A new AusHFG resource, Pandemic Preparedness – Health Infrastructure Planning & Design Guidance, has been uploaded to the AusHFG website.

This new guideline has been developed through consultation with infection control, health infrastructure and engineering specialists, as well as clinical and operational experts, from across Australia and New Zealand.

The aim of the guideline is to ensure that future hospital developments support increased resilience of health systems in response to pandemics, as well as the prevention of transmission associated with acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases and surges outside of pandemics. The scope of the document includes:

• planning principles relating to pandemic preparedness that should be adopted for all new build and refurbishment works;
• risk minimisation strategies for infectious respiratory pathogen transmission based on the hierarchy of control model as an integrated approach to pandemic preparedness;
• key principles and references relating to engineering controls to minimise infection transmission;
• hospital unit / service specific considerations; and
• recommendations relating to surge capacity management.

It is intended that this document will be regularly reviewed and updated to align with the evolving knowledge in this area, and relevant recommendations will be incorporated within other associated AusHFG resources as they are reviewed and updated.

A thank you is extended to all those who have contributed to the development of this resource.

Kind Regards,

The AusHFG Team