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The UK government’s strict new guidelines on acoustics design in hospitals – the HTM 08:01 – spell good news for patients, who will see eventual changes reflected through reduced noise disturbance, both indoors and outdoors.

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In mid 2008, UK’s Department of Health released a Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) for the design of hospitals and clinics. The HTM covers the acoustic design criteria for healthcare premises, and addresses issues such as the provision of temporary healthcare facilities, refurbishments, and the control of noise and vibration during construction. The document also covers site inspections and pre-completion acoustic commissioning, which are essential for quality assurance.

Acoustics in healthcare buildings has been recognized as a key driver of design and a positive influence in therapeutic environments. Noise can increase heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate and even blood cholesterol levels. Good acoustic conditions improve patient privacy and dignity, and promote essential sleep patterns.

The Institute of Acoustics (IA) will hold a one day meeting on ‘Acoustics in Healthcare Environments’ on June 16 at the Victoria & Albert Hotel, Manchester, to discuss the merits of ‘good’ acoustics - how it leads to quicker turnaround of patients and lowers over all readmission rates. Healthcare acoustics experts will also focus on the HTM’s latest guidelines on hospital design, and debate its impact on construction costs and hospitals’ ability to adhere to them.

The IA meeting, organized by the Building Acoustics Group of the IOA, will look at how ‘Acoustics in Healthcare Environments’ affect healthcare outcomes. The HTM Acoustics manual lists two acoustic design criteria; external noise intrusion and mechanical services noise. Targets for controlling rain noise are set, which has implications for the design of lightweight roof systems. Since designing the building fabric to combat noise from sirens and helicopters would be impractical, site planning plays a critical role.

According to the HTM memorandum, noisy activities should not interfere with the requirements of adjacent rooms, and private conversations should not be overheard outside the room. To achieve this, airborne and impact sound insulation criteria are set.

HTM 08:01 also issues guidance for audiology facilities, audio/public announcement systems and sound masking. Adrian Popplewell, one of the organizers of the event said, “It is vital for healthcare designers to understand how the acoustics in healthcare environments affect the patients and staff. Research shows that good acoustics can potentially decrease recovery times and readmission rates, bringing significant benefits to a cash-strapped NHS and enhanced comfort and quality to a consumer choice-driven private sector.”

There is also guidance on optimal siting of externally-facing windows to avoid direct sound reflection between rooms, and on the echoic characteristics of specific rooms. HTM 08:01 excludes the specific reverberation time criteria set out by its predecessor, and stipulates that rooms should incorporate sound absorption materials equivalent to 80% of the floor area – normally through a ceiling tile system.

Speakers at the panel include Richard Budd, SRL; Richard Mazuch, Nightingale Architects; Greg Watts, RJ Pheasant & KV Horoshenkov from the University of Bradford; Anthony Thomas from Saint-Gobain; Jian Kang & Michael Phiri from University of Sheffield; Bernard Berry, Berry Environmental Ltd; and Philip Hankin from Cole Jarman Associates.

Acoustics in Healthcare Environments is an event aimed at anyone, involved in healthcare design including; environmental and building acousticians, builders, engineers, architects and architectural designers, estates officers and facilities personnel in both private and public sectors.