Part B – Health Facility Briefing & Design

120 Inpatient Unit – Paediatric & Adolescent

International Health Facility Guidelines

Version 11, September 2023
Inpatient Unit – Paediatric & Adolescent

Table of Contents

120 Inpatient Unit – Paediatric & Adolescent ................................................................................ 3

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Description .................................................................................................................................................. 3
2 Functional and Planning Considerations ............................................................................................... 3
Models of Care ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Planning Models .......................................................................................................................................... 4
3 Unit Planning Models ................................................................................................................................ 6
Functional Zones ....................................................................................................................................... 14
4 Functional Relationships........................................................................................................................ 16
Functional Relationships Diagram............................................................................................................. 17
5 Design Considerations ........................................................................................................................... 18
Patient Treatment Areas ........................................................................................................................... 18
Environmental Considerations .................................................................................................................. 18
Space Standards and Components .......................................................................................................... 19
Accessibility ............................................................................................................................................... 24
Doors ......................................................................................................................................................... 24
Safety and Security ................................................................................................................................... 24
Finishes ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
Fixtures & Fittings...................................................................................................................................... 25
Building Services Requirements ............................................................................................................... 25
Infection Control ........................................................................................................................................ 26
6 Standard Components of the Unit ......................................................................................................... 28
Standard Components .............................................................................................................................. 28
Non-Standard Components....................................................................................................................... 28
7 Schedule of Equipment (SOE) ............................................................................................................... 30
8 Schedule of Accommodation ................................................................................................................. 30
Inpatient Unit-Paediatric & Adolescent ...................................................................................................... 31
9 Further Reading....................................................................................................................................... 34

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120 Inpatient Unit – Paediatric & Adolescent

1 Introduction
The prime function of the Inpatient Unit – Paediatric & Adolescent is to provide appropriate
accommodation for the delivery of health care services for paediatric and adolescent patients for a
defined age group, typically babies to children from 28 days to 17 years of age. However, while
designing, children between 28 days to 12 years of age have to be separated from 13 to 17 years
of age. It is highly recommended to separate the genders.
Many requirements of this unit are similar to the Inpatient Unit, General, with some added facilities
which are age-specific such as play, activity and family support areas.
Description
Paediatric and Adolescent patients can be co-located in the same unit in order to provide suitable
care, treatment, therapy, and activities for the age ranges accommodated. The Unit also provides
facilities and conditions to meet the needs of parents, families and visitors as well as the
workplace requirements of staff.
The Paediatric & Adolescent Inpatient Unit will accommodate medical and surgical patients. In
larger health facilities, this Unit may include high dependency paediatric patients that may include
cardiac, neurology/ neurosurgery, aged care and orthopaedic patients.
2 Functional and Planning Considerations
Models of Care
Generally, the Paediatric & Adolescent Unit will provide family centred care, with parents playing a
key role in the care of the patient.
Examples of the Models of Care that may be implemented include:
▪ Patient allocation, which involves a group of patients to nursing staff who undertake complete
care and treatment. This model allows staff to become skilled with varying patient care acuities
but requires the assignment of patients suitable to the experience and capabilities of the nursing
staff
▪ Task assignment, where nursing staff are assigned patient care tasks that are undertaken on
all patients. This model is efficient in delivery of patient care where there are minimal staff
resources, such as night shifts
▪ Team nursing, where nursing staff are divided into teams and assigned a group of patients to
undertake all patient care. This model provides for a differing skill mix of staff and allows more
junior staff to be directly supervised by more experienced staff
▪ Case management where nursing staff with particular skills or specialties are assigned patients
related to the same specialty. This model provides for specialist care of the more acutely ill
patients and allows staff to specialise in particular clinical areas
▪ Multi-disciplinary care, where comprehensive range of generalist services by teams including
GP’s, nursing staff, allied health professionals and other health workers. This model provides
an inclusive patient care and treatment program
▪ A combination of the above
The physical environment should permit of a range of models of care to be implemented, allowing
flexibility for future change.

Levels of Care
The levels of care will range from acute nursing care specialist with a progression to intermediate
care and finally self-care with family assistance prior for discharge. High observation care will
generally be undertaken in a tertiary hospital being RDL 5 and 6.

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Planning Models
Bed Numbers and Complement
The Inpatient Unit – Paediatric & Adolescent may contain up to 30 patient beds (plus/minus 2),
although 26-27 beds are recommended to provide space for play, activity, and family areas.
Additionally, this allows for Inpatient tower arrangements to be created which are identical in size
and length. For each group of 30 beds (plus/minus 2) or part thereof, one lot of support rooms is
expected in a similar manner to the Inpatient Unit, General.
The total number of beds may be reduced in order to incorporate family communal space,
activities and play areas within the unit for convenience of patients.
A minimum of 80% of the total bed complement shall be provided as Single Bedrooms in an
Inpatient Unit used for overnight stay. Not only the current trend is to provide a greater proportion
of single bed rooms largely for infection control reasons but having parents staying overnight with
a younger patient in the patient bedroom is a common practice.

