FEATURE ARTICLES

The Carbon and Energy Fund’s (CEF) Steven Heape argues that while the NHS’s Net Zero ambitions are achievable, progress now hinges on pragmatic financing, tariff reform, and the courage to embrace transitional technologies that make decarbonisation both technically and economically viable.

The integration of connected medical technologies is reshaping the NHS estate and redefining the role of Electro-Biomedical Engineering (EBME) teams. A Thought Leadership Workshop at EBME Expo explored how engineers, IT specialists and estates professionals can work together to manage the shift.

As the New Hospital Programme prepares to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030, the UK stands at a pivotal moment in healthcare design, says Laura Carrara-Cagni, founding director at architect firm Cagni Williams Associates. These facilities will serve communities for decades, making this a defining opportunity to revolutionise how healthcare environments support both patient recovery and staff wellbeing.

Collaborative approaches are increasingly being adopted on capital hospital projects. Here, Rekha Thawrani, Global director at NEC Contracts, explains how collaborative contracting helped to overcome specific challenges and contributed to the successful delivery of the upgrade to the emergency department at Stepping Hill Hospital, in Stockport.

Hospitals across the NHS are rethinking ventilation as estates teams face growing challenges in ensuring safe air for patients and staff. Andrew Carnegie, Managing director at Air Sentry, says proactive monitoring and closed-loop systems are essential to transforming clinical environments from lagging to leading.

Undiscovered electrical faults in hospitals can threaten patient safety and increase costs. Gareth Brunton, Managing director at Bender, says monitoring technology gives estates teams real-time insight to prevent failures and improve efficiency. This technology can help healthcare organisations move from reactive maintenance to proactive management.

The NHS’s New Hospital Programme (NHP) and the arrival of the Hospital 2.0 framework alliance are pushing the UK’s healthcare sector into a brave new world. With considerable project values and important timelines on the horizon, we need to explore what Hospital 2.0 truly means in practice. Jonathan Oram, director of frameworks at national procurement specialist Pagabo, offers an expert view, suggesting that it will take a village for real change to come forward.

The winners of this year’s Healthcare Estates IHEEM Awards were announced at a gala dinner. With exceptionally high standards and fierce competition across the board, each triumph reflects outstanding achievement in healthcare design, construction, collaboration, and innovation. A panel of expert judges reviewed and scored hundreds of submissions to determine this year’s standout projects and teams.

Ben Farrar, Traka UK’s healthcare specialist, explains how the latest smart asset management technology is making life easier for NHS staff, and safer for patients. From keeping keys and equipment secure, to tracking vital devices in real time, these tools help staff spend less time searching for resources and more time on patient care.

The Malaysian Carbon Neutral Healthcare Facilities Blueprint is the Ministry of Health’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality across public healthcare facilities by 2050. Dr Muhammad Radzi bin Abu Hassan, Ts Huszian Husin, Dr Noor Muhammad Abd Rahman, Dr Khairul Azmy Kamaluddin, and Dr Muhammad Syukri Imran Abdullah outline the core plans while identifying the key challenges.

Healthcare facilities produce a significant proportion of the world’s carbon emissions, which means that decarbonisation in the sector is absolutely crucial, as Jim Crabb, PE, LEED AP, principal at Mazzetti, explains.

Simon Hunt, strategic account director at Sypro, explores what the new NHS funding means for healthcare construction management at a time where improvements to both existing and new infrastructure have never been greater.

Abdel Amneina, Business Development manager at Silentia UK, discusses the benefits of modular privacy screens compared with traditional and antimicrobial curtains in terms of infection control, sustainability, cost-efficiency, and patient experience. Drawing on clinical research, international case studies, and practical implementation, he highlights the growing relevance of privacy screens for NHS and HSE healthcare estates.

The government’s plan for the NHS is a huge document. Jane Stephenson, chief executive officer at digital engagement and patient experience solutions provider Spark TSL, argues the key to unlocking its digital ambitions is to consider what it has to say about the shift from CDs to streaming. She argues the challenge facing Trusts and health boards is to make a similar shift from physical to digital delivery, while working with the right partners to make the most the opportunities this will open up – lowering costs, and improving both staff and patient satisfaction.

With all NHS organisations recently publishing refreshed green plans, Kevin Gilhooly, Interim Healthcare Solutions lead at MRI Software, explores how adopting a data-driven approach to energy management is helping Trusts reduce emissions, meet sustainability targets and improve clinical outcomes. Drawing on real-world NHS experience, he explains why decarbonisation isn’t just a technical challenge, but an information challenge, and how technology can help healthcare estates overcome it.

Director and National Healthcare lead at Pulse Consult, Tom Howells, discusses how the NHS must shift from reactive fixes to long-term, strategic investment to create more resilient healthcare estates, and ultimately improve patient care.

Mathew Hopwood, Sales director at Mansfield Pollard, explores the evolving role of HTM 03-01 in healthcare ventilation. He argues for a more structured approach to compliance, acknowledges industry resistance, and calls for closer collaboration between manufacturers and industry bodies like IHEEM to ensure safer, more consistent air management across healthcare estates.

Poorly designed healthcare environments can fuel infection and compromise patient safety. Richard Thomas, Managing director at Hygenius, examines how smarter furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) choices, from seamless surfaces to robust storage, can cut infection risk and improve patient outcomes.

The dangers of smoke inhalation during a fire cannot be overstated, says Tom Merton, Technical manager at fire protection solutions provider Armacell. Around 95 per cent of fire-related fatalities result from toxic smoke rather than burns, which means it is imperative for specifiers to take proactive measures to prepare for potential fire emergencies. Here, he investigates how the development of new insulation materials is helping to create a safer, more energy efficient healthcare environment.

Operating theatres are high-risk spaces and are therefore tightly controlled, and demand the highest standards of sterility. Yet one vital element of safety is too often underestimated – the air itself. Sanathoi Bachaspatimayum, Marketing & PR assistant at Smart Air UK, explores why filtration must sit alongside ventilation as a core safeguard for patients and staff.