Foreword

WHILE THE people and the technology can often seem the stars of the show in any hospital and, of course, they are critical components, there is another critical component in the modern hospital that rarely gets any attention, let alone star billing. That’s the floor, the surface on which all the people, equipment and processes quite literally stand as well as the surface where a very high proportion of any discards, spillage or lost bodily fluids are likely to settle. Therefore, it can honestly be said that the quality of materials, installation and maintenance for the floor are critical factors in successful treatments and infection control.

We’ve set out in this paper to look more closely at the hospital floor, with a first article from Flowcrete, a market-leading manufacturer of seamless resin flooring and cementitious floor screeds for commercial and industrial projects, about a material innovation that looks likely to add value to hospital flooring in several ways – quality, durability and cost effectiveness. John Hancock then takes a broad view of the hospital and healthcare facility floor, why floors are important and what capabilities and requirements that importance dictates. Next, Camilla Slade considers how to ensure that the floor meets all that is required of it throughout its lifetime and what priorities should govern the specification and procurement of a good floor.

Peter Dunwell takes on the task of matching flooring to its different tasks for various groups, especially patients and staff, in a healthcare facility. He also goes into the role of maintenance and cleaning and how the choice of floor can make those tasks easier and more effective. Finally, John Hancock, again, looks at the main materials available for health care flooring and how they compare in performance, durability and cost.

Far from being ‘just’ the floor, the floor in a hospital or healthcare facility is an integral part of the healthcare process.

John Hancock Editor

John Hancock an Editor of Hospital Reports Europe, has worked in healthcare reporting and review for many years. A journalist for nearly 30 years, John has written and edited articles, papers and books on a range of medical and management topics. Subjects have included management of long-term conditions, elective and non-elective surgery, wound management, complex health issues, Schizophrenia, health risks of travel, local health management and NHS management.