in acute care wards and (b) accommodation space per patient in acute care wards. [91934]

§ Mr. Denham
Health Building Note (HBN) No. 4 "Adult Acute Wards" (1990) stipulates a minimum requirement for bed space (in multi-bedded wards) as 2900 mm x 2500 mm. More recent guidance published in 1995 in HBN 40 volume 2 indicates that this should be increased to 2900 mm x 2700 mm to reflect the increasing use of hoists, extra space around the bed for access and movement and in recognition of the space needs for those who depend on walking frames and wheelchairs to assist mobility.
Accommodation space per patient in an acute ward will vary depending on several factors, eg the mix of single rooms with en-suite facilities and multi-bedded bays, the extent of support area provided, the physical layout of the ward and the total number of beds.
HBN 4 provides a notional figure of 23.96 square metres per bed.
HBN 4 and HBN 40 are available in the Library.

§ Mr. Norman
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is(a) the minimum acceptable provision of bath facilities in an acute care hospital ward and (b) the maximum acceptable number of patients per bath and per toilet facility. [91933]

§ Mr. Denham
Health Building Note (HBN) 4, "Adult Acute Wards" (1990), recommends one bathroom and one assisted bathroom for 24 or 28 bedded wards.
HBN 4 also includes a schedule of accommodation that indicates two bathrooms to 28 patients, one being an assisted bath, but that basic ratio would need to be considered by planners in the light of the specific medical requirements of the ward.
More single bedrooms with en-suite facilities are being provided in new ward accommodation and this will affect the general level of toilet provision. HBN 4 schedule of accommodation indicates a ratio of one toilet to 3.5 patients in a 24 bedded ward which has 3 single rooms with en-suite facilities.
Copies of HBN 4 are available in the Library