Healthcare workers slam quality of premises

More than a quarter of healthcare professionals said healthcare buildings were not fit for purpose during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a YouGov survey of healthcare workers commissioned by Assura, 27% of doctors, nurses and carers said these buildings had fallen below standards, with narrow corridors, rooms inaccessible for wheelchairs and unsatisfactory staff spaces cited. Changes which most needed to be made in these buildings, according to staff, are more flexible space, more face-to-face consulting rooms, more outdoor spaces, and room for more onsite treatments. The survey, which aims to gather data on how to approach future building design post-Covid-19, surveyed 1,012 healthcare workers in the UK in June.  Assura chief executive officer Jonathan Murphy said: “The last three months have shown us just how much more there is to do – shining a light like never before on the flexibility and innovation needed to create the right environments for the care we’ll need in our communities in future.  “This includes embedding greater use of digital technology in primary care, and to give healthcare professionals the workplaces they want to see.” To send feedback, e-mail lucy.alderson@egi.co.uk or tweet @LucyAJourno or @estatesgazette