It will come as no surprise that healthcare bodies and organisations such as primary care trusts, hospitals, nursing and convalescent homes all have to control their indoor environment and, in particular, the temperature. Whilst regulating the temperature in other organisations and establishments is more to do with 'comfort factor' or productivity, temperature regulation within the healthcare industry is rather more critical.
Hospitals are one of the primary users of air conditioning. All wards can potentially benefit from air conditioning solutions - particularly during extreme heat waves such experienced in the UK during the summer of 2006. However it is usually high dependency, paediatric, geriatric and maternity wards than are first to require assistance as the patients here tend to have a reduced capacity to self-regulate body temperature themselves.
Pharmacies and drug storage areas are another unit within hospitals and other healthcare organisations than require air conditioning in order to carry 'temperature dependent' drugs. Inadequate temperature control here either means that medication would not function as required or the hospital would simply not be able to stock some emergency treatments.