Welcome to iHFG

This is the home of International guidelines for the planning, briefing, design & construction of healthcare facilities. These guidelines place emphasis on achieving outcomes which reflect current healthcare practice in a safe and appropriate environment at a reasonable facility cost. They represent patient focused, research based, modern and efficient planning principles.

Our Mission

Healthcare facilities need to be efficiently planned, appropriately briefed, competently designed and quickly delivered. They need to be sustainable in every respect as an essential public service. Therefore they need to carefully balance the required features and standards against capital and operational costs without compromising the quality of care. Sustainability demands that the precious knowledge of healthcare design be shared rather than wasted after every successful project. These guidelines bring that shared knowledge to the world to achieve these key objectives:

• Establish the minimum acceptable standards
• Maintain public confidence in the facilities which comply with these guidelines
• Provide a basis for the approval and licensing of healthcare facilities
• Provide guidance to designers on the special needs of healthcare facilities
• Consider the wellbeing, safety, privacy and dignity of patients, staff and visitors
• Eliminate design features that result in unacceptable practices
• Allow Health Authorities to require compliance with these guidelines
• Provide a knowledge base to inform future healthcare design consultants

These Guidelines will be continually reviewed, updated and expanded. Readers are encouraged to provide feedback and to contribute material for future updates.

iHFG Structure

Part A – Administrative Provisions This part outlines the licensing process for healthcare facilities and prequalification process for design consultants

Part B – Health Facility Briefing and Design This part includes Planning & Design guidelines including Functional Planning Units (FPUs) or Departments. Each FPU provides a Description, Models of Care, Functional Relationships and generic Schedules of Accommodation (SOA). Unique room types are defined as Standard Components and provided as Room Data Sheets (RDS) and Room Layout Sheets (RLS).

Part C – Access, Mobility, OH&S This part includes the requirements for Access, Mobility, Occupational Health, Safety and Security.

Part D – Infection Control This part details the Infection Control requirements of healthcare facilities.

Part E – Engineering This part focuses on the acceptable International engineering guidelines and standards for Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire and other building services.

Part F – Feasibility Planning & Costing Guidelines This part includes feasibility planning, capital costing, financial appraisal and procurement strategy.

Part Q – Equipment Planning Guidelines This part covers the methodology for the planning, procurement & placement the Furniture Fittings, Fixtures & Equipment (FF&FE) both Medical and Non-medical.

Part S – Health Service Planning Guidelines This part includes catchment identification, service definition, needs assessment, demand projections, gap analysis and service profiling.

Part W – Wayfinding Guidelines This part provides an introduction to wayfinding and design principles.