Swing Beds
For flexibility and added options for utilisation it may be desirable to include provisions for Swing
Beds. This may be a single bed or a group of beds that may be quickly converted from one
category of use to another. An example might be long-stay beds which may be temporarily used
as acute beds at a time of high occupancy. Other examples may include a group of shared beds
located between two adjoining Inpatient Units which may experience fluctuating utilisation rates.
At any given time, swing beds are part of an Inpatient Unit in terms of the total number of beds
and the supporting components of the units whilst taking advantage of the additional 15 bed
extension when required. Three typical permutations of Swing Beds are shown below:
Example 1 – 3 full units back-to-back

Example 2 – Two full units and intermediate 15 bed swing bed unit

Example 3 – Two half units sharing a swing bed half unit

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Facility design for swing beds often enabled by adding wide doors within the connecting corridor.
These doors may be closed or held-open depending on the swing bed numbers required on one
side or the other.
By closing one set of doors whilst opening all other doors, the swing bedrooms may be shifted
from one Unit to the adjoining Unit. This technique will also require provision for switching patient/
nurse call operation from the Staff Station in one Unit to the other Unit. Security aspects of this
arrangement should also be considered, for example in situations where access control is
preferred between the Units.
The diagram below shows the typical configuration of swing beds.

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3 Unit Planning Models

There are a number of common and acceptable planning models for Inpatient Units. Most plans
can be categorised and diagrammatically reduced to one of the following geometric forms which
are named for convenience. Each model has its own potential and should be studied thoroughly
along with the particular local conditions to achieve the best results. The planning options include
the following:

Linear Single corridor configuration. Patient

and support rooms are clustered along
1 a single corridor.

Racetrack Double corridor configuration. Patient

rooms are located on the external
2 aspects of the unit and support rooms
are clustered in the central areas in a
racetrack configuration.

L shaped Single corridor configuration. A

variation of the linear model where two
3 linear wings are joined at 90 degrees
to create the “L” shape.

T shaped Single corridor configuration. A

variation of the linear model, where
4 two linear wings intersect to create a
“T” shape.

Hybrid T Combination of the Racetrack model

and T model. The entrance wing has a
5 racetrack configuration with support
services in the centre. This splits into
two wings at 90 degrees to form a “T”
shape.

+ shaped Single corridor configuration. A

variation of the linear model, where
6 two linear wings intersect
approximately in the centre to create a
“+” shape.

In all models, the security of the unit for adolescent and paediatric patients must be provided.
Paediatric Inpatient accommodation should be provided with predominantly single bedrooms with
only a small number of possible two bedrooms. Rooms with 3 or more beds should not be used
for new Paediatric Units.

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Linear (single corridor) Model 1a

Linear (single corridor) Model 1b

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Racetrack (double corridor) Model 2a

Racetrack (double corridor) Model 2b

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L shaped Corridor Model 3

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T shaped Corridor Model 4

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Hybrid T shaped Corridor Model 5

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Cruciform Corridor Model 6

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Bed Configurations
In the above diagrams, the number and type of the patient bedrooms are symbolic.
In actual design, the recommended efficient bed number per unit is 26 to 27 beds.

The bedroom types may be:

▪ Single bedrooms; or
▪ 2-bed rooms
▪ 4-bed rooms
However, require the use of only single and 2-bed rooms for all new facilities and refurbishments
or extensions of existing facilities.

The Ensuite (means attached) Bathrooms can be according to one of the following permutations:

Back-to-Back rooms may be handed or mirrored.

Mirrored configuration is most common due to the sharing of services risers.

If standardisation of the patient bed heads is preferred by the operators, this can be achieved
even as the room itself is mirrored. This, however, is not mandatory.

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Functional Zones
The Paediatric & Adolescent Inpatient Accommodation Unit will comprise the following Functional
Zones:
▪ Entry/ Reception area (may also be a shared area or provided at the Main Entry) with
- Reception desk, (optional)
- Visitors Lounge, can be shared between 2 Units
- Interview Room
- Gowning for Staff and Visitors (optional)
▪ Patient Areas - areas where patients are accommodated, and facilities specifically intended for
the patients including:
- Bedrooms
- Ensuites
- Patient Lounge
- Patient Laundry for specialist Units
▪ Activities areas - multi-purpose areas for recreational activities including, indoor and outdoor
play areas, television, music, computer activities, schooling or learning activities and family
communal space
▪ Support Areas - areas used by staff to support the activities of the unit including:
- Beverage Bay or Pantry
- Bays for handwashing, linen, meal trolleys, resus trolley, mobile equipment etc.
- Cleaner’s room
- Clean and Dirty Utility rooms
- Stores for equipment and general stock
▪ Staff Areas - areas accessed by staff, including:
- Staff Station and Office for Clinical Handover
- Offices for administration
▪ Shared Areas - public and staff areas that may be shared by two or more Inpatient Units
including:
- Bathroom (Assisted)
- Visitor Lounge
- Public Amentities
- Staff Amenities with Staff Room, Toilets and Locker areas
- Treatment Room, according to service demand
These Functional Areas are briefly explained below.

Entry/ Reception Area

The Reception is the receiving hub of the unit and may be used to control the security of the Unit.
A Waiting Lounge for visitors may be provided with access to separate male/ female toilet facilities
and prayer rooms. Waiting areas may be shared between 2 or 3 Inpatient Units if they are located
adjacent to each other. Optionally, visitor and staff gowning, and Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) may also be located immediately at the entrance for infection control purposes in case
ward isolation becomes necessary during a break-out.
Patient Areas
Patient Areas will include:
▪ Bedrooms – These may include 1 or 2 bedrooms for a new facility. Existing facilities undergoing
minor refurbishment may retain 3 or 4 bedrooms. More than 5 beds are not recommended.
- One Bed Room is reffered to as Single or Private room. Two + bed rooms are referred
to as Shared Bedrooms. The preference is for a Single rooms in a new hospitals
setting. If this is not economically feasible, then 2-bed rooms may also be considered.
In new facilities at least 50% of all beds should be in Single rooms

