FEATURE ARTICLES

From referral and booking to discharge and recovery, artificial intelligence (AI) is helping NHS Trusts create safer, more efficient and connected patient journeys. John Clarke, head of Client Solutions – Health at Netcall, explores the practical ways AI and automation are improving care.

Effective communication is key to safe, efficient hospital operations – yet some estates and facilities teams are still relying on fragmented, outdated systems. Kevin Brown, CEO and co-founder of BlueSky Wireless, explores how integrated communication platforms can improve coordination, strengthen compliance, and improve response across healthcare estates.

Hospitals are under growing pressure to balance patient comfort with sustainable and cost-effective solutions. Jonas Fribo-Søndergaard, Sustainability expert at Silentia, explores how reusable privacy screens offer a hygienic, eco-friendly alternative to traditional curtains, improving both infection control and patient dignity. By reducing operational costs and supporting efficient workflows, these types of equipment changes helps healthcare facilities create safer, cleaner, and more sustainable care environments.

Healthcare organisations are using digital technologies to create more efficient, sustainable, and patient-focused facilities. Dr Janina Beilner, Senior VP for Healthcare at Siemens, and lecturer in AI and Digitalisation in Healthcare at Friedrich-Alexander University, Nürnberg, in Germany, argues that integrating AI, digital twins, and smart infrastructure is essential for transforming hospitals into resilient, intelligent environments that optimise both operational efficiency and patient care.

With the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan promising radical change to bolster the NHS for generations to come, designing for healthcare needs to reflect a new form of service delivery. Mark Dando, director of cost management at consultancy Pick Everard, explores how high street locations could be the key to unlocking convenience and ease of access for patients.

As energy costs continue to surge and sustainability pressures mount, healthcare estates are looking at on-site solar power to stabilise budgets and support Net Zero goals. Damian Baker, founder and Managing director at RenEnergy, explores how solar PV can help healthcare providers cut emissions, reduce operating costs, and navigate complex regulatory landscapes.

With the NHS driving toward Net Zero, AE Eugene Conroy highlights common power-related issues across ageing estates and explains why resilient, future-ready electrical infrastructure is essential.

Goodwater conducted an evaluation of monochloramine disinfection across two oncology hospitals which had persistent Legionella pneumophila contamination. The study introduced a controlled dosing system.

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.