Capitalising in the long term.

Bernd Rechel, Stephen Wright, Nigel Edwards, Barrie Dowdeswell and Martin McKee report on an international study on improving the effectiveness of health capital investment which analyses innovative European capital projects and examines the key issues that arise. The study, by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and the European Health Property Network/European Centre for Health Assets & Architecture, suggests that hospital design that takes into account facility management costs results in significant efficiency gains.