In six and a half years as Director and Head of Profession, NHS Estates, at NHS England, Simon Corben has faced some considerable challenges and a pretty full in-tray. To date his agenda has included directing the central NHSE Estates & Facilities team and the national EFM workforce in their rapid response to COVID-19, guiding

Speaking at last October’s Healthcare Estates 2023 conference, Suzanne MacCormick, an experienced healthcare planner at healthcare consultancy, Spencer Harrison, discussed how getting the sensory aspects of healthcare facilities right plays a critical part in providing the optimal care environment and speeding recovery. While the importance of – for example – selecting the right colours, and

The crisis facing water supplies in the UK is acute, with a potential drought on the horizon. All organisations are under pressure to use less water whenever possible, and this includes the NHS, which uses approximately 50 billion cubic metres of water per year,1 making it one of the UK’s largest water consumers. Using less

Scott Tacchi, Head of MMC at Sir Robert McAlpine, argues that for the true benefits of MMC approaches to be fully understood, a comprehensive breakdown of the cost-benefits, to provide the data and information necessary to effectively implement MMC practices from a cost reduction perspective, is required. He says this is a practice that has

Mark Hitchman, managing director of Canon Medical Systems UK, discusses the creation of what is reportedly the UK’s first carbon-neutral built community sports and event arena with an integrated Medical Diagnostic Centre. He explains ‘why this unique fusion of sport and wellbeing will be a catalyst for positive regional health’, and highlights how its creation

With the NHS having celebrated its 75th anniversary earlier this year, Graham Harris, Principal, and Neil Evans, Associate Principal, at Arcadis, look back at some of the major changes in healthcare provision and buildings over the period, and forward to some of the key steps – including increasing digitalisation and ‘embedding healthcare deeper into the

Healthcare estates include key infrastructure to keep our society functioning, but many are ageing, and, in a number of instances, lagging behind those in other sectors when it comes to sustainability. Does support go far enough for these estates to upgrade and adopt low carbon energy solutions considering the UK’s ambitious 2050 carbon targets? Hannah

A gala dinner on the evening of 10 October at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, attended by some 630 guests, saw the presentation of 12 Healthcare Estates IHEEM Awards celebrating excellence and innovation, and this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The latter, presented by the Institute’s CEO, Pete Sellars – who praised the winner’s ‘unwavering commitment to

Global medical practice is constantly changing, partly due to the greater availability of information supplied by new technologies, which in turn improves the precision of medical care, and enables its delivery in a more personalised way Information management technologies supporting health data control are a feature within the surgical set-up at Hospital Alemán in Argentina,

Since the advent of COVID-19, and the established link with respiratory virus airborne transmission, indoor air quality has become especially topical. Earlier this year, the Australian Government held a Clean Air Forum at Parliament House. Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, announced that he would be setting up a committee to improve the nation’s

Grove View Integrated Health and Care Hub in Dunstable – designed by Penoyre & Prasad and LLP / ECE Architecture – redefines healthcare delivery by combining cutting-edge design, state-of-the-art facilities, and a patient-centred approach. With a focus on early engagement, placemaking, and an innovative standardised model for delivery, Grove View aims to enhance patient and

I have been aware of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) for some time, but three years ago I still knew relatively little of the bacteria’s key characteristics, since the majority of our attention in healthcare water system environments is focused on Legionella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. However, when I was informed about the NTM outbreak of Mycobacterium

Any form of derogation from guidance is perceived by some as incorrect. This article discusses the role of derogations, but perhaps more importantly how guidance should be perceived and utilised in ensuring the safe design, construction, and commissioning, of healthcare facilities. NHS England has recently published a process for managing derogations.1 This is most welcome

Gamma Knife has become a recognised treatment for small-medium-sized tumours and vascular disorders that develop in the brain and skull base, including secondary metastasised tumours and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), for example. As a form of stereotactic radiosurgery, it presents a treatment option for complex cases where open surgery would carry significant risk. Gamma Knife uses

The climate emergency is also a looming healthcare emergency unless we see urgent action. As healthcare buildings account for no less than 40% of emissions, reimagining the built environment around us is a priority like never before. The NHS alone produces around 4% of the UK’s annual emissions, so it is clear that it has