Over the past 40 years there has been a growing body of research into the acoustic environment in hospitals providing evidence of the detrimental effects of noise on patient and staff well-being (Fife & Rappaport 1976; Topf & Dillon 1988), and of a significant rise in hospital noise levels (Busch-Vishinac et al. 2005). However, most of the evidence concerning the impact of noise has focused on specialist areas of care, with relatively little research into noise levels and acoustic conditions in general inpatient hospital wards, particularly in the UK. The current study therefore aims to address some of the gaps in knowledge in the area of inpatient care, in order to provide better understanding of the importance of the acoustic design of hospitals, and its relationship with the comfort and well-being of staff and patients. A series of questionnaire, noise and acoustic surveys have been carried out in a range of wards in three major UK hospitals.
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