Healthcare Property Issue 01 January-February 2024

01/2024

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024

A new approach to mental health

design for children and young people

A positive outlook for

healthcare construction

Political parties prioritise health

and social care ahead of election

Health sector continues its

carbon net zero journey

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Comment

W E L C O M E

A new era for the

healthcare estate

Welcome to the first edition of

Healthcare Property magazine.

To be published bi-monthly,

this new title will be bringing

you all the latest news from

the healthcare property sector,

including financial and market

analysis and trends.

We will also be exploring

best practice in the design

and construction of the

next generation of health

and care facilities, as well as

looking at estates and facilities

management pracitices.

In this first edition, we cover

the health sector’s continued

journey to becoming carbon

net zero and speak to leading

industry experts about how the

buildings of the future will be

financed and operated.

There’s insight from leading

names including Harry Hyman, founder and chief

executive of Primary Health Properties and publisher

of Healthcare Property Magazine’s owner, Nexus Media

Group; Fiona Halstead and Alison Cann, clinical

compliance specialists at Barts Health NHS Trust;

Nick Gray, chief operating officer for the UK and

Europe at Currie & Brown; Adam Lenton, Colliers’

director and head of healthcare valuation and advisory;

and Benjamin Davis, chief executive of Octopus

Investments, among others.

And the launch comes at a pertinent time for the

sector as it follows the Chancellor’s recent Autumn

Statement and the political

party conferences, where the

main contenders laid out their

plans for the future of health

and social care in the run-up to

the next General Election.

It also comes on the back of

the Cabinet reshuffle, which

saw Victoria Atkins appointed

the new Secretary of State for

Health and Social Care.

While admitting there was

still ‘a lot of work to do’ to bed

in the new Integrated Care

Systems and boost staffing

numbers, as well as overcome

the COVID-19 backlog;

she claimed there were clear

recovery plans in place and

financial certainty.

But, with the tough winter

season in full swing, and capital

and revenue funding being

pinched, it remains to be seen just how quickly and

efficiently the NHS can emerge from its current crisis.

Moving into 2024, Healthcare Property will be at the

forefront of these endeavours, bringing you all the latest

from the marketplace.

And we want to hear from you!

If you can help, or have projects and news you

want to share with us, please email

joanne.makosinski@nexusgroup.co.uk

Jo Makosinski

Editor

Healthcare Property

About Jo: Jo is the editor of Healthcare Property, having

joined Nexus Media in November.

She has been specialising in design and construction

best practice within the health and care sector for the

past 14 years, working on the Building Better Healthcare

Awards and editing both Building Better Healthcare and

Healthcare Design & Management magazines.

She has a special interest in the design of mental

health and dementia care settings and in modern

methods of construction and energy efficiency.

HEALTHCARE-PROPERTY.COM JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 | 3

Contents

Chief executive officer

Alex Dampier

Chief operating officer

Sarah Hyman

Chief marketing officer

Julia Payne

Editor

Joanne Makosinski

joanne.makosinski@nexusgroup.co.uk

Reporter and subeditor

Charles Wheeldon

Business development director

Mike Griffin

Advertising & event sales director

Caroline Bowern

Business development executive

Kirsty Parks

Sales manager

Luke Crist

Publisher

Harry Hyman

Investor Publishing Ltd, 5th Floor, Greener House,

66-68 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4RF

Tel: 020 7104 2000

Website: www.healthcare-property.com

Healthcare Property is published six times a year

by Investor Publishing Ltd.

ISSN 3029-0627

© Investor Publishing Limited 2024

The views expressed in Healthcare Property

are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers.

