The concept of social value has gained significant traction within the healthcare sector over the past decade, not least in the management of healthcare estates. Social value refers to the broader social, economic, and environmental benefits that organisations can deliver for the communities they serve. For NHS hospital Trusts, embedding social value in estate development

Ulrik Vadstrup, Regional Europe Sales manager for HVACR at ABB Drive Products, acknowledges that while choosing the right HVACR system remains a complex challenge, opting for drive and motor (DM) packages, as opposed to electronically commutated (EC) fans, makes the greatest sense for healthcare estates and facilities teams – given such components’ circularity, durability, and

Last October, Reinsberg Group, the medtech holding of Prague-based private equity firm, BHM Group, acquired a majority stake in Brandon Medical – as ‘part of its strategy’ to build a strong group of independent European medical manufacturers. Simultaneously, Brandon, a long-established independent UK manufacturer and supplier of theatre and ICU equipment, unveiled ‘a bold rebrand’

Digital transformation (DT) is the process of adoption and implementation of digital technology by an organisation to create new or modify existing products, services, and operations, by translating business processes into a digital format.1 DT is not an option, it’s an inevitability. Bearing this in mind, it’s in all our interests to be prepared and

The assessment, appointment, and acceptance of the Authorised Person role can be seen as a ‘tick-box exercise’, and many APs find that the role is considered as an ‘added extra’ to existing duties and roles. Here Andrew Poplett, an IHEEM-registered Authorising Engineer for both water and specialist ventilation services, discusses the extent and nature of

At Healthcare Estates 2024, ventilation verification professionals, Dr Louise Webb, AE (Ventilation) of DRLC, and Gareth Twynam, managing director at AirisQ, discussed the challenges of ensuring that the air-handling plant supplying clean air to operating theatres and other critical areas is adequately monitored and managed. Here they explore the issues that annual ventilation plant checks

Historically, cities have been viewed as unnatural environments for humanity, representing a departure from rural life, where clean air and abundant resources are prevalent. Jean-Jacques Rousseau described the isolation experienced in urban settings by characterising towns as ‘the abyss of the human species’. He dismissed cities as ‘pestilential to man’s morals, health, and liberties’. As

As a supplier to NHS Trusts, what do you see as the pressing issues for Trusts in relation to FF&E solutions? Richard Thomas (RT): “Infection control furniture plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of disease within healthcare settings. While the primary focus is on patient and staff safety, it’s also essential to consider

The Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) in Smethwick in the West Midlands stands as a testament to the transformative power of architecture, not only as a healthcare facility, but as a revitalising force within its community. As architects, HKS, Cagni Williams, and Sonnemann Toon, began this journey a decade ago, stepping onto a site that

It’s easy to overlook the importance of acoustics within hospitals, where patient care is necessarily focused on the critical and urgent, yet the facts are undeniable — good acoustic design in hospitals improves patient outcomes. Hospitals are inherently noisy places. Elevated noise levels come from a variety of sources: alarms, medical equipment, conversations, music, tannoy

The healthcare sector faces mounting pressures to reduce its carbon footprint and energy consumption while continuing to provide essential services. Global targets, such as those outlined in the Paris Agreement, call for limiting temperature rises to 1.5 °C, and cutting emissions annually. These goals highlight the urgent need for action across all industries, including healthcare.

The potential issues with RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) – a lightweight precast concrete frequently used in UK public sector buildings from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s, are well documented. All NHS hospital sites in England with confirmed RAAC are now in NHS England’s ongoing national RAAC programme – allocated £954 m since the 2021-2022

Two ‘state-of-the-art’ new hospital wards have opened at the Western Community Hospital in Southampton, providing specialist rehabilitation care to people living in and around the area. Their opening has seen patients and staff re-located to the new facilities from two ageing rehabilitation wards at the nearby Royal South Hants Hospital, bringing together many of Hampshire

Jan Kroman, a Principal at Canada’s Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman (RPK) Architects, based in Edmonton, Alberta, discusses a project to create a new Emergency Department at the city’s Misericordia Community Hospital. He explains that development of ‘a philosophy of flow’ became a focal point ‘for a physical manifestation of a clinical plan that will likely see

Heat pumps, essential for generating hot water, have operating parameters that differ significantly from conventional systems, requiring modifications to existing infrastructure such as risers, pumps, and main distribution systems, to handle lower temperatures and higher flow rates. The transition is particularly complex in healthcare facilities, where complete re-piping to optimise heat pump performance may be