Healthy EnvironmentsLaying the Foundations for Better Acute Mental Health CareIt is universally recognised that a poor physical ward environment can have a detrimental effect on the wellbeing and recovery of service users. This joint collaboration between Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) and the Department of Health (DH) Gateway Review, Estates and Facilities Division recognises the importance of putting much more focus on ensuring that acute mental health facilities are fit for purpose. The step-by-step process outlined in ‘Laying the Foundations’ involves robust consideration and feedback on how services and buildings can best be organised and designed to facilitate desired outcomes. Laying the Foundations for Better Acute Mental Health Care Art in HospitalsLike architecture and interior design, the artwork that we have around us can significantly influence the way we feel on a day to day basis. Whilst art is not central to the function of a hospital, there are many benefits that art can bring to the healthcare environment. Pleasant surroundings and well-maintained buildings lift staff morale and improve the public's perception of an organisation. In addition, carefully selected artworks can have a mediating effect between the individual and the institution, helping to make staff more aware of their surroundings and providing a more comfortable and less threatening environment for patients. Research into the design of hospitals and the effect of the environment on patients and staff demonstrates that our surroundings have a clear impact on the effectiveness with which treatment and care is both delivered and received http://www.paintingsinhospitals.org.uk/ http://www.artinhospital.org/ (Scotland) Enhancing the Healing EnvironmentThe impact of the Enhancing the Healing Environment (EHE) programme in the participating NHS trusts extends beyond the improvement of physical environments, bringing benefits such as the personal development of team members, innovative new approaches to patient involvement and the fostering of closer links with local communities.
Longer-term benefits that have emerged from the programme include patients, staff and the public having an increased sense of ‘ownership’ of the hospital environment, and the potential for well-designed environments to reduce aggressive behaviour from patients. The programme continues to build strong evidence of the therapeutic impact of good design, and is helping encourage more widespread use of the arts within hospital settings. In addition the programme is making a significant contribution to the development of teams and individuals within participating NHS trusts. Kings Fund Enhancing the Healing Environment Music in HospitalsMusic in Hospitals is a registered charity, whose mission is to improve the quality of life of adults and children with all kinds of illness and disability through the joy and therapeutic benefits of live music. Music in Hospitals concerts not only offer therapeutic benefits but also enrich and enliven the healthcare environment for people with mental health problems. Concerts can take place in units and hospitals and many are now held in day care centres where clients enjoy the stimulus of all the arts. Music in Hospitals is delighted to add the dimension of music into their lives. www.music-in-hospitals.org.uk/ www.musicinhospitalsscotland.org.uk National Minimum StandardsThe physical environment of a PICU or Low Secure environment is one of its defining aspects. The design of any unit should maximise the primary functions of safety, therapy and security. View the Standards
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