@HCprop

linkedin.com/company/healthcare-property/

6-9 News

We round up the latest big stories,

including new building projects,

the ongoing RAAC crisis, and the

rollout of community diagnostic

clinics across England

10-13 Policy

Political parties put health and

care firmly on their agendas, the

Chancellor reveals his Autumn

Statement, and the NHS looks

to cut waiting lists by offering

patients the opportunity to travel

for treatment

14-17 Finance and

Property Deals

We look at the latest market

transactions and explore the

benefit of B Corps within the

financial sector. There is also

insight into the state of the

healthcare property investment

market and details of a new pay

deal for health workers

18

18-19 Market Analysis

Interview

Harry Hyman, founder and chief

executive of Primary Health

Properties and publisher of

Healthcare Property Magazine’s

owner, Nexus Media Group,

explores the delays to new

healthcare projects being caused

by intransigence on rental levels

from the NHS

21-23 Market Analysis

Skills and labour shortages

continue to impact healthcare

construction activity, plus a new

report from market analyst,

Glenigan, predicts a rise in the

number of healthcare projects over

the next two years

25

25 Preview

Join us for the 2024 Healthcare

Design Awards

26

24-29 Building Design

Exploring the latest trends

impacting the design of health and

care buildings. Features include the

latest guidance for mental health

settings, lessons learned from the

design of new psychiatric facilities

at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital,

and how we can harness the

benefits of regenerative design for

greater resiliency

30-32 Estates and Facilities

Management

The role of smart technology in

healthcare estates management and

why chlorine is not the best cleaning

solution for tackling superbugs

34-45 Environmental

The health sector continues its netzero

carbon journey, with news of

the latest projects and information

on funding streams and the

challenges and opportunities faced

by the NHS and private providers

47 Interview

Fiona Halstead and Alison Cann of

Barts Health NHS Trust reveal why

clinical input is critical to successful

building projects

50 People

Staffing and people news


News

Backlog-busting CDC plan

delivered ahead of schedule

Government plans to open 160 NHS

community diagnostic centres (CDCs)

will be realised a year ahead of schedule,

helping to address the crippling post-

COVID patient backlog.

Backed by £2.3bn in capital funding, the

centres are based in a variety of community

settings including shopping centres,

university campuses, and football stadiums,

and offer patients a wide range of diagnostic

tests closer to home, reducing the need for

hospital visits.

The programme constitutes the largest

central cash investment in MRI and CT

scanning capacity in the history of the NHS

and, combined, the centres have already

delivered five million tests, checks, and

scans.

So far, 127 hubs have opened — including

40 brought forward earlier than planned.

And, earlier this month, the Government

announced three of the final locations in

London, Sussex, and Yorkshire.

In a speech to the Independent Healthcare

Providers Network last month, former Health

and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay,

announced the remaining centres would

open by March, a year ahead of the original

March 2025 target.

He said: “Patients deserve the highestquality

care, and community diagnostic

centres have been instrumental in speeding

up the diagnosis of illnesses like cancer and

heart disease to ensure patients are treated

more quickly.

“I am delighted we will open 160 CDCs a

year early, allowing greater access to hightech

scans and diagnostics in communities

across England.

“This has been made possible by using

all capacity available to us and drawing on

the independent sector — helping us to cut

waiting lists, one of the Government’s top

five priorities.”

The newly-announced hubs will be:

• Queen Mary’s Sidcup CDC — Based in

south-east London, the facility will offer

CT, MRI, and ultrasound checks, along

with blood tests, providing at least 58,000

additional checks

• Halifax CDC — Based at Broad Street

Plaza shopping centre, the CDC will offer

ultrasound checks, blood tests, and heart

scans — delivering at least 90,000 tests

once fully operational

• Chichester University CDC, Bognor

Regis — This facility will offer CT and

Barking CDC

Southlands CDC. Crowther Associate Architects

MRI scans along with ultrasound checks

and blood tests, delivering at least 18,000

additional tests once fully operational

In total, 13 of the CDCs are led by the

independent sector, with eight of these

already operational.

There are a further 22 CDCs located on the

NHS estate where the independent sector is

providing diagnostic services.

They function like NHS-run CDCs, but by

making use of the available capacity in the

independent sector patients can access

additional diagnostic capacity free at the

point of need.

Alongside this, as the Prime Minister

originally announced in May, hundreds

Dorset Health Village. University

Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

of thousands of NHS patients who have

been waiting longer than 40 weeks for

treatment will be offered the opportunity

to travel to a different hospital as part of

ambitious measures set out in the Elective

Recovery Plan.

6 | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 HEALTHCARE-PROPERTY.COM

News

Work continues to rid

the NHS estate of RAAC

The Government has reiterated its

pledge to rid the NHS estate of high-risk

reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete

(RAAC) by 2035.

In an updated statement issued last

month, a Department of Health and Social

Care (DHSC) spokesperson said significant

additional funding of £698m was being

spent to put in place necessary remediation

and failsafe measures.

RAAC is a highly-aerated, lightweight,

concrete-based material, with different

material properties to conventional concrete

and was frequently used in public sector

building construction in the UK from the

mid-1950s to the mid-1990s, typically

in precast panels in walls, roofs, and

sometimes floors.

