As the NHS accelerates its journey towards Net Zero, low-carbon heat technologies are no longer theoretical. Heat pumps, geothermal systems, and low-carbon energy centres now feature regularly in board papers, capital plans, and strategic discussions. Yet those involved in delivering these schemes are increasingly clear about one thing: the success or failure of low-carbon heat

Sam Vijatov: Congratulations on winning Architectural Practice of the Year. How would you describe your style and philosophy as an architect practice? Paul Mathews: We started in 1997, so about 28 years ago now. We set out originally to do a mix of healthcare and other stuff, but over the years as we’ve developed and

Fire dampers are critical safety devices, hidden away inside ventilation ducting and key to preventing the spread of fire. Hopefully, they are never required to close in anger, but regular inspection and testing of their readiness to do so is obviously vital — and required by law. However, there are a worrying number of buildings

Electrical safety in Group 2 healthcare facilities remains one of the most critical challenges in modern healthcare infrastructure. Even minor electrical faults can have life-threatening consequences in operating theatres, intensive care units, and other high-risk clinical environments. While international standards such as IEC 60364-7-710 provide a clear framework, effective safety depends on proper implementation, continuous

At Wycombe, MTX is set to create a landmark 15,000m² six-storey building that will allow Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to move core services out of the aging Wycombe Tower Block, which is unfit for long-term use. Key civil works will formally start this month to prepare the site for the new facility, which will be

As the healthcare sector enters a new era of construction, contract management is the key enabler of collaboration, risk control, sustainability and certainty across large-scale programmes. Hospitals are far more than bricks and mortar or steel structures — they are critical clinical ecosystems, combining life-critical infrastructure with architecture that must remain agile, future-proofed, and compliant

Wales Regional Conference, Exhibition and Awards Dinner 2026 The annual Wales Regional Conference, Exhibition and Gala Awards Dinner will take place on 6/7 May 2026 in partnership with NHS Wales, Shared Services Partnership, and Specialist Estate Services. The Conference and Exhibition are being held at the International Conference Centre at (ICC) Coldra Woods, Newport, South Wales,

At Healthcare Estates 2025, Tony Sinden, enterprise account manager – Northern Europe at Honeywell, interviewed Simon Boundy, head of healthcare, and architectural assistant Jakub Raspl, both of Stride Treglown Architects, winners of the 2025 Healthcare Estates Refurbishment Project Of The Year Award. They discussed the methodology behind – and challenges presented by – an extensive

At Healthcare Estates 2025, Tony Sinden, enterprise account manager – Northern Europe at Honeywell, interviewed Simon Boundy, head of healthcare, and architectural assistant Jakub Raspl, both of Stride Treglown Architects, winners of the 2025 Healthcare Estates Refurbishment Project Of The Year Award. They discussed the methodology behind – and challenges presented by – an extensive

Hexham General Hospital is part of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, serving a dispersed rural population. Like many UK hospitals, it had ageing electrical infrastructure, an increasing demand on electrical load, and legacy cabling that was not designed to cope with the growing number of electrical devices used in surgery, diagnostics, and patient treatment. However,

The government’s New Hospitals Programme aims to deliver new hospital buildings without relying on a PFI-style model, but where is the money going to come from, and how can it deliver those new facilities at the pace that is now required? Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has already confirmed that the investment for 250

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) investigation report, Patient care in temporary care environments, published on
8 January 2026, confirms that so-called corridor care and the use of temporary escalation spaces are no longer confined to winter pressures but have become a year-round reality for some NHS Trusts. The investigation examines patient safety risks associated

Across the NHS and wider public sector, sustainability is no longer a fringe concern. Boards sign off Green Plans, carbon targets are embedded into national policy, and estates teams are under increasing pressure to decarbonise ageing infrastructure while keeping hospitals operational around the clock. And yet, for all the ambition, many sustainability and Net Zero

According to our recent research, more than 2,000 premises — including NHS hospitals — are failing fire inspections in a year, specifically because of inadequate emergency lighting. Indeed, emergency lighting is vital in all non-residential premises but critical buildings such as care homes or hospitals, where potentially hundreds of patients, including those who are immobile,

Public sector organisations already face significant decarbonisation requirements. The NHS has committed to achieving Net Zero for the emissions it directly controls by 2040, with an ambition of an 80 per cent reduction between 2028 and 2032. For estates teams managing ageing healthcare facilities, improving the performance and lifespan of key building elements such as