BedPod Healthcare Environment

The BedPod was one of six product and service innovations awarded a development grant under the ‘Design for Patient Dignity’ programme run by the Design Council and the UK Government’s Department of Health. The prototypes launched at the Design Council in London on 23 March.

The programme originally called for teams to come up with designs that would help the National Health Service to provide same sex accommodation in UK hospitals in order to help patients feel less vulnerable and more dignified. Our flexible solution can be utilised as a temporary or permanent measure in hospitals, creating a private space even within a multi-bed ward environment. It gives hospital Trusts more control, and the flexibility to release space within their estate creatively.

The fundamental obstacle to providing same sex accommodation is cost, as the business case for major refurbishments must not only justify the capital expenditure but also the downtime and disruption that leads to loss of beds. As the BedPod is prefabricated, modular and rapidly installed it is suitable for minor or major works and as a temporary or permanent measure. It offers simplified procurement and minimal disruption with no loss of beds.

Its modularity enables choice in initial specification and facilitates replacement and upgrade over time to minimise obsolescence and it is manufactured to the highest quality, providing an impressive environment at minimal cost.

From the patient’s perspective, the BedPod gives them control of their personal environment, which is essential to the issues of vulnerability and loss of dignity. A ward is a healing environment and should provide sanctuary, security and peace. Unfortunately the reverse can be true. Wards can be disorientating, illness can be humiliating and the constant activity stressful, compromising vital rest. All of this is exacerbated where breaches to same sex accommodation occur.

Evidence shows that patients become increasingly passive with time on the ward as lack of control has a dehumanising effect. In responding to the open brief, we committed to challenging this head-on. The logical progression was to design a fully integrated personal environment that empowers patients to control their own space while improving healing through sensory engagement and infection control.

The BedPod creates a private space, even within a multi-bed ward environment. A modesty screen enables a patient to choose participation or peace and quiet. The curved form offers twofold acoustic treatment, attenuating and absorbing both background noise and personal conversations. A number of integrated lighting solutions include ambient light using the curve as a reflector and low-level LED lighting for nighttime navigation, allowing general room lighting to be reduced to promote rest.

The first prototype BedPod was installed at Imperial College in October 2010. It is illustrated in the first photo in the gallery.