Improving Healthcare through Built Environment Infrastructure

Citation

Warren, C.M.J. (2011), "Improving Healthcare through Built Environment Infrastructure", Property Management, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 120-121. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.2011.29.1.120.1

When I first picked up this book I wondered what relevance it might have to the readers of Property Management as the title and cover would suggest that it is a book about hospital construction in the UK. It is true that much of the text is UK based, but I found the book to have a much wider application and it also draws on international examples. It is also much more than a book about building infrastructure as it takes the reader through the major stages in the lifecycle of a healthcare facility.

The two editors are both from the School of the Built Environment at Salford University, UK, which has a reputation for producing leading edge research across many fields in the built environment. The editors have taken an innovative approach in drawing together a team of contributing authors who provide practical hands on experience balanced with the rigour of academic writing. To achieve this the first half of the book comprises authors from industry with practical experience in the design and procurement processes of establishing new healthcare facilities. This section includes a fascinating review of the planning process and relates the historical background to funding facilities in the UK, including the changes that incorporating increased reliance on private funding models has brought about. Also within this section there is a chapter that features a case study of the healthcare provision in the USA and leads the reader to draw some interesting comparisons between different countries and their approaches to infrastructure provision.

The second half of the book is authored by researchers from a range of universities in the UK and USA. This section has some areas of specific interest for property managers and the application is not only of relevance in the health environment, but also has some practical application across a range of property types. Issues of particular interest include dealing with risk in the procurement of large facilities. The measurement of performance of a built asset and the link between the design of the facility, its operation, and its effectiveness in supporting the healthcare objectives is of particular interest to those involved in the day to day management of any building as a corporate asset which supports business operations. The performance management of a facility is taken further in its incorporation within the design phase to advocate for performance based specification, thus completing an iterative feedback loop enhancing future healthcare design and operation.

This book has a wide attraction across a range of interests in the delivery of better supporting infrastructure to the health sector. From a property management perspective it addresses the entire lifecycle of asset provision and draws the important link between good design, operation and the health outcomes that the facility underpins. The book has a good balance between industry and academic contributions and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in this specialised area of infrastructure provision and management.