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- Paediatric bedrooms will generally include facilities for parents to stay with the child
overnight. Therefore a single room or a large 2 bed rooms are desirable and the mix of
bed room types are dependent on the operational policy of the facility. In hospital
where bed rooms are with either a single bed or two beds, a room for 2 beds may be
used to accommodate a single bed when the Unit has not reached a maximum
occupancy. When occupancy increases, an additional bed can be added to all rooms
designed for 2 beds to reach maximum occupancy. Managing bed allocation this way
combines maximum patient privacy with economy
- Besides the standard 1 and 2 bed rooms, other types of patient rooms will also be
required including isolation rooms
- Each single bed rooms should be designed to accommodate a sofa bed (parent can
stay overnight), toys and recreational space, mobility and walking aids. All toys used in
the unit must be cleanable
- The room may contain a bed, cot or bassinet dependant of the age of the patient
- A variety of patient bedrooms will be required in each Inpatient Unit. These are listed
in the Schedule of Accomodation within this FPU
▪ Ensuites- each ensuite includes a toilet, shower and wash basin. Provide a minimum of one
toilet per 4 Inpatient beds in shared rooms (ideal is one per 2 beds) and 1 toilet per private
Inpatient room. Optionally, in multi-bedded rooms two separate rooms may be provided one
with toilet and wash basin and the other one with shower and hand wash basin. Ensuite may
only serve one room. Ensuites may not be shared between two rooms.
▪ Lounge areas-may be optional where all patient bedrooms are Single. However, Patient
Lounge are required where the Unit includes shared bedrooms. The Lounge may also be used
in a flexible manner as a “discharge lounge” in case of overflow. Patients can be held in the
lounge until the formalities of discharge are finalised.
▪ Multi-purpose Activities- separate areas or rooms may be configured as multi-purpose rooms
for various common age ranges and used for a variety of recreational or educational activities,
meetings or parent facilities.
▪ Treatment Room – a separate treatment room to avoid distressing procedures being
undertaken in the patient bedroom.
All Patient areas are to comply with Standard Components included in these Guidelines.
Other Inpatient Units with specific clinical specialties are also available in these Guidelines. They
include Bariatric, General, Long-Term Care (LTC), Mental Health and Rehabilitation. These can
be found in Part B - Functional Planning Units.
Support Areas
Support Areas include:
▪ Handwashing, Linen, and Equipment bays
▪ Clean Utility, Dirty Utility and Disposal Rooms
▪ Beverage Bays and Pantries
▪ Formula preparation and milk storage room
▪ Meeting Room/s and Interview rooms for education sessions, interviews with staff, patients and
families and other meetings

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Staff Areas
Staff Areas will consist of:
▪ Offices and workstations
▪ Staff Room
▪ Staff Station and clinical handover room
▪ Toilets, Shower and Lockers
Note 1: Offices and workstations will be required for administrative as well as clinical functions to
facilitate educational/ research activities
Note 2: Staff Areas, particularly Staff Rooms, Toilets, Showers and Lockers may be shared with
adjacent Units as far as possible
Shared Areas
In addition to the shared Staff areas above, Shared Areas include:
▪ Patient Bathroom (assisted)
▪ Treatment Room
▪ Public Toilets
▪ Visitor Lounge
▪ Family Visiting Room (if culturally required)
▪ Some of the Staff Areas
4 Functional Relationships
The Inpatient Unit – Paediatric & Adolescent requires good functional relationships to ensure the
efficient delivery of services whenever multidisciplinary expertise needed.

External Relationships
Principal relationships with other Units include:
▪ Ready access to diagnostic facilities such as Medical Imaging
▪ Ready access from the Emergency Unit and Critical Care Units (ICU and CCU)
▪ Ready access to Clinical Laboratories and Pharmacy (may be via Pneumatic Tube System)
▪ Ready access to Materials Management, Housekeeping and Catering Units
▪ Inpatient Surgical Units require ready access to Operation/ Day Procedures Units
Principal relationships with public areas include:
▪ Easy access from the Main Entrance of a facility
▪ Easy access to public amenities
▪ Easy access to parking for visitors
Principal relationships with Staff Areas:
▪ Ready access to staff amenities which may be shared by multiple Units in a central location
Note: Paediatric & Adolescent Inpatient Units must not be located so that access to one Unit is via
another Unit with the Swing Bed components being the only exception.

Internal Relationships
Optimum internal relationships include:
▪ Patient occupied areas as the core of the unit
▪ The Staff Station and associated areas need direct access and observation of Patient Area
corridors

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▪ Utility and storage areas need ready access to both patient and staff work areas
▪ Public Areas should be on the outer edge of the Unit
▪ Shared Areas should be easily accessible from the Units served without passing through
another Unit
Functional Relationships Diagram
The functional relationships of a typical Paediatric & Adolescent Inpatient Unit in the Racetrack
Model are demonstrated in the diagram below. Other Models must also consider the same
relationships but implemented in different ways.

