The new Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury is the first NHS hospital in England to provide en-suite, single rooms for all inpatients. With an internal gross floor area of 65,000 square metres, it is an iconic building with no less than 513 single rooms. The hospital includes a women and children’s department, an accident and emergency department and a helipad, so it was really exciting to be a part of this large project as the hospital neared its’ opening day.
The hospital has been designed to take advantage of the difficult natural sloping site by having three floors to the North and six/seven floors to the South. The majority of the single rooms are arranged to take advantage of the magnificent views across the surrounding woodland areas that are listed as areas of outstanding natural beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The design also incorporates features for patient safety and effective infection control.
Design elements include dedicated theatres, lifts and imaging for trauma work and clinical adjacencies to minimise patient travel in the hospital. Single rooms will reduce the risk of infection and provide easier infection control management. In-patient bedrooms are also designed to minimise falls.
Valley Healthcare Supplies was given the remit of providing a solution for making disposable gloves and aprons for infection control easily accessible all around the hospital. This involved providing a dispenser for almost every room, and wherever else in the hospital that medical personnel would require them. A large number of our popular white metal Glove and Apron Dispensers and Triple Glove Dispensers were supplied. You can view the range here.
The finished result was a truly stunning hospital facility, which has received good reviews for patients, visitors and staff due to its high standards and modern equipment.