Perceived Ideal Out-Patient Department and Hospital Ward for Children,Adolescents and their Families

Abstract

For most professionals the opportunity to influence the design of a new hospital ward or out-patient unit comes once in a lifetime. The Royal United Hospital in Bath has recently commissioned a new children’s centre, which is scheduled to open in 2001. This article presents the results of a consultation exercise, undertaken by a team of health psychologists, which was designed to obtain the views of all members of the multi-professional team involved with children and families, as well as the service users themselves. The results of the consultation process have influenced the final design.