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Bringing Your Vision To Life

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fit out vision - Clinics by Design

What do you visualise when you think about your own medical, dental, veterinary or specialist clinic?

 

Do you like super sleek and modern? Want to capture the traditional nature of your existing building? Or maybe instead of a certain look you want to use aesthetics to invoke certain feelings within your patients?

 

No problem! Bringing your personal vision to life is what medical construction and fitout companies such as Clinics By Design specialise in.

 

Not only do we have the knowledge to make sure everything is built within the regulations, we also have the prior experience to know what will and will not work within a medical environment.

Before we start the first thing that needs to be identified is the site. Are you looking for a new site all together or are we refurbishing an existing clinic?

If you are looking for a piece of land to construct your clinic on there are a few things that we, as your construction and Fitout company, will need to run by council before plans can start taking shape.

Is the particular site you are looking at in an area that is zoned for medical? Do you have things like parking and public transport within the regulated walking distance in order to determine how much parking you will need to provide yourself? Do you have any competitors within the area or are you building in a place that you think may attract objections from the neighbours? This is just a snippet of the types of things council will be looking at when you apply for your building permit.

Luckily we have experienced the lot and know how to handle most situations (and neighbours) should any complaints come to light.

If you are refurbishing an existing clinic there are certain items we will need to check out before putting a scope of works and budget together.

Depending on the age of your building and current Fitout something such as the addition of  body protection can be a nasty surprise if it wasn’t expected and/or budgeted for.

Not only this but other major services such mechanical (air con) and plumbing will also need to be revised for any existing issues (that you may not even be aware of) before taking the next step.

From there we can start bringing your design to life.

An initial meeting with our design team will get your vision out of your head and onto paper. We can then design with your ideas in mind and decipher what will work and what won’t depending on regulations and budget.

As you can see there are a lot of things to be taken into consideration when you make the decision to refurbish or build your new clinic.

Appointing a trusted medical construction and Fitout company will not only give you the reassurance that you are navigating all the required steps properly but gives you the piece of mind that you have an experienced team behind you every step of the way.

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5 Steps to the Perfect Clinic

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Checklist - Clinics by Design

Making the decision to open or refurbish your own clinic is a big one and therefore sitting down with a professional fit out company in order to discuss options is a must!

5 very important things to take into consideration before any major decisions are made are:

Budget. This is the most important thing as it will determine what you can and can not include in your fit out. By sitting down with a professional fit out specialist you can go through your wish list in order to gain an understanding of just how much a fit out can cost.


Know what you want. It is helpful to have a general idea of what you want before consulting with a fit out company (although we are more than happy to take the reins in this aspect as well!) Whether you are refurbishing an existing space or looking for a new tenancy the easiest way to make critical decisions from the beginning is knowing what you want.


Know what you need. Wants and needs are very different things, and although we would all like to be surrounded by designer furniture and stunning (expensive) finishes and fixtures, other things such as state of the art equipment will probably take priority so before you start flicking through the pages and pages of beautiful aesthetics make sure you know what is required within your clinic in order to work to budget.


Know the guidelines. With the help of your very knowledgeable fit out specialists make sure you research as much as you can into what is required of dental or medical clinics. Standards and guidelines do change from time to time and something you have been doing for the last 5 years may not be acceptable today.


Prioritise. Make a list of all the things you will need in your clinic. This will help your fit out company to place everything in the space you have or are looking at comfortably and more importantly to budget.


Cold &F Flu - Clinics By Design

Preparing for the Cold

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As winter starts to set in your clinic can become a completely different place not only for your patients but for you and your staff as well.

Sniffling and sneezing will be a sound that fills the air and muddy, soaked feet will leave lasting impressions on your floors.

So what changes can be made within your clinic to minimise the risk of passing on germs and slipping on floors?

Accessibility to amenities is of the upmost importance. Having public toilets close by and a refresh station in your waiting area can make patients feel instantly comfortable. Also consider areas in which items such as hand sanitiser and tissues can be on hand whether this is in the form or coffee tables or decorative shelving.

Appropriate flooring is another aspect to consider, especially if you have patients walking in straight off the street. Birrus matting is a fantastic option as it gets rid of any dirt while soaking up any water that has been walked in thus keeping the majority of it off the floor.

Although it may not seem like a big deal, having your front door closers in proper working order is essential! There is nothing worse than having people constantly walking through a door that doesn’t close behind them properly not only letting the cold air in but usually making that poor person sitting closest feel like they need to get up and close it each time a patient arrives!

As you can see its the little things that make a big difference and something as simple as an umbrella stand (with a couple spares available for staff who need to duck out at lunchtime) can put people at ease instantly as it is one less thing to worry about when they walk in the door.

 

out when they walk in the door.

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How to Make Your Clinic Less ‘Clinical’

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Clinic less Clinical - Clinics by Design

Although you want your medical, dental or veterinary clinic to look clinical enough in the way of cleanliness you might be surprised that you don’t have to cover every floor surface in coved vinyl and paint all the walls white.

 

Consider the below when designing your new clinic in order to make it look a little less ‘clinical’ and a lot more welcoming.

Waiting Waiting Waiting…….

Nobody likes to wait, especially when they are not feeling 100% or nervous at the thought of an appointment.

