The NHS is on a mission to become the world’s first Net Zero national health service. As one of the UK’s largest energy consumers, its vast estate — including hospitals, clinics, and healthcare facilities — accounts for around
15 per cent of total public sector emissions.1 Due to the need to maintain safe and comfortable environments

Last November, the controversial Darzi Report,1 in its recommendations for the future of the NHS, stated that, ‘Too great a share [of NHS funding] is being spent in hospitals, too little in the community’, and emphasised the importance of locating healthcare facilities on the high street — closer to where people live, work, and shop.

The initiative to establish more essential medical services close to local communities, enhancing accessibility and reducing the burden on hospitals is certainly a positive step towards a more integrated healthcare system. One of the key challenges that needs to be addressed is infection control. Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) remain a significant concern in all medical settings,

As an estates professional, do you have a list of priority jobs and actions? So, arriving in the office on Monday morning with every intention of dealing with them in order, what happens? Stuff happens — and by the end of the day, the list is untouched, while plenty of other tasks have taken its

This transformation is no small feat. It demands long-term thinking, strategic planning, and a willingness to learn from sectors that have already made significant strides in energy efficiency and the planning of decarbonisation. One such sector is heavy industry, where energy-intensive operations have driven innovation in sustainability for decades. There are lessons health estates can

I’ve had a front-row seat to how digital innovation is reshaping healthcare estates management. Monklands is set to be the UK’s first digital-first hospital, and we are pioneering the use of digital twin technology to revolutionise how the facility is planned, built and operated. Our role in the project has given us unique insights into

The NHS estate is one of the largest and most complex public sector property portfolios in Europe, comprising over 24,000 assets across more than 1,200 sites. Many of these facilities are ageing, with 15 per cent of buildings in England constructed before the NHS was founded in 1948. The estate now has a critical maintenance

The design of healthcare facilities is undergoing a radical transformation. Our work on the new Cancer Research Hospital offers valuable insights into how we can design future medical spaces to be more collaborative and sustainable, in partnership with patients and other stakeholders. The vision for the specialist hospital focuses on ‘changing the story of cancer’

At a time when immobility continues to define patient care, not having the right space to help patient’s recover is a major health risk. For many patients, especially the elderly, therapy is a clinical necessity — not an optional extra. Evidence suggests that hospitalised patients spend up to 95 per cent of their time in

We are in the state of a climate emergency, and disruptive climate events will occur more often, and will become more severe. By 2070, the Met Office projects three potential climate scenarios for the UK: around 4°C warmer in winter and up to 30% wetter around 6°C warmer in summer and up to 60% drier

The productivity loss alone costs the UK economy an estimated £264 bn annually, impacting national output by as much as 10 per cent. But behind these numbers are real people, real communities, and real opportunities for change. If we are to reverse this trend, we must rethink how we deliver healthcare not just as a

With over 25 years’ experience in construction design and delivery, both in the private sector and within the NHS, Stuart has been closely involved in shaping H2.0. Here, he explains how his background informs his role, why single bedrooms are at the heart of the new hospital model, and how building and testing a prototype

Apprentice of the Year The award invites entries from apprentices at intermediate, advanced, higher and degree level.
The 2025 nominees are: Jonathan Day — Degree Apprentice, DSSR Consulting Engineers Michael Kane — Belfast Health & Social Care Trust Trainee Engineer 2024/25 Lois Riley — Quantity Surveying Apprentice, Equans UK & Ireland Frankie Taylor-Smith — Medical Engineering

Healthcare Estates 2025 is shaping up to be a major industry event — what can attendees expect this year, and what are you most excited about? The programme is really good this year — we’ve got some great keynotes. For me, one of the nicest things is that one of our keynotes is going to

Nigel Thomas, National Specification and Projects Sales manager at ABB, discusses the importance of hospitals and other healthcare facilities having the most resilient possible power infrastructure and – where existing systems are not optimal – upgrading them to minimise interruption to clinical activity in the event of disruptive incidents such as ‘blackouts’ and ‘brownouts’. He