Important and desirable external relationships outlined in the diagram include:

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▪ Clear Goods/ Service/ Staff Entrance

- Access to/ from key clinical units associated with patient arrivals/ transfers via service
corridor
- Access to/ from key diagnostic facilities via service corridor
- Entry for staff via the public or service corridor
- Access to shared staff break and property areas via service corridor
- Access to/ from Materials, Catering and Housekeeping Units via service corridor
▪ Clear Public Entrance
- Entry for ambulant patients and visitors directly from dedicated lift and public corridor
- Access to/ from key public areas, such as the main entrance, parking and cafeteria from
the public corridor and lift
Important and desirable internal relationships outlined in the diagram include:
▪ Bedroom(s) on the perimeter arranged in a racetrack model (other Planning Models are also
suitable)
▪ Staff Station is centralised for maximum patient visibility and access
▪ Clinical support areas located close to Staff Station(s) and centralised for ease of staff access
▪ Administrative areas located at the Unit entry and adjacent to Staff Station
▪ The Patient Lounge located close to the Unit entry allowing relatives to visit patients without
traversing the entire Unit
▪ Reception located at Unit entry for control over entry corridor
▪ Personal Protective Equipment Bays located at entry for both Staff and Visitors for infection
control during ward isolation

5 Design Considerations
Patient Treatment Areas
The Paediatric & Adolescent Unit should be designed so that the majority of patient rooms may be
observed by nursing staff.
The Inpatient Unit – Paediatric bedrooms should be designed to accommodate a parent overnight,
toys and recreational space, mobility, and walking aids. All toys used in the unit must be
cleanable.
The room may contain a bed, cot or bassinet but all rooms should be capable of accommodating a
full-sized bed.
Bariatric paediatric/ Adolescent patients may also need to be accommodated and one bedroom
should be sized to accommodate a larger bed with lifting equipment.
Environmental Considerations
Acoustics
The Paediatric Inpatient Unit should be designed to minimise the ambient noise level within the
unit and transmission of sound between patient areas, staff areas and public areas. Consideration
should be given to the location of noisy areas or activity, preferably placing them away from quiet
areas including patient bedrooms.
Acoustic treatment will be required to the following:
▪ Patient bedrooms
▪ Play and activities areas
▪ Interview and meeting rooms
▪ Treatment rooms

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▪ Staff rooms
▪ Toilets and showers

Natural Light
The use of natural light should be maximised throughout the Unit. Windows are an important
aspect of sensory orientation and psychological well-being of patients. All bedrooms require a
window providing natural light. Natural light is desirable in other patient areas such as lounge
rooms. Windows should provide an open and pleasant outlook, preferably to a landscaped area is
highly desirable.
Bedrooms may be organised with windows surrounding an internal courtyards (open to the sky)
where natural light penetrates. It may be organised to face an internal multi-storey atrium as long
as the atrium itself receives natural light. Care should be taken to prevent any privacy issues if
rooms face an internal atrium.

Observation and Privacy

The design of the Paediatric & Adolescent Inpatient Unit needs to consider the contradictory
requirement for staff visibility of patients while maintaining patient privacy. Unit design and location
of staff stations will offer varying degrees of visibility and privacy. The patient acuity including high
dependency or intermediate care will be a major influence.
Each bed shall be provided with bed screens to ensure privacy of patients undergoing treatment
in both private and shared inpatient rooms. Refer to the Standard Components in these
Guidelines for examples.
Other factors for consideration include:
▪ Use of windows in internal walls and/ or doors, provision of privacy blinds; room used for
paediatric patients should have glazed doors to the top and bottom in order to observe children
on the floor
▪ Location of sanitary facilities to provide privacy for patients while not preventing observation by
staff
▪ Location of external/ internal courtyards or atrium facing bedroom windows to prevent others
from looking into the bedrooms
Space Standards and Components
Room Capacity and Dimensions
Maximum room capacity is six patients in a room. It is recommended that all patient bedrooms are
either single or shared by 2 beds in new facilities. Although 4-bed rooms and 6-bed rooms are
permitted but they are not recommended and should be avoided.
Minimum dimensions, excluding such items as ensuites, built-in robes, alcoves, lockers, entrance
lobbies and floor mounted mechanical equipment shall be as follows:

ROOM TYPE WIDTH LENGTH

Single Bed Room 4200 mm 3650 mm

Two Bed Room 4200 mm 6450 mm

Four Bed Room
8400 mm 6400 mm
(existing facilities only)
Six Bed Room
8400 mm 8950 mm
(existing facilities only)

Depending on the operational policy, these spaces should accommodate comfortable furniture for
one or two family members/ carers without interfering staff member access to patients.

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Minimum room dimensions are based on overall bed dimensions (buffer to buffer) of 2250 mm
long x 1050 mm wide. Minor encroachments including columns and hand basins that do not
interfere with functions may be ignored when determining space requirements.

Bed Spacing/ Clearances

Bed dimensions become a critical consideration in ascertaining final room sizes. The dimensions
noted in these Guidelines are intended as minimums and do not prohibit the use of larger rooms
where required.
All patient beds must comply with standard components for fittings, furniture, mechanical and
electrical services, and staff call systems including the clearances that they imply.
Refer to the diagrams below for required clearances. These are intended to indicate the clearance
around beds and are not design suggestions of the room.

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Typical Single Bedrooms

In single bedrooms there shall be a minimum clearance of 900mm (1200mm recommended) to
both sides of the bed and a clearance of 1200 mm available at the foot of the bed to allow for easy
movement of equipment and beds.

The clearance required around a bed in a single room is represented diagrammatically below:

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Multiple Bedrooms
In multiple bedrooms such as 2-bed rooms, the minimum distance between beds shall be 900 mm
to each side of each bed and 1200mm at the foot of each bed and between the side of a bed and
a wall; the distance between bed centrelines must not be less than 2900 mm.
Paediatric bedrooms that contain cots may have reduced bed centres, but consideration must be
given to the spatial needs of visiting relatives. To allow for more flexible use of the room the above
clearances are still recommended. Consider allowing additional floor area within the room for the
children to play.

