FEATURE ARTICLES

Connected laundry systems are becoming the cornerstone of modern healthcare estates, supporting smarter operations, compliance and predictive maintenance. Electrolux’s Mick Christian explores why, as healthcare estates evolve, smart laundry is no longer a luxury, but an operational necessity

The Grenfell Tower tragedy reshaped approaches to building safety across the UK. Knauf’s Mandeep Bansal says healthcare estates face clear responsibilities: safety and performance must never be compromised.

A fully digital approach to verification is reshaping how critical ventilation systems are managed. Stephen Bartlett, director at Invigilatis, argues that digitised processes ensure consistent and clearer reporting, and looks at how AI will increasingly enhance benchmarking and predictive maintenance.

IHEEM’s annual event Healthcare Estates returned to Manchester in October 2025, bringing together estates professionals, industry leaders, and NHS staff for two packed days of learning, networking, and future-focused debate. From the moment it opened, the event was abuzz with activity, enthusiastic conversations and a real sense of opportunity and promise for healthcare estates. HEJ’s editor Niamh Marriott reflects on her experience.

Healthcare water systems are complex environments where microbial growth can pose serious risks to patients and vulnerable users. Dr Cathy Whapham, Dr Jimmy Walker, and Dr Vicky Katsemi explore the limitations of biocides, highlighting that design, materials, installation, and ongoing maintenance are critical to controlling waterborne pathogens.

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.