For those that may not be familiar with SFG20, it is the industry standard for building maintenance specification, with an extensive library of schedules covering more than 70 different asset types, plus the fabric of the building itself. It was created in 1990 in response to the need for a standard that would drive legal

Traditionally, the luxury of using a blank canvas is not linked to the usual, actual available site, especially when considering retrofit solutions. Many innovative design nominations, since at least the 1990s, tend to assume a new open floor area, free of the physical constraints that hinder implementation of blue-sky ideas, often also within existing departmental

One of the key functions of the healthcare estate is to provide a care environment that helps the clinicians and nurses working in the facility to improve patient outcomes. All design, wherever possible, should be geared towards this aim — providing care and comfort in an environment that is effective, safe, and operationally efficient. Each

In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, digital strategies have become synonymous with the promise of ground-breaking advancements. Healthcare organisations around the world are fervently drafting their visions of a technology-enabled future, outlining ambitious transitions from legacy systems to a tech-savvy utopia. Yet, as the digital horizon expands, many are finding that merely having a

This article builds on a previous article which appeared in the April 2024 HEJ — titled ‘Limitations with HTMs need addressing’, written by Ashley Morpeth (Eta Projects).1 The HEJ article stated that ‘People often think that because, for example, they can demonstrate compliance with the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR) 2000 (i.e. they have a

The private or independent healthcare sector is largely made up of hospitals and clinics run independently of the NHS. These healthcare facilities are normally run by a commercial company, although some are also run by charities or other non-profit organisations. Private healthcare sites may also include mental healthcare facilities, rehabilitation centres, care homes, and many

Building new hospitals is complex, and schemes are often over budget, delayed, or beset with unforeseen complications during the construction phase. Fewer and fewer contractors want to take on hospital projects as a result of the risk, placing the ability to deliver new healthcare facilities at the scale and pace needed under threat. Can that

The use of technology has brought about significant changes in medicine, both in medical procedures and processes and administrative procedures. Until the 19th century, hospitals were places where the sick and the poor looked for asylum, and the concept of healing was not as well understood as it is today. However, starting from that century,

The study we undertook aimed to identify important infrastructural adaptations that were undertaken by the hospitals in question in response to increasing number of COVID-19 patient admissions during the surge phase of the pandemic. We studied 257 hospitals that responded to a questionnaire about the infrastructural adaptations they made during the pandemic — in areas

The current Government has pledged to reduce NHS waiting lists within this Parliament. Consequently, there is now greater need than ever for space for delivering care. We know that we need the views of clinicians to ensure that healthcare buildings will meet their needs. However, clinicians’ time is more constrained than ever, as a result

‘At the heart of eye health innovation’, a state-of-the-art new centre for advancing eye health is taking shape — with the new building being created for Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London’s Camden. Oriel is a joint initiative — a partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and

Historically, during the early decades of power generation, standby generating sets were mostly used for applications such as emergency lighting, providing power to key military installations and other similar applications. As the capabilities of the diesel-powered standby generating sets increased, so also did the type of loads supported by standby power. In the 1970s and

Vital infrastructure and operating theatres are becoming increasingly intelligent, with a plethora of complex technologies — from robotics, and 3D navigation and imaging, to artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality. Understanding how these technologies can be safely and effectively integrated and configured within the healthcare space is vital to improving patient outcomes, efficiency, and the

Health Technical Memoranda (HTM) give comprehensive advice and guidance on the design, installation, and operation, of specialised building and engineering technology used in the delivery of healthcare. They include use for when developing governance and assurance systems which take account of risk, and the safety of patients, staff, and visitors. They are issued by NHS

Concerns over waterborne infection risks in UK hospitals have hit the headlines over the past decade. Pseudomonas bacteria were found in the water systems of Belfast’s new state-of-the-art maternity hospital;1 21 patients were infected by bacteria in the water supply at the Royal Papworth Hospital,2 and an infection outbreak in the child cancer wards at