The clearance required around beds is represented diagrammatically below:

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Multiple Bed Bays

In multiple-bed bays, the minimum distance between beds shall be 900 mm to each side of each
bed.1200mm clearance shall be provided at the foot of the bed and between the side of a bed and
a wall; the distance between bed centrelines should not be less than 2900 mm.
Paediatric bedrooms that contain cots may have reduced bed centres, but consideration must be
given to the spatial needs of visiting relatives. To allow for more flexible use of the room the 2900
mm centre line is still recommended. Considering allowing additional floor area within the room for
the children to play.
The clearance required around beds in multiple-bed rooms and chair spaces is represented
diagrammatically below:

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Accessibility
Bedrooms and Ensuites should comply with accessibility requirements in accordance to applicable
standards (regional and international) and determined by the service plan. Accessible bedrooms
and ensuites should enable normal activity for wheelchair dependant patients, as opposed to
patients who are in a wheelchair as a result of their hospitalisation.
Doors
Door openings to Inpatient bedrooms shall have a minimum of 1350mm clear opening (although
1400mm is recommended) to allow for easy movement of beds and equipment.
Safety and Security
The Paediatric & Adolescent Inpatient Unit shall provide a safe and secure environment for
babies, toddlers, paediatric patients, staff, and visitors, while remaining a non-threatening and
supportive atmosphere conducive to recovery.
The facility, furniture, fittings, and equipment must be designed and constructed in such a way that
children and all other users of the facility are not exposed to avoid any possible risks of injury.
Fittings, surfaces, and furniture should have rounded edges and no small/ removable elements. All
cupboards should be provided with locks.
In a Paediatric/ Adolescent Unit the provision of security wrist bands with RFID monitoring at
doorways including fire doors is optional but highly recommended.
Security issues are important, to prevent children wandering and to provide protection from
intruders and unauthorised personnel.
The arrangement of spaces and zones shall offer a high standard of security through the grouping
of like functions, control over access and egress from the Unit and the provision of optimum
observation for staff. The level of observation and visibility has security implications. The Unit may
include child proof security barriers to prevent access to other areas.
Refer also to Part C – Access, Mobility, OH&S in these Guidelines.

Drug Storage
Drugs prescribed at the hospital should not be stored in the patient bedroom. Each Inpatient
Accommodation Unit shall have a dedicated lockable storage room with restricted staff access.
Optionally, this room could either be a Clean Utility room incorporating medication storage or in a
stand-alone Medication Room.
In both scenarios, the room must contain:
▪ Benches and shelving
▪ Lockable cupboards for the manual storage of restricted substances or provision of an
automated Medication Management Systems
▪ Controlled or dangerous drugs must be kept in a secure cabinet within the Medication Room
with an alarm
▪ A refrigerator, as required; to store restricted substances, it must be lockable or housed within
a lockable storage area
▪ Controlled access by staff only with CCTV surveillance camera/s
▪ Medication Room must have space for parking a medication trolley
Note: Storage for dangerous and controlled drugs must be in accordance with the relevant
legislation and not stored in a patient bedroom.
Finishes
Finishes including building fabric, floor, wall and ceiling finishes, should be relaxing and non-
institutional as far as possible. The following additional factors should be considered in the
selection of finishes:
▪ Acoustic properties
▪ Durability

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▪ Ease of cleaning
▪ Infection control
▪ Fire safety
▪ Movement of equipment
In areas where clinical observation is critical such as bedrooms and treatment areas, lighting and
colour selected must not impede the accurate assessment of skin tones.
Walls shall be painted with lead free paint.

Wall protection shall be provided where bed and trolley movement occurs such as corridors,
patients’ bedrooms, equipment and linen storage, and treatment areas.
Fixtures & Fittings
Bed Screens
In both single and multiple-bed rooms, visual privacy (bed screens) from casual observation by
other patients and visitors shall be provided for each patient. The design for privacy shall not
restrict patient access to the entrance, toilet or shower. The same should also be considered in
single rooms. Bed screens must be cleaned and washed regularly.
Select fabric that is waterproof, fireproof and optimally with antimicrobial property. Disposable bed
screens are another option if it aligns with the Infection Control Policy of the facility. In isolation
rooms or patient rooms used for quarantine, disposable bed screens could be a more appropriate
option than regular bed screens.

Curtains/ Blinds
Each room shall have partial blackout facilities (blinds or lined curtains) to allow children to rest
during the daytime. Similar to bed screens, window curtains shall be fireproof, waterproof and be
cleaned often.
Compliance with the relevant local Authority for the required level of fire resistance should be
ensured.
If blinds are to be used instead of curtains, the following will apply:
▪ Blinds must not have dangling cords that children may entangle
▪ Vertical or roller blinds are better alternatives than horizontal blinds as horizontal blinds have
more surfaces for collecting dust
▪ Horizontal blinds can be fitted within a double-glazed window assembly with a knob control on
the one side (commonly the bedroom side) or with a dual control (both sides) depending on the
location of the window This option is preferrable in rooms used for isolation.

Window Treatments
Window treatments should be durable and easy to clean. Consideration may be given to use of
double glazing with integral blinds, tinted glass, reflective glass, exterior overhangs or louvers to
control the level of lighting.
Building Services Requirements
This section only identifies unit specific services briefing requirements and must be read in
conjunction with Part E - Engineering Services for a complete list of applicable parameters and
standards.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Unit design should address the following Information Technology/ Communications issues:
▪ Health Information System (HIS)
▪ Electronic Health Records (EHR)
▪ Hand-held tablets and other smart devices
▪ Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS)

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▪ Paging and personal telephones replacing some aspects of call systems

▪ Data entry including scripts and investigation requests
▪ Bar coding system
▪ Data and communication outlets, servers, and communication room requirements
▪ Wi-Fi access for staff, patients and/or visitors

Staff Call
Hospitals must provide an electronic call system that allows patients to alert staff or other allied
healthcare in a discreet manner at all times.
Patient calls are to be registered at the Staff Stations and must be audible within the service areas
of the Unit including Clean Utilities and Dirty Utilities. If calls are not answered the call system
should escalate the call priority. The Nurse Call system may also use mobile paging systems or
SMS to notify staff of a call.

