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:

The purpose of the AusHFG Spatial Benchmarks is to support the development of high-level area estimates for common hospital departments / services.  Spatial benchmarks are typically used during initial planning phases to inform early cost planning and indicative footprint requirements prior to the development of detailed schedules of accommodations (SOAs).  This is important information which can be used to advise early investment decisions, as well as site selection and staging strategies.

The AHIA Asset Management Sub Group has developed a list of commonly used asset management and maintenance definitions with a view to establishing a common, cross-jurisdictional language. The challenge of applying this in every jurisdiction is acknowledged, particularly where the terminology interacts with jurisdictional financial or technical policies. The proposed definitions are intended to assist in the AHIA context and there is no requirement to adopt these definitions in members’ respective operations.