 

Choose bright colours for your waiting area by utilising floor finishes, paint, joinery and upholstery

Select comfortable seating, although some of the plusher chairs may seem out of range when it comes to price we can guarantee it is worth spending the extra on something that your patients are going to be comfortable in

Refreshment stations that provide filtered drinking water not only look good but give your patients the chance to have a drink if they need to.

 

If you would like to go one step further and provide tea and coffee facilities things like Zip taps can provide both boiling water (with safety locks in order to prevent a safety hazard) and chilled water in the one unit.

 

Children’s areas are great when there are going to be lengthy waiting times. Make sure you are able to partition this section off so it is still in view of parents but away from other patients that do not have children with them.

 

A TV can make a huge impact and takes patients minds off what they are actually waiting for, at least for a little while. These can also be utilised as a branding tool as you can set this up to show your own advertising.

Keep Staff Happy……

The people controlling your front of house are in many ways the most important people in your clinic.

 

They make sure all the appointments are in order and surgeries are set up properly but most importantly they are the first and last person your patients see which means having a welcoming smile when they walk through the door is very important.

So how can we help you keep that smile on their face?

It is not actually that hard to keep staff happy, and we all know that happy staff = a productive working environment.

 

Ask your staff what items would make their life easier on a daily basis in the way of joinery set up, storage options and even seating.

 

A lot of the time these small things are overlooked resulting in non ergonomic chairs which can cause back problems and lack of space which can decrease efficiency.

 

Away from the front desk create a comfortable break out area with sufficient amenities and, if space permits, lockers to provide a place for personal belongings.

Warm Up…….

One very important factor that can turn your clinic from an inviting space to a place your patients can’t wait to get out of is sufficient heating and cooling.

 

Make sure your air conditioning system is balanced and in proper working order.

There is nothing worse than walking into a building on a 35 degree day and feeling no change in the climate. Same goes for a 9 degree day when it seems impossible to warm up!

 

The recommended temperature in a commercial area is 23 degrees but you can also have this set on a thermostat in order to change with the climate. You may find if you have a lot of windows you will need it to be cooler in that area than a closed off room or waiting area.

Create Some Personality…….

One way to make your patients and staff feel comfortable when they come into your clinic is with a bit of personality.

 

By creating spaces that really cater to peoples needs as mentioned in the above items you are not only giving them an inviting environment for themselves but you are also building a reputation for yourself which in return will equal good word of mouth referrals which could create new clientele.

 

Whether they are coming into your clinic to work or for an appointment you would be surprised at how effective it can be for productivity and overall mood when the small details are taken into consideration.

 

As you can see its the little things that make all the difference and something as simple as a phone call to make your patients aware that their doctor or dentist is running behind in schedule or a confirmation message the day before a scheduled appointment can be very beneficial to your patients and your practice.

Climate Control - Clinics By Design

Is It Hot In Here?

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As you know it is always important to make your patients and staff feel as comfortable as possible and now that the weather is warming up it is imperative that your clinic feels as inviting as it looks!

Air conditioning is a very important aspect of any clinic and whether it be a sweltering 35 degrees or a 3 degree day when it seems almost impossible to warm up outside there is nothing worse than feeling no climate change when entering a building.

As a rule, the recommended temperature in a commercial space is 23 degrees but you can also set your thermostat to change in accordance with the area. For example, if you have a lot of exposed windows you will need stronger temperature control in that particular area as it will warm up and down a lot quicker.

When looking at a new premises make sure to get sound advice on the existing air-conditioning system to ensure it is balanced correctly and in proper working order.

The feel of your clinic is just as important as the look of it and something as simple as good climate control could be the difference between happily waiting patients and patients who can’t wait to get out the door again.

Rainbow Umbrella - Clinics By Design

The Theory of Colour

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Different colours can produce different feelings and emotions and are an integral part in any clinical environment.

By implementing certain colours within certain areas of your clinic can be of great benefit to you and your patients.

Colours such as blues and greens are said to be both productive and calming which create a soothing atmosphere, great for waiting or consultation areas.

Reds and oranges on the other hand are more aggressive colours and can actually increase tension. This is due to the eye having to work harder in order to perceive these particular colours meaning the eye has to focus and then refocus.

When it comes to picking the right colour for your clinic there is no right or wrong answer and every colour has a home somewhere but it is a good idea to look at different options in order to work out which will be best for your particular space.

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Contamination Concerns

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When visiting a clinical environment the last thing you expect is to work into a place that isn’t clean.
Health and safety go hand in hand within the medical industry and your clinic should reflect this from the moment patients walk through the door.

A few things to consider when developing your new clinic are:

Separate Clean from Dirty. Design areas for dirty instruments well away from areas where clean items are kept to avoid confusion thus preventing any chance of cross contamination.

Easy Cleaning. Be sure the finishes specified for you are easy to be cleaned. This includes and joinery finishes, flooring, wall coverings and upholstery.

Don’t Slip. Be sure when selecting flooring for wet areas it is to clinical standard. Slip resistance is imperative in areas where things are being cleaned or spills may occur.

Clean Practices = A Clean Practice. Simple things such as de-cluttering, hygiene management and proper handling of hazardous materials can make a huge difference not only for your business but also for your staff and patients by creating a safe environment for everyone.