Patient Entertainment Systems

Patients may be provided with entertainment/ communications systems according to the
Operational Policy of the facility including:
▪ Television
▪ Telephone
▪ Internet (Wi-Fi) access

Pneumatic Tube Systems

The Paediatric & Adolescent Inpatient Unit may include a pneumatic tube station, as determined
by the facility Operational Policy. If provided the station should be located in close proximity to the
Staff Station or under direct staff supervision. When required, a second PTS station may be
provided within the medication storage area.

Hydraulics
Warm water supplied to all areas accessed by patients within the Inpatient Unit should be
maintained at 38oC and shall not exceed 43oC. This requirement applies to all staff handwash
basins and sinks in patient accessible areas.
Refer to Part E - Engineering Services for details.

Heating Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC)

The air temperature in inpatient areas should be capable of being maintained along with relative
humidity. A local thermostat in the patient room should be provided from which room temperature
can be adjusted by the occupant.
All HVAC units and systems are to comply with services identified in Standard Components and
Part E – Engineering Services in these Guidelines.

Medical Gases
Medical gas is intended for administration to a patient in anaesthesia, therapy, diagnosis or
resuscitation.
Medical gases shall be installed, readily available and dedicate for each patient and they must not
be shared between two patients even in a shared inpatient room.
Oxygen, medical air and suction must be provided to all Inpatient beds. Medical gases will be
provided for each bed according to the quantities noted in the Standard Components - Room Data
Sheets.
Infection Control
Hand Basins
Hand-washing facilities are to be provided in the corridors, patient bedrooms and other rooms as
specified for the Standard Components. They shall not impact on minimum clear widths. At least
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one is to be conveniently accessible to the Staff Station. Hand basins are to comply with Standard
Components – Bay – Hand-washing and Part D – Infection Control of these Guidelines.
Hand Basins Inpatient bedrooms are provided exclusively to be use by staff for infection control
considerations. Hand basins are available in the ensuites for patients and their visitors which shall
not be used by Staff.
Antiseptic Hand Sanitisers
Antiseptic hand rubs should be provided in areas where they can be used frequently, such as at
points of care, nearby patient beds, and in high-traffic areas. Antiseptic Hand Rubs are always
welcome and useful, but they shall be provided in addition to Hand Wash Bays and not as a
substitute.
Antiseptic hand rubs are to comply with Part D – Infection Control in these Guidelines.
Isolation Rooms
Isolation Rooms can only accommodate 1 patient bed per room. At least one 'Class N’ (Negative
Pressure) Isolation Room shall be provided for each 30 (plus/minus 2) beds or two can be
provided for each 60 beds. These beds in isolation rooms may be used for normal acute care
when not required for isolation.
According to the Hospital's Clinical Service Plan or the recommendation of the Infection Control
officers, additional 'Class P' (Positive Pressure) may be provided.
Refer to Part D – Infection Control in these Guidelines.

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6 Standard Components of the Unit

Standard Components
Standard Components are typical rooms within a health facility, each represented by a Room Data
Sheet (RDS) and a Room Layout Sheet (RLS). Sometimes, there are more than one configuration
possible and therefore, more than one room layout sheet can be found in the Standard
Components for a room with same function. They may differ in room size and/or the requirement
of FF & FE items.
The Room Data Sheets are presented in a written format, describing the minimum briefing
requirements of each room type divided into the following categories:
▪ Room Primary Information; includes Briefed Area, Occupancy, Room Description and
relationships, and special room requirements)
▪ Building Fabric and Finishes; identifies the fabric and finish required for the room ceiling, floor,
walls, doors, and glazing requirements
▪ Furniture and Fittings; lists all the fittings and furniture typically located in the room; Furniture
and Fittings are identified with a group number indicating who is responsible for providing the
item according to a widely accepted description as follows:
Group Description
1 Provided and installed by the Builder/ Contractor
2 Provided by the Client and installed by the Builder/Contractor
3 Provided and installed by the Client

▪ Fixtures and Equipment; includes all the serviced equipment commonly located in the room
along with the services required such as power, data, water supply and drainage; Fixtures and
Equipment are also identified with a group number as above indicating who is responsible for
provision
▪ Building Services - indicates the requirement for communications, power, HVAC (Heating,
Ventilation and Air Conditioning), medical gases, nurse/ emergency call and lighting along with
quantities and types where appropriate. Provision of all services items listed is mandatory.
The Room Layout Sheets (RLS’s) are indicative plan layouts and elevations illustrating an
example of good design. The RLS indicated are deemed to satisfy these Guidelines. Alternative
layouts and innovative planning shall be deemed to comply with these Guidelines provided that
the following criteria are met:
▪ Compliance with the text of these Guidelines
▪ Minimum floor areas as shown in the schedule of accommodation
▪ Clearances and accessibility around various objects shown or implied
▪ Inclusion of all mandatory items identified in the RDS
Standard Components have considered the required design parameters described in these
Guidelines. Each FPU should be designed with compliance to Standard Components - Room Data
Sheets and Room Layout Sheets, nominated in the Schedules of Accommodation in Appendices
of this FPU.
Non-Standard Components
Non-standard rooms are identified in the schedules of accommodation as NS and are identified
below.

