FEATURE ARTICLES

Tony Falconar, national sales manager at Baxi Packaged Solutions, looks at how modular off-site fabricated solutions can help hospitals decarbonise and modernise their estates.

Kris Wojcik of specialist vacuum drainage and sanitation manufacturer Jets Vacuum AS explains why drainage deserves far more attention in healthcare design, asks who should be responsible for key decisions, and questions whether alternatives to gravity drainage – such as vacuum drainage – could deliver safer outcomes.

Craig Anderson, technical director and decarbonisation consultant at WSP explains why Trusts are having to rethink how energy is planned and delivered.

Kasia Pekala, senior project manager – Major Capital Projects Team at NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group discusses the £15m Ward 6 Ventilation Inpatient Centre (VIC) project at Aintree University Hospital Liverpool, which has transformed a high-risk structural challenge into a high-quality clinical facility.

This year sees the publication of the revised HTM 02-01 – its first revision for 20 years. Here, the authors of HTM 02-01:2026 – Authorising Engineer (MGPS) Rob McCrea and Authorising Engineer (MGPS) Richard Maycock, chair of the IHEEM Medical Gas Technical Platform – discuss in-depth the principal changes to both Parts A and B, and what they mean for Estates teams.

Karina Jones, principal Authorising Engineer at Eta Projects, discusses the NHS Estates Technical Bulletin (NETB) No. 2024/3, which provides supplementary guidance to HTM 04-01: Safe Water in Healthcare Premises.

Richard Burgin, assistant director of securing the future at AGH Solutions discusses the work being undertaken for its RAAC management programme at Airedale General Hospital.

The new Surgical Elective Centre (SEC) at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford – designed and built by MTX – is a persuasive example not only of how such buildings ought to be constructed, but also how NHS waiting lists could be significantly reduced by the adoption of innovative approaches to surgical workflows and patient care. Health Estate Journal editor Matt Seex reports.

Dr Colette Jeffrey explains why hospital wayfinding is so difficult, why wayfinding strategies are essential, and ways to make your sites easier to navigate.

Dr Abbie Romano, head of industrialisation for the NHP at NHS England, explains how, by strengthening the relationship between product development and operational performance, industrialisation is becoming a strategy for improving hospital operation.

The nominees have been announced for the twelve categories for the Healthcare Estates IHEEM Awards 2026. This year, a panel of judges reviewed and scored hundreds of entries to arrive at an impressive shortlist.

Hygiene, safety, and ergonomics are fundamental requirements of any healthcare mixer. DELABIE | DVS’ SECURITHERM EP pressure-balancing mixer (2447LEPUK) offers an engineered solution to deliver these three essential elements.

Healthcare engineers, estates managers and professionals from a broad range of supporting sectors will be attending IHEEM’s flagship event Healthcare Estates 2026 on 13-14 October to discuss the many challenges facing the NHS estate and to consider how best to bring about real action and change.

Darryl Gregory of Distech Controls explains why retrofitting should be seen as a key part of a strategic approach to future-proofing healthcare estates.

A substantial proportion of AI initiatives fail to deliver a measurable return. Sathiyan Kutty of Emids examines the factors that have widened this ‘ROI gap’.

John Gahan of eEnergy argues that the scale of the decarbonisation challenge facing the NHS means it must look to practical private sector models.

Jørn Terkelsen of Dolphin Care looks at whether infection prevention strategies are addressing all relevant pathways of contamination within clinical environments.

NHS Trusts still have much to do in order to meet Net Zero targets, as Ortus Energy’s Ian Johnson explains.

Blanca Beato Arribas, Ryan Elliott, and Andy Vernon of Hoare Lea explore how a risk-led approach can support better decision-making and reduce long-term risk.

Amy Norman, Charles Rothnie, and Ben Gillham of Perega discuss the challenges that the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) mandate have for operationalising ecological thinking.