NHS Sign 6

It may appear to you that NHS signs are lacking in their ingenuity of design, but that is not the purpose of many NHS signs. The legibility and ease of understanding is more often than not, the overriding purpose of signs.

This NHS sign that you can see in the image to the right, is simple. Its purpose is to tell you where you are – that’s all it’s designed to do. So you might say the design is nearly perfect as the lettering is large and clear, the contrast between lettering and background is obvious, and the sign achieves its purpose.

The sign itself is created using aluminium composite, with a wide format printed panel placed over the top.

Health Sign

With the majority of NHS signs having a similar appearance, part of the corporate image, this is one that has some variation and adaptation to it.

Clearly you can see the corporate image, but instead of a flat aluminium composite sheet fixed to a wall, this is one that has been formed into a tray. With the wide format printed vinyl applied to the face, it then has some modular components added to let people change the name and/or add names.

Health Sign

By law the health signs that are in the UK, at least as far as the NHS goes, have one uniform colour and design. There is a little leeway on wording and sizes but there are rules on how signage must be designed.

Here you can see an NHS sign that is also a wayfinding sign.

Given that it is an NHS sign as mentioned, this is also a corporate sign because of the NHS logo.

Health Wayfinding Sign 25

A good example of an NHS sign, this is clearly a health sign for a hospital, but also very clearly a corporate sign because of the prominent and ever-present logo.

This health wayfinding sign is constructed using aluminium panels, that have been sprayed to achieve the right colour, and vinyl text that is applied to the panels. It is a modular sign construction, sturdy and found all over the UK, and will last for many years.

Health Wayfinding Sign 23

Here is a good picture of a collection of health wayfinding signs all in one place (before we sent them with the fitters for fitting).

Included in this collection are doorplates (the six at the top) which all conform to the standard required by the hospital (font size, arrow size, blue line underneath all doorplates) – these are classic vinyl text and graphics using hard foam boards and wayfinding signs, and the toilet signs at the bottom which should be considered to be aluminium signs.

Health Wayfinding Sign 24

This set of health wayfinding signs show specific projecting signs used over doors. These are vinyl text and graphics applied to a hard foam board. The projecting holders are aluminium for strength.

Hospital Sign 22

As you might imagine, hospital signs to tend to be popular, with health programs being high on a government’s list. This particular health sign is constructed using a framework over which aluminium composite sheets are placed. The vinyl text and graphics go on last, with a heavy duty vinyl laminate over the top. The whole structure is held in place by large heavy-duty aluminium poles.

• hotels, inns, hostels, guesthouses, and members’ clubs that provide sleeping accomodation may designate individual guest bedrooms for smoking, but all other parts of the premises must be smokefree
• care homes, hospices and prisons may designate either individual bedrooms or rooms to be used only for smoking by those over 18 years of age
• residential mental health units may designate either individual bedrooms or rooms to be used only for smoking by those over 18 years of age. This exemption applies until 1st July 2008.
• offshore installations may designate rooms to be used only for smoking
• specialist tobacconist shops may allow people to sample cigars or small amounts of pipe tobacco within the shop premises – this does NOT include cigarettes
• research and testing facilities may designate certain rooms for smoking only while the rooms are being used for any research or testing activities specified in the new smokefree law

From 1st of July 2007 virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in England will become smokefree. A smokefree England will ensure a healthier environment, so everyone can socialise, relax, travel, shop and work free from secondhand smoke.

So what are the requirements for No Smoking signs from the 1st of July? Here is a quick list:

• no smoking signs must be displayed in a prominent position at every entrance to smokefree premises
• no smoking signs must be a minimum of A5 in area (148mm x 210mm)
• no smoking signs must display the international no-smoking symbol at least 70mm in diameter
• no smoking signs must carry the following words in characters that can easily be read: ‘No smoking. It is against the law to smoke in these premises.’ You can personalise your signs by changing the words ‘these premises’ to refer to the name or type of premises, i.e., ‘this gym’, or ‘this restaurant’

See our extensive list of different no smoking signs, including the signs with the text mandated by law.

NHS Sign 19

This NHS sign might also be considered a bespoke sign. It is illuminated by lights on both sides, constructed from aluminium composite and lettered with vinyl text and graphics, and finally, suspended in place.