Activities/ Recreation Room

The Activities/ Recreation room will provide an indoor room for noisy activities including watching
TV, play, listen to music or access computer activities. The room should be suitable for a range of
ages including adolescents. Requirements include:
▪ Non-Standard Components:

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▪ Non-standard rooms are identified in the schedules of accommodation as NS and are identified
below:
▪ Activities / Recreation Room
- The Activities/ Recreation room will provide an indoor room for noisy activities
including watching TV, play, listen to music or access computer activities. The room
should be suitable for a range of ages including adolescents
- Requirements include:
- TV
- Computer or computer tablets
- Lounge chairs, soft seating
- Cushioned flooring suitable for children to sit on the floor
▪ Wi-Fi access

Multi-purpose Room
This room may be used for a variety of quiet activities including schooling, and meetings with staff
or families. Requirements include:
▪ Desk and chair
▪ Meeting and activities table
▪ Comfortable seating to suit the room purpose
▪ Wi-Fi access

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7 Schedule of Equipment (SOE)

The Schedule of Equipment and Furniture lists for the major equipment required in this FPU.
Room Name
1 Bed Room, Room Code (1br-st-18-i)
Air flowmeter Oxygen flowmeter
Bed: inpatient, electric Locker: bedside
Suction adapter Table: overbed
1 Bed Room - Isolation, Room Code (1br-is-p-28-i, 1br-is-i-28-i)
Air flowmeter Locker: bedside
Bed: inpatient, electric Oxygen flowmeter
Infusion pump: single channel Suction adapter
Table: overbed
1 Bed Room - Large, Room Code (1br-lg-30-i)
Air flowmeter Oxygen flowmeter
Bed: inpatient, electric Suction adapter
Locker: bedside Table: overbed

8 Schedule of Accommodation
The Schedule of Accommodation (SOA) provided in the Appendices of this FPU represents
generic requirements for this Unit. It identifies the rooms required along with the room quantities
and the recommended room areas. The sum of the room areas is shown as the Sub Total as the
Net Area. The total area comprises of the sub-total areas of these rooms plus an additional
percentage of the sub-total applied as the circulation (corridors within the Unit). Circulation is
represented as a percentage is the minimum recommended target area. Any external areas and
optional rooms/ spaces are not included in the total areas in the SOA.
Within the SOA, room sizes indicated for typical units and are organised into functional zones. Not
all rooms identified are mandatory, therefore, some rooms are found as optional in the
corresponding Remarks. These Guidelines do not dictate the size of the facilities and the SOA
provided represents a limited sample based on assumed unit sizes. The actual size of the facilities
is determined by the Service Planning or Feasibility Studies. Quantities of rooms need to be
proportionally adjusted to suit the desired unit size and service needs.
The Schedule of Accommodation are developed for particular levels of services knowns as Role
Delineation Level (RDL) and numbered from 1 to 6. Applicable RDL’s are noted in each SOA
provided in the appendices and not necessarily all six RDL’s are applicable. Refer to Part A for a
full description of the RDL’s

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Inpatient Unit-Paediatric & Adolescent

ROOM/ SPACE Standard Component RDLs 3 to 6 Remarks
Room Codes Qty x m2
Unit Size 26 Beds
Entrance/ Reception Qty x m2
Reception/ Clerical recl-10-i 1 x 10
Lounge - Visitor wait-30-i 1 x 30 Divided into male/female areas. Area may be enlarged to increase seating capacity
Meeting Room - Small meet-9-i similar 1 x 9 Interviews with family
Toilet - Public wcpu-3-i 2 x 3 Separate Male and Female. Minimum 1 pair per floor
Toilet - Accessible wcac-i 1 x 6 Minimum 1 per floor
Patient Areas
1 Bedroom - Standard 1br-st-18-i 19 x 18 Mix and number depend on service demand
Class N rooms are mandatory according to the ratios nominated in this FPU. Any isolation
room may be combined with the mandatory Bariatric room to form and Isolation Bariatric
1 Bed Room - Isolation 1br-is-i-18-i or 1br-is-p-18-i 1 x 18
room at 28m2 (1br-is-p-28-i or 1br-is-i-28-i). Class P isolation rooms according to the clinical
services plan.
Anteroom anrm-i 1 x 6 For 1 Bedroom - Isolation
Minimum 1 per unit of 30 beds required for use by Bariatrics. Include Dialysis outlet and
1 Bedroom - Large 1br-lg-30-i 1 x 30 follow minimum Bariatric Standards. This room may also be combined with any Isolation
room to form an Isolation Bariatric room at 28m2.
1 Bedroom - VIP 1br-vip-36-i 1 x 36 Provide according to service demand
2 Bedroom 2br-st-30-i 2 x 30 Mix and number depend on service demand
Ensuite - Standard ens-st-i or ens-st-a-i 23 x 5 Directly accessible from each 1 Bed, 2 Bed, Isolation
Ensuite - Super ens-sp-i 1 x 6 For 1 Bedroom - Large. Special fittings required for bariatrics
Ensuite - VIP ens-vip-i 1 x 8 For 1 Bedroom - VIP
Overnight Stay- Bedroom ovbr-10-i similar 1 x 10 Available for parents staying overnight, Allow for a bigger bed size.
Overnight Stay – Ensuite oves-4-i 1 x 4 For Overnight Stay- Bedroom
Activities/ Recreation Room NS 1 x 50 Noisy activities: Size to suit service
Multi-purpose Room NS 1 x 40 Quiet activities: Size to suit service
Laundry - Patient laun-pt-i 1 x 6 Optional
Lounge - Parent/Visitor lnpa-12-i similar 1 x 12 Parent communal space, modify size to suit service. Located close to Playroom.
Lounge - Adolescent lnad-10-i 1 x 10 Optional
Playroom - Internal plap-20-i similar 1 x 20 May be used for play therapy
Playroom - External NS 1 x * *External Area; Optional
School Room meet-l-15-i similar 1 x 15 Optional, depending on the service plan and the typical age of the patients being received
Toilet - Patient wcpt-i 1 x 4 Optional; locate adjacent to communal areas
Bathroom bath-i 1 x 16 1 per 60 beds or may be shared between 2 units
Treatment Room trmt-14-i 1 x 14 Optional; provide according to service demand
Support Areas
Bay - Beverage, Enclosed bbev-enc-i 1 x 5
Bay - Handwashing, Type B bhws-b-i 4 x 1 In addition to basins in patient rooms; 1 at entry, 1 near staff station; Refer to Part D
Bay - Personal Protective Equipment bppe-i 1 x 1.5 In addition to those required for isolation rooms. Refer to Part D - Infection Control
Bay - Linen blin-i 2 x 2 Quantity and location to suit each facility

