Tamlite’s modern, efficient lighting systems not only offer an attractive way to reduce both energy consumption and maintenance burden across healthcare estates – the right light can aid patient recovery and make hospitals a positive place to be for patients, visitors and staff. The UK's healthcare sector spends more than £400 million per year on energy. And, the Carbon Trust estimates that lighting accounts for 35% of electricity used in a typical hospital. These are significant numbers. However, at Tamlite, we understand that the priority to save energy remains balanced by a need to uphold patient safety, comfort and wellbeing.
Corridors in healthcare environments must have a well designed lighting system to help create clearly marked routes for patients, staff and visitors, day or night. Corridors must also provide secure and safe navigation; bright light without glare for patients being transported in their beds; and avoid the appearance of harsh shadows, as hard and long shadows may be misinterpreted as steps or obstacles by visually impaired people.
Lighting in patient recovery rooms and cubicle bays must combine comfort, be easy to clean, be functional and adaptable. Hospital staff require lighting solutions that enable them to have an unobstructed view of the patient and any technical equipment. However, to aid patients' recovery and health, lighting solutions should be comfortable and free from glare. Lighting solutions must be able to adapt from daylight to lighting appropriate for night, without loss or instant, harsh changes in lighting levels.
Operating Theatres and treatment rooms must have high levels of illumination and clarity, without glare. During an operation the lighting needs to enhance the visual performance of the medical personnel. The right light can boost alertness and activity levels, warding off fatigue, even if the room is devoid of natural daylight.
A visit to a dental surgery is often a catalyst for stress. And, yet a well lit waiting room could reduce feelings of anxiety, stress and impatience. Maximising natural light creates a sense of ease and using the right level of articifial light can reduce negative emotions. During the examination itself, lighting plays a critical role in patient diagnosis and deciding on the right treatment - high levels of illumination and colour rendering are essential.
Demographic change means the number of elderly people in the UK who will need care is set to increase significantly. Lighting schemes must take into consideration that eyesight deteriorates rapidly with age, while sensitivity to glare increases. Evidence shows that the right level and consistency of light aids recovery, helps patients feel safe and remain independent for longer. It can even help older people to continue performing simple visual tasks for themselves. When set to mimic natural daylight over the course of the day, colour temperature and clarity can aid biological rhythms to work in harmony with the patient’s body.
Lighting consideration for toilet facilities varies greatly depending on occupancy levels. Smaller premises with fewer staff, patients or visitors could benefit from a presence detector. However in larger premises, toilets are likely to be one of the areas that are illuminated throughout the day. Switching to LEDs with a wider beam, saves energy, reduces maintenance costs compared to halogen or florescent lamps and gives a better looking result.
Healthcare estates are not always straightforward environments for installing and specifying new lighting technologies. Yet, armed with the right knowledge, it is possible to make the right choices that will net real energy savings. Whether you are an estates director, a property and maintenance manager or an FM, our healthcare sector experts can work with you at every stage of your lighting specification project: from product selection through to advice on how to build an NHS Trust board-level business case for your lighting upgrade.
