The first day of Healthcare Estates 2026, held at Manchester Central, has seen healthcare engineers, estates managers, and professionals from a broad range of supporting sectors attending IHEEM’s flagship event to discuss the many challenges facing the NHS estate.
This year, the UK’s largest healthcare estates event asks the question: ‘Mind the Gap: Are We Heading Towards a Two-Tier Estate?’.
Across five Conference streams, in-depth sessions are exploring the policies, technologies, engineering solutions, and operational strategies shaping the future of healthcare estates. Complementing the Conference are six Exhibition Theatres, extending the learning into practical product, engineering, and service-led presentations. Together, these are providing attendees with multiple routes to discovering ideas, compare approaches, and identifying solutions relevant to each organisation’s priorities.
As the NHS enters a new era of investment and transformation, this year’s Healthcare Estates event provides an unrivalled opportunity to understand national priorities, contribute to informed debate, and help shape the future of healthcare estates.
Make sure to visit the Health Estate Journal at Stand H28 and pick up your copy of October’s bumper issue, which includes over thirty articles. Commenting on the show, business manager Sheehan Edmonds said: “It’s been a fantastic day one for the Health Estate Journal team, showcasing our plethora of products and services to the industry as well as catching up with many familiar and new faces. If you didn’t catch us today, please come and see us tomorrow on Stand H28.”
Tonight, the winners of the IHEEM Healthcare Estates Awards will be announced at a special gala dinner. The awards recognise outstanding organisations, teams, and individuals in the fields of healthcare engineering and estates and facilities management.