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ROOM/ SPACE Standard Component RDLs 3 to 6 Remarks

Room Codes Qty x m2
Unit Size 26 Beds
Bay - Meal Trolley bmeq-4-i similar 1 x 4 Optional; depends on catering/ operational policies
Bay - Mobile Equipment bmeq-4-i or bmeqe-4-i 1 x 4 Quantity, size dependent on equipment to be stored; can be opened or enclosed
Bay - Resuscitation Trolley bres-i 1 x 1.5
Bay - Pneumatic Tube NS 1 x 1 Optional, Locate at Staff Station or under staff supervision
Clean Utility clur-12-i 1 x 12 May be Interconnected with Medication Room
Medication Room medr-10-i 1 x 10 May be Interconnected with Clean Utility
Clean Utility/ Medication clum-14-i 1 x 14 Optional if Clean Utility and Medication Room provided.
Formula Room form-i 1 x 10
Dirty Utility dtur-14-i 1 x 14 2 may be required to minimise travel distances
Disposal Room disp-8-i 1 x 8
Pantry ptry-i 1 x 8
Store - Equipment steq-20-i 1 x 20 Size dependent on equipment to be stored
Store - General stgn-8-i similar 1 x 8 Size as per service demand and operational policies
Cleaner’s Room clrm-6-i 1 x 6 Includes storage for dry goods
Staff Areas
Staff Station sstn-14-i 1 x 14 May include ward clerk; size dependant on qty of staff
Office - Clinical / Handover off-cln-i 1 x 15 May be collocated with Staff Station
Office - Single Person off-s12-i 2 x 12 NUM office and clinical personnel as needed
Meeting Room - Medium / Large meet-l-15-i similar 1 x 15 Meetings, Tutorials; shared between 2 units
Required at the rate of 1 per Unit but. Does not need to be located within the Units, however,
Overnight Stay - Bedroom ovbr-10-i 1 x 10
must have convenient access.
Overnight Stay - Ensuite oves-4-i 1 x 4
Staff Lounge (Male/ Female) srm-15-i similar 2 x 15 Include Beverage Bay
Property Bay - Staff prop-3-i similar 2 x 3 Separated for male and female. Number of lockers depends on staff complement per shift
Toilet - Staff wcst-i 2 x 3 Separate Male and Female.
Sub Total 1066
Circulation % 35
Total Areas 1439.1

The following should be considered in conjunction with the SOA/s provided in this FPU:
▪ Areas noted in Schedules of Accommodation take precedence over all other areas noted in this FPU.
▪ Rooms indicated in the schedule reflect the typical arrangement according to the Role Delineation and/ or capacity required for the clinical service.
▪ Exact requirements for room quantities and sizes reflect Key Planning Units (KPU) identified in the Clinical Service Plan and the Operational Policies of the Unit.
▪ All areas shown in the SOA follow the No-Gap system described elsewhere in these Guidelines. Refer to Part B Preliminaries.
▪ Room sizes indicated should be viewed as a minimum requirement; variations are acceptable to reflect the needs of individual Unit.
▪ Class N Isolation rooms are not subject to Clinical Services Plan or demand. They are mandatory and must be provided in accordance with this FPU.

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▪ Staff and support rooms may be shared between Functional Planning Units dependent on location and accessibility to each unit and may provide scope to reduce
duplication of facilities.
▪ Offices to be provided according to the number of approved full-time positions within the Unit.

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9 Further Reading
In addition to Sections referenced in this FPU, i.e. Part C- Access, Mobility, OH&S, Part D -
Infection Control, and Part E - Engineering Services, readers may find the following helpful:
▪ International Health Facility Guideline (iHFG) www.healthdesign.com.au/ihfg
▪ Australasian Health Facility Guidelines, Part B Health Facility Briefing and Planning, 0540
Paediatric / Adolescent Unit, 2016; refer to website www.healthfacilitydesign.com.au
▪ DH (Department of Health) (UK), Health Building Note 23 Hospital accommodation for children
and young people, 2004, refer to website www.estatesknowledge.dh.gov.uk
▪ Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities; The Facility Guidelines
Institute, 2014 Edition; refer to website www.fgiguidelines.org
▪ Nurse/ Midwife: Patient Ratios, ANMF, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, 2016; refer
to website http://www.anmfvic.asn.au/~/media/f06f12244fbb4522af619e1d5304d71d.ashx

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