As numerous research and academic studies have shown, and indeed practical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities have demonstrated, well-designed buildings are key to the provision of quality healthcare. This is a subject that has formed the centrepiece of many pieces of academic research, with the Design Council’s Future Health: Sustainable Places for Health

There remains a considerable focus on governance and assurance within NHS estates, with demands for Trust EFM teams to demonstrate compliance to their Boards, with an expanding agenda that also now sees environmental and sustainability issues to the fore, as well as the challenge, for some, of looming PFI handbacks, to contend with. In the

Hospital support services are the backbone of healthcare operations. They encompass a wide range of functions essential for the smooth running of a hospital. These services include everything from cleaning and maintenance to portering, catering, and security. They ensure that the hospital environment is clean, safe, and conducive to patient care. Additionally, support services often

Across the whole of the built environment, hospitals are arguably the facilities that host the most complex array of functions. The sheer variety of different interactions between employees and patients – and the range of equipment and environmental factors that are needed to facilitate those interactions – means that they can be more challenging to

Capturing all the data necessary for the annual ERIC report can be daunting, and sometimes painful, for those in each NHS Trust charged with the task, due to the dispersed nature of the information required – which is normally scattered across different parts of the organisation. Yet having accurate data is crucial for assessing a

One thing that’s often forgotten in the constant public discussion around the NHS is the service’s sheer size. Our health service is the biggest single employer in Europe – comprising more than 1.7 million highly skilled professionals up and down the UK. When it comes to sustainability concerns, this of course doesn’t exclude it from

Published in February 2023, the NHS Net Zero Building Standard (NHS NZBS) represents a critical step towards sustainable, energy-efficient healthcare facilities in the UK, supporting the NHS’s goal of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by 2040. The scale of the sustainability challenge facing the NHS is underlined by the fact that its estate currently accounts

In healthcare environments, the balance between anti-scalding safety and the risk of Legionella infection is a perennial issue. Temperature control regimes have always been crucial for managing the risk of waterborne infection while mitigating the risk of scalding. Thermostatic mixing valves (that comply with NHS D08 performance specifications, i.e. are TMV3-approved) have typically played a

In the high-stakes environment of UK hospitals, where every second counts, the role of a Building Management System (BMS) cannot be overstated. This sophisticated network of interconnected systems ensures the safety, health, and operational efficiency of hospital facilities. When these systems function correctly, they provide the backbone for seamless healthcare delivery. However, when they fail

In the complex and demanding environment of healthcare facilities, particularly within the NHS, the reliable and safe operation of steam boilers is paramount. Indeed, ensuring the safety and efficiency of boiler houses is not just a legal requirement, but a vital aspect of maintaining uninterrupted healthcare services. Steam is an indispensable utility in healthcare environments,

For almost 15 years, MIG Medical has been at the forefront of healthcare construction and engineering, specialising in fit-out and medical gas installations that ensure medical settings meet the highest clinical standards. Building on this legacy, we have recently proudly launched the UK’s first Healthcare Innovation Centre — a leading hub for clinical design in

Two years ago I wrote an article for HEJ titled ‘Badly maintained buildings can be a risk for all’,1 highlighting the significant concern around the level of backlog maintenance, and the potential for impact on patients and staff alike. At this point the financial position of backlog was £9.2 bn, with the critical infrastructure risk

Participants Taking part in the roundtable were: Chair, Steve Batson, Studio director and Sector Lead for Healthcare, Stephen George + Partners. Phil Morrison, Partner, Clarion. Steve Crow, Business Development director, Clarion. Trevor Rogers, Regulatory specialist, LABC. Andrew Varley, Director, International Facilities, Steris. Dean Payton, Associate, Stephen George + Partners. Stuart Dalton, Programme manager, Hive Projects.

Participants Taking part in the roundtable were: Chair, Steve Batson, Studio director and Sector Lead for Healthcare, Stephen George + Partners. Phil Morrison, Partner, Clarion. Steve Crow, Business Development director, Clarion. Trevor Rogers, Regulatory specialist, LABC. Andrew Varley, Director, International Facilities, Steris. Dean Payton, Associate, Stephen George + Partners. Stuart Dalton, Programme manager, Hive Projects.

With over 40 years’ electrical engineering experience, of which much of the last 20 have been spent advising NHS Estates managers, it’s clear to me that there are wide variations in the condition of healthcare estates. Some estates have modernised, but there are many where critical resilience relies on the performance of 40- or 50-year-old