However, it is known to be more vulnerable

to corrosion than reinforced concrete,

with problems including high deflection,

corrosion, and spalling, and, where there is

a low-end bearing, the possibility of sudden

collapse due to cracking.

And this corrosion can occur without visual

indication that the panel is in poor condition.

The DHSC spokesman said: “The NHS

has established a national programme to

manage hospital buildings with confirmed

reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete

(RAAC), backed with significant additional

funding from 2021-2025.

“We remain committed to eradicating

RAAC from the NHS estate entirely by 2035

and our approach is in line with guidance

from the Institution of Structural Engineers.”

Inspections have been carried out, with

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH)

was the first acute NHS provider in the country to

successfully eradicate RAAC from its sites.

Following extensive surveys, it was found that the

RAAC panels installed at Bassetlaw Hospital were

in very good condition. However, they still had to be

replaced as part of the national initiative.

As such, the trust received funding of £15.944m to

replace the affected roofs by early to mid-2023.

The significant replacement works, undertaken in

partnership with contractor, Integrated Health Projects

(IHP), required theatres to be relocated into three

temporary modular units which were placed in the

existing car park outside the site’s clinical therapies

department, with a link corridor into the main building.

And, throughout the project, theatre services on the

Worksop site remained fully operational.

a total of 42 NHS sites confirmed to have

RAAC plank construction, according to the

latest list published on gov.uk.

Through the national remediation

programme, RAAC has already been

completely eradicated in three of these sites.

In most identified cases, RAAC has been

found in limited parts of a building.

However, seven of these hospitals need

a full replacement and will be rebuilt by

2030 through the Government’s £3.7bn

New Hospital Programme (NHP). These

are Airedale, Queen Elizabeth King’s Lynn,

Hinchingbrooke, Mid Cheshire Leighton,

Frimley Park, West Suffolk, and James Paget

hospitals.

For the other facilities, the Institution of

Structural Engineers has published guidance

on remediation and management strategies.

The approach will differ depending on the

assessment of risk, but includes secondary

supports or beams for the highest risk to

inspection regimes for lower risk areas.

Dr Kirsty Edmondson Jones, director of innovation

and infrastructure at the trust, said: “The removal of

RAAC from Bassetlaw Hospital is a testament to our

unwavering dedication to ensuring the safety and

wellbeing of our patients, staff, and visitors.

“This achievement underscores our commitment

to providing the highest quality of care in buildings

which are fit for purpose.”

A three-year, £110m RAAC removal programme is

also underway at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s

Lynn in Norfolk.

Led by Exi Group, the programme consists of

enabling works and the relocation of existing users

from proposed works areas; failsafe works to the

underside of roof planks; wall protection works to

vertical load-bearing RAAC planks; roof protection

works; and statutory compliance works.

HOSPITAL REOPENS

FOLLOWING FLOOD

Repair work has

been completed

following a severe

flood in the

basement of the women and children’s

unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. The

flood, on 6 November, which caused a

power and network outage throughout

the building, led to the declaration of

a ‘level 2 major incident’ by Blackpool

Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation

Trust, with patients being evacuated. As a

result, some elective surgery procedures

and outpatient appointments were

rescheduled. But, in an update, the trust’s

deputy chief executive, Steve Christian,

said the critical incident had been

formally ‘stood down’.

BUILDING WORK

COMPLETES ON

MENTAL HEALTH UNITS

Work has been completed on the

construction of specialist new mental

health facilities at Alder Hey Children’s

Hospital in Liverpool. The Catkin Centre

and Sunflower House project for Alder

Hey NHS Foundation Trust was designed

by Cullinan Studio and delivered by

10architect. Procured through a RIBA

competition, the development brings

services for children and young adults

together in two connected buildings.

And the design approach embraces

a therapeutic principle, with places

for refuge and outlook gathered

around courtyard gardens, with strong

connections to natural materials.

SEVEN-DAY

ENDOSCOPY UNIT

REDUCES WAITING

TIMES

A new purpose-built endoscopy unit has

opened its doors to patients at the Royal

Gwent Hospital. The facility includes four

operating theatres, a range of treatment

rooms, a spacious recovery area, and

a dedicated space for relatives. The

enhanced unit will now offer endoscopy

services seven days a week and will

significantly improve quality, safety, and

patient experience by doubling capacity,

helping to reduce waiting times and

length of stay for inpatients. The unit was

designed by architects, BDP, and built by

contractor, Lancer Scott.


