Acoustic Advice for Healthcare Developments

Healthcare environments are a speciality of ours here at Acoustic Consultants Ltd. These complex ecosystems create an interplay of efficiency challenges for staff and environmental optimisation for patients. We provide advice to designers and also assess healthcare environments from a sound perspective.

Why is the acoustic environment in healthcare important?

The acoustic environment plays a subtle but crucial role in how a healthcare setting functions. Pragmatic considerations such as privacy must be considered alongside the comfort of the patients, and these factors can drastically impact how both staff and patients feel in the environment.

Excessive noise levels can contribute to poor patient outcomes, impacting everything from recovery time to overall well-being. Studies have shown that high ambient noise can increase stress, blood pressure, and even delay healing processes. In this sense, good acoustics are not just a luxury – they are a clinical requirement. Additionally, for medical staff, high-quality acoustic conditions improve communication, reduce fatigue, and support overall performance in a high-pressure setting.

For any newly built or refurbished healthcare development, appropriate acoustic design criteria should be set as soon as possible.

Optimise the acoustic environment to avoid future operational problems

Many future operational problems could have been avoided simply by appointing an acoustic consultant at an early stage of the design process.

The acoustic consultant, in conjunction with the client, should, at an early stage, define what the specific uses of the spaces will be and what level of privacy and confidentiality they will require.

This can be the most important factor in choosing the correct sound insulation levels between rooms, required internal noise level, and any other relevant acoustic criteria that may be appropriate for each room. It is therefore important to design the building layout and room adjacencies carefully.

Taking a proactive approach allows developers and architects to implement compliant solutions from the outset. These include selecting materials with suitable sound reduction indices, positioning noisy equipment away from sensitive areas, and ensuring that ventilation systems do not contribute to background noise. Collaboration between project teams at this stage ensures that acoustic standards such as those defined in HTM 08-01 are met.

The problem of noise in healthcare developments

Healthcare environments such as hospitals are inherently noisy. Staff, patients and visitors, medical machinery and devices, and the general hubbub of constant motion in hospitals create a high ambient sound level.

High noise levels have been shown to negatively impact both patients and staff. The negative impact on patients, who may find it difficult to sleep and rest, can be seen in medication intake, hospital readmission, and even their heart rate. Bad acoustics may even have detrimental physiological effects on patients’ rehabilitation during periods of acute illness. For staff, noise levels mitigate concentration levels, increase fatigue, and cause communication difficulties – which can all add up to errors. The World Health Organisation recommends that average sound levels shouldn’t go above 35dB – and 40 dB should be the overall limit overnight. Surveys have shown many ICU environments peak above 85dB up to 16 times overnight, and even more frequently during the day.

Creating better acoustic environments in hospitals

Innovations in the field of acoustic design mean that there are ways to combat high levels of noise in hospital environments. Innovative acoustic solutions focus on creating more optimal sound environments and therefore better environments for staff and patients alike – to work efficiently and to heal effectively.

Better acoustics via sound-absorbent materials

One such innovation is the routine usage of sound-absorbent materials. New developments routinely incorporate materials such as specialised plaster, acoustic panelling, and tiles into walls, ceilings, and floors, to significantly dampen atmospheric noise. These materials of course also have to be capable of fulfilling the high hygiene requirements of healthcare settings.

Better acoustics via background sound

Masking disruptive sounds with unobtrusive, ‘white noise’-type background sound, can also be effective. Engineered to be sounds considered pleasant on the ear, these masking systems can be used where privacy and quiet are primary considerations – such as in consultation rooms, and patient recovery settings.

Better acoustics via considered design

But as well as innovative materials, design can be crucial for an optimised acoustic environment. Strategic design consideration of the placing of noisy areas such as nursing stations, the creation of sound buffer zones and the isolation of high noise areas are all important factors in designing healthcare environments most conducive to good care.

Furthermore, integrating acoustic design with other building systems such as ventilation, lighting, and spatial planning can contribute to a more holistic healthcare environment. Interdisciplinary collaboration is key to ensuring that all environmental factors – including noise – support therapeutic outcomes.

Case Study of an optimised acoustic environment in healthcare:

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust recently appointed Acoustic Consultants Limited to provide guidance on noise and acoustic aspects of building design, following problems they have experienced at two recently completed buildings.

We were requested to provide a report with generic guidance and performance requirements for new and existing healthcare buildings, in terms of internal ambient noise levels, sound insulation and reverberation time.

The guidance provided was based on Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 08-01, other relevant British Standards and experience gained over the years by working on many healthcare projects.

In addition, we also provided general detailing, workmanship and verification required to ensure design criteria are met on-site during construction.

We’ve also worked on numerous large, sensitive healthcare construction schemes including the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. We have recently finished other smaller projects, including Woodland View Brentry, Bristol and Daisy Building, Green Lane Hospital, Devizes.

If you would like further information on the acoustic design of your healthcare facilities and a competitive quotation, please contact us at mail@acoustic-ltd.co.uk to discuss how we can help.