There is an increasing body of research into the acoustic environment of hospitals, which provides evidence of the detrimental effects of noise on the well being and comfort of patients and on staff, and of a significant rise in hospital noise levels in recent years. Much of this evidence has focused on specific areas of healthcare such as critical care and operating theatres, with comparatively few studies carried out within general inpatient wards and in UK hospitals. A project is currently being undertaken to investigate, through objective and subjective surveys, the noise climate and acoustic design within general inpatient facilities in the United Kingdom, and their influence on the acoustic comfort of patients and staff. Noise and acoustic surveys have been carried out in a range of inpatient wards, with corresponding questionnaire surveys of staff and patients. Three major UK hospitals have been involved in the study, and a substantial amount of data has been collected. Reported results will include comparisons of noise levels measured in a number of ward locations including multibed and singlebed rooms, identification of the sources of high level noise, and some analysis of patient and staff attitudes to noise.