News

TOPPING-OUT

CEREMONY MARKS

MILESTONE

A traditional topping-out ceremony

has been held at the site of the

new emergency department at the

Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

Hospital trust chief executive, Kevin

McNamara, joined staff, supporters, and

representatives from main contractor,

Integrated Health Projects, on the roof

of the £31m extension to mark the

completion of the main structure. Once

completed, the 1,492sq m extension will

include a new children’s emergency unit,

same-day emergency care and joint initial

assessment unit, and will improve links

between all sections of the department

and the new urgent treatment centre.

GREEN LIGHT

FOR FLAGSHIP

PATHOLOGY UNIT

Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has been

granted full planning permission for a

new pathology building at the Royal

Cornwall Hospital site in Truro. The

development is the largest and mostcomplex

of all the ‘enabling’ schemes

that will facilitate the construction of the

new Women and Children’s Hospital for

Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Located

next to the current microbiology building

and opposite the Trelawny Wing Main

Entrance, construction work is due

to begin next summer, enabling the

reprovision of pathology services and

supporting improvements in both the

patient and staff experience.

MENTAL HEALTH

HOSPITALS TO OPEN

NEXT YEAR

Two new emergency adult mental

health services are set to open in

the West Midlands next year. Cygnet

Hospital Oldbury and Cygnet Hospital

Wolverhampton, to be operated by

Cygnet Group, are two purpose-built

units currently under construction. They

will offer psychiatric intensive care and

acute mental health services for adults,

with female services located at Oldbury

and male services at Wolverhampton.

Facilities will include gardens, ensuite

bedrooms, therapy rooms, multifaith

rooms, a gym, treatment rooms,

communal lounges, dining rooms, quiet

lounges, and meeting rooms.

Offsite construction

methods speed up

project delivery

Portakabin has delivered its

first modular mental health

facility in the North East.

The permanent building,

commissioned by Tees, Esk and

Wear Valleys NHS Foundation

Trust, will house consultation

and treatment rooms for

community mental health

and crisis teams ifrom across

Stockton-on-Tees and is the first

of its kind in the region.

Using Modern Methods

of Construction (MMC), 25

modules were precision

engineered and constructed at

the Portakabin manufacturing

facility in York and transported

to the site in Durham Road in

Stockton-on-Tees to create

Brook House.

The unit brings some of the

trust’s community adult mental

health services onto one site,

helping them work more

closely together and providing

a modern and improved

environment for staff and

patients.

It will also be home to the

trust’s north intensive home

treatment team (IHT).

James Pearson, divisional

managing director for

Portakabin, said: “It is incredibly

important to us to be able to

keep disruption to an absolute

minimum for busy healthcare

providers and part of this is

being able to achieve up to 70%

of the final fit-out in our factory

before it reaches our customer.

“That means far fewer workers and materials travelling

to and from a construction site and a much-faster

handover of buildings.”

Portakabin worked within fixed cost parameters to

generate as much usable office and consultation space

as possible for the clinical teams and had to work to a

challenging programme to meet the trust’s deadlines.

Patients and staff now benefit from clinical space,

consultation rooms, a welcoming reception area, openplan

and cellular offices, a kitchenette, and amenities.

Externally, the building ties in with the rest of the

existing estate and is complete with a small section of

feature external finishing.


News

Reconfiguration

project marks record

capital investment

EMERGENCY

DEPARTMENT

OVERHAUL NEARS

COMPLETION

Construction work has begun

at Mount Gould Local Care

Centre (LCC) in Plymouth

to reconfigure the space

to house the Plym Neuro

Rehabilitation Service.

At present the service is

delivered from the neighbouring

NHS Property Services-owned

facility located on the Mount

Gould Hospital estate, a few

minutes away from the Mount

Gould LCC.

Its current home at the Plym

Neuro Rehab Unit is a 15-bed

inpatient facility for adults

with acquired brain injuries,

spinal cord injuries, and other

neurological conditions and it

has been operating from the site

for 18 years.

Mount Gould LCC opened in

2006 and currently delivers a

range of healthcare services,

providing both inpatient

rehabilitation and outpatient

services.

This £6.9m project will

reconfigure existing space to

allow for the relocation of the

Plym Neuro Service into a new,

modern, and fit-for-purpose

healthcare facility.

The new building will also

be able to deliver additional

appointments, benefiting local

and regional patients.

The reconfiguration works

will be Community Health

Partnerships’ (CHP) biggest

capital-funded variation to date

and, once complete, the relocation of the Plym Neuro

Service will complement existing services currently

delivered from the site, allowing for a ‘one stop shop’.

