Hospitals are increasingly incorporating modular buildings into their estates so they can expand outdoor space at low cost whilst reconfiguring space inside.
The adoption of canopies comes at a time when healthcare budgets are increasingly under pressure because of rapid medical innovations and the number of treatments available to patients combined with an ageing population.
Installing canopies can help reduce waiting lists and increase hospital capacity and efficiency, especially in hospitals built many years ago when patient numbers were far lower.
A timely solution
Spaceshade canopies represent a unique solution to hospitals because of their modular design; they can be installed in hard to reach and awkward spaces to create extra space for different uses.
Instead of high upfront investment needed for traditional builds, which are also subject to lengthy planning permission, canopies provide a quick, timely solution.
They can be installed easily and quickly with minimal groundwork and disruption to services compared to traditional buildings which can take many months to complete.
Ambulance shelters
With long waits at hospitals now the norm, ambulance staff and their patients often have to wait for hours inside an ambulance.
Ambulance shelters provide protection for patients and ambulance staff in ambulance bays to protect everyone from the rain and the sun.
Patient waiting areas
We have all experienced overcrowded patient waiting areas at hospitals which were built to service the needs of a smaller population.
By creating patient waiting areas with canopies, more of the building can be used for diagnosis and treatment.
Patient walkways and entrances to treatment facilities
Valuable space can be used for treatment instead of waiting areas by installing enclosed walkways and entrances.
Walkways like our case study shows provide shelter from the elements for patients and staff who need to walk from one building to another while entrances help to free up space inside a building and provide a striking welcome to everyone.
Recreation areas for patients and staff
In the same way canopies can be used as recreation areas for patients and staff to sit in, freeing up potential treatment space inside the building.
Having a safe area that’s away from the main ward is important for patients’ mental health and physical recovery.
Storage
Hospitals can use canopies as a secure and cheap way of storing equipment rather than using valuable space inside.
Cycling to work
Hospitals are keen to reach net zero along with the rest of the country and encouraging staff to cycle to work can help reduce carbon emissions.
Many staff members like to cycle to work but are often put off by inadequate bike racks which may be subject to thefts and vandalism.
In the same way, visitors may want to cycle to hospital to visit friends and family but are dissuaded from lack of facilities.
Bike shelter canopies provide a secure and safe area for employees and visitors to leave their bikes which are protected by the elements.
Safe, anti-ligature designs
Our canopies feature anti-ligature options for high-risk settings such as mental health units.
They come with built-in gutters, concealed downpipes and no exposed bolts or fixings and are robust and high-quality.
Flexible canopies
Spaceshade canopies are incredibly flexible in that they can be easily adapted at any time to suit your needs, whether that is repurposing the canopy for another use or to extend it or enclose it.
They can be open on one or two sides or be completely enclosed with walls with heating and lighting.
Solar power to cut your costs
In addition, solar panels can be integrated into the canopy or added at a later date to suit a hospital’s budget.
As the government is increasing its funding to hospitals to enable the NHS to adopt clean energy, solar canopies represent a great opportunity to produce green energy, cut energy bills and carbon emissions.
Contact us
If you’d like to find out more about healthcare canopies and solar canopies, please contact us.
