Making users feel safe in the healthcare environment

As hospitals restart routine treatments, and GP practices encourage everyone to make contact with their doctor if they are worried about any ailments (at the time of writing), how can healthcare environments reassure visitors that they have taken every precaution to effectively maintain the hygiene of their buildings for all visitors, but in particular those who are prone to getting sick or risk the worsening of their initial condition? Paul Musgrove, UK Development manager at shower and washroom solution specialist, Conti+ UK, explains how the company is playing its part with a new range of  ‘disinfection solutions’.

Maintaining high standards of hygiene has clearly always been a top priority for healthcare professionals, whether working in hospitals, GPs’ surgeries, dentists, or other specialised clinical environments, but as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the whole of the UK, healthcare estates teams are continuing to look for ways not only to keep the buildings they are responsible for clean and – as far as is possible – infection-free, but also to make their estates and facilities activities more effective and efficient. How, for instance, can they streamline maintenance to help accommodate increasing demands on their time? We’ve already talked (from a Conti+ standpoint) in past articles in HEJ about the opportunity to automate water management using our CNX system, and about the use of sensor control taps – with their touch-free activation – as the ultimate in hygiene, but, what else is possible? 

All industries, but especially the healthcare sector, have seen a rapid period of change, and arguably the COVID-19 outbreak has driven widespread innovation and creativity, with existing procedures, ways of working, and behaviours, in many cases radically adapted to cope with new and different challenges. While there is no questioning the severity of the oft-mentioned ‘unprecedented times’, it could also be said that this in an opportunity in many areas – and not just healthcare – for things to be changed for the better – better for the health and wellbeing of people and, critically, also better for the environment. Many people, are hoping, and willing, there to be a change for the good.