Each trust makes an informed choice regarding the appropriate percentage of single room provision based on practical considerations such as site restrictions, affordability as well as clinical and operational limitations. In some cases, providing single rooms for all patients may not be clinically appropriate. Single room accommodation can be introduced through new building or changing existing accommodation and will depend on the environmental and financial situation of the organisation.
The cost of introducing single rooms for all patients depends on local decisions and an estimate for providing single rooms for all national health service patients cannot be accurately provided. However, an estimate of £22.9 billion (at today's prices) was made by the NHS Estates Agency in 2004 as the cost of providing 100 per cent. single rooms across the NHS excluding mental health accommodation.
The Department's guidance for the provision of single rooms is that in new hospital developments the aim should be 50 per cent. provision, but should not fall below 20 per cent. and must be a higher percentage than the facilities they are replacing. The policy and design guidance for the provision of single rooms in mental health accommodation is 100 per cent.