Through collaborative working with both NHS and

private partners, including CHP, ReSound Health,

gbpartnerships, NHS Property Services (NHS PS),

LiveWell, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and

NHS England, the project will be undertaken through

several reconfiguration stages, including:

• Reconfiguration and refurbishment of the current

NHS PS-owned Beauchamp Centre to internally

relocate some services and to accommodate services

displaced from Mount Gould LCC. The refurbishment

contracts totalling £2.95m were completed in the

spring of 2023 and were capital funded by NHSPS

• Relocation of podiatry and orthotics services from

Mount Gould LCC to the Beauchamp Centre to free up

the relevant space for the Plym Neuro service and to

allow works to the LCC to commence

• The £6.9m major reconfiguration of Mount Gould LCC

to accommodate the relocated Plym Neuro service,

due for completion in the spring of 2025

Simon Waters, regional director for the South at CHP,

said: “CHP is committed to ensuring our NHS estate

continues to make a valuable contribution to the delivery

of modern health services in local communities and our

buildings are positioned as core assets to support this

delivery.

“Once complete, the new Plym Neuro Service will be a

prime exemplar of this.”

The project is set to complete in early 2025 and

scheduled to open to patients in April 2025.

The latest phase of a multi-millionpound

refurbishment of the emergency

department at the Queen Elizabeth The

Queen Mother Hospital in Margate is

complete. Phase 3a involved rebuilding

the existing resuscitation unit to provide

five bays. Other upgrades include a new

commercial kitchen, storage spaces,

accessible toilets, and clean and dirty

utility areas. A new ambulance road has

also been completed to provide direct

access for emergency vehicles to the

new emergency department entrance.

This phase is the latest improvement to

the department, which has also seen

major redevelopment of the majors

and paediatric areas. The next and final

phase will see two additional cubicles, a

relatives’ room, and point-of-care-testing

facilities created. Final completion is due

early next year. The project has been

delivered by contractor, WW Martin, and

HMY Architects.

FIRST PATIENTS

TREATED IN NEW

RADIOTHERAPY UNIT

A new radiotherapy department has

opened to patients at Leicester Royal

Infirmary. Contractor, G F Tomlinson,

completed work on the extension earlier

in the summer, with the new, larger

building housing the latest equipment,

alongside comfortable waiting areas

and pleasant office spaces for staff.

Commissioned by University Hospitals of

Leicester NHS Trust, the works involved

a significant extension to the existing

department, housing a radiotherapy

bunker, control room and plant room,

and an ancillary accommodation block,

both of which connect to the existing

Osborne Building via link corridors. As

part of the project’s green credentials, 32

solar panels were installed on the roof to

provide power to the facility, alongside air

source heat pumps for efficient heating

and cooling through the building.


Policy

Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey, addresses the 2023 party conference. Credit Dinendra Haria

Health is high on

the political agenda

With a General Election looming over the next year, the health and

care sector will be key to the success of all parties’ campaigns

The King’s Speech on 7 November

included measures such as tackling

smoking by raising the age of sale

for tobacco products as well as reiterating

the Government’s intention to implement

the NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan.

King Charles also said the Government

would deliver plans to cut waiting lists

and outlined a proposal to implement

minimum service levels to prevent strikes

from undermining patient safety.

However, beyond this, there was

little mention of health and social care

services, with the speech instead focusing

on growing the economy, strengthening

society, and reducing crime.

In particular, critics have cited the failure

to mention the long-awaited Mental

Health Act reforms and a proposed ban on

conversion therapy.

But all this is set to change as the main

political parties look ahead to the next

General Election, which must be held

before 28 January 2025, but is more than

likely to be called towards the latter half of

next year.

WINNING VOTES

Traditionally, the NHS is one of the key

areas of focus for election manifestos, with

all political parties promising to improve

services and address inequalities and failures

The next General Election must

be called by 28 January 2025

The Conservatives have committed to banning the sale of cigarettes

to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. Martin Büdenbender from Pixabay

with the hope of winning over voters.

And, having recently held their annual

party conferences, all the main political

parties spoke of their plans for health and

social care.

In his speech, the current Prime Minister,

Rishi Sunak, announced his commitment

to ban the sale of cigarettes to anyone

born on or after 1 January 2009, essentially

creating a phased ban on smoking.

This move would be a landmark moment

for health, with YouGov polling revealing

support from 63% of the public and

widespread approval from public health

chiefs.

Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, also

announced a review into why so many

public sector staff, including doctors and

nurses, spend a significant chunk of their

time dealing with admin tasks.

And the then Health and Social Care

Secretary, Steve Barclay, set out plans to

move resource away from ‘the back office’ to

the frontline.

Another theme from the Conservative

conference was gender and trans rights,

with plans to reverse guidance allowing

trans people to be placed on hospital wards

according to the gender they identify as.


Policy

Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem spokesperson for health and social care,

sets out the party’s plans for health and social care. Credit Dinendra Haria

…the NHS

consistently ranks in

the top three public

concerns, so it was no

surprise that each of

the parties had health

high on their agenda

INTEGRATING HEALTH AND

SOCIAL CARE

For the Lib Dems, the Mental Health Act

reforms are a key commitment, as well as a

£5bn-a-year free social care plan.

The policy would increase access to statefunded

care at a time when people’s need is

higher than ever.

And it would allow social care services to

better integrate with the NHS.

The Lib Dem conference also agreed to

a raft of measures to boost public health,

including restricting junk food advertising,

increasing funding for council public health

teams, and making it easier for people to

have their blood pressure checked.

REFORM TO SURVIVE

For Labour, the buzzword was ‘reform’, with

the Shadow Secretary of State for Health

and Social Care, Wes Streeting, using the

phrases ‘modernise or die’ and ‘reform to

survive’.

The party outlined plans to rebalance

the focus of the NHS away from hospitals

towards primary and community services,

with greater emphasis on preventing illness.

The party also announced plans for more

and better CT and MRI scanners, increased

out-of-hours working to deal with the

elective care waiting list, and policies to

improve and overhaul NHS dentistry.

A GREEN FUTURE

And the Green Party has outlined a

10-point plan aimed at delivering a ‘fairer

and greener’ country.

This includes increasing public health

spending by £1.4bn, increasing NHS

spending by £8bn to ensure staff get

an inflation-matching pay award, and

increasing access to NHS dentistry by

raising the level of spend by 50%.

Commenting on the manifestos, Andrew

McCracken of health think tank, The

King’s Fund, said: “With a general election

expected in 2024, the political party

conferences were an opportunity for the

parties to make their pitch to voters.

“According to polling by Ipsos, the NHS

consistently ranks in the top three public

concerns, so it was no surprise that each of

the main parties had health high on their

agenda.”

FIRING THE STARTING GUN

But he added: “As well as listening to

the various policy announcements, it is

interesting to note what wasn’t said at the

party conferences.

“Neither Labour or Conservatives had

much to say about the desperately-needed

and long-overdue reform of adult social

care services.

“Labour, like the Liberal Democrats,

committed to increasing the pay of care

workers, but neither Labour nor the

Conservatives set out any detail on wider

reform of social care.

“For all the future-focused policies heard

at the conferences, it’s clear there are some

immediate and pressing health and care

challenges that will be on voters’ minds.

“The starting gun has been fired, the

election campaign is under way, and health

will remain high on the agenda.” n

Both Labour and the Green Party have announced plans to

overhaul NHS dentistry services. Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

The starting gun

has been fired, the

election campaign is

under way, and health

will remain high on

the agenda.


Policy

Patients offered the choice

to travel for treatment

Hundreds of thousands of NHS patients

who have been waiting the longest for

treatment will be offered the opportunity

to travel to a different hospital.

Under government plans, announced last

month, any patient who has been waiting

longer than 40 weeks and does not have an

appointment within the next eight weeks

will be contacted by their hospital via letter,

text, or email.

As part of the ambitious NHS Elective

Recovery Plan, offers will be sent to up to

400,000 eligible patients who will then be

able to submit their details, including how

far they are willing to travel — 50 miles, 100

miles, or nationally.

NHS teams can then identify whether any

alternative hospitals have capacity to see

them sooner.

In some instances, the patient’s request

will be uploaded to the NHS’s innovative

hospital matching platform — the Digital

Mutual Aid System — to see if NHS or

independent sector providers elsewhere in

the country can take on their care.

Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive,

said: “Despite pressure and the huge

disruption caused by strikes, NHS staff have

made great progress in reducing the longest

waits for patients — and this is just another

example of how we are introducing new

approaches to reduce how long patients

Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey, is calling for the introduction of a

‘Hospital Construction and Repairs Bill’, which would force the

Government to deliver on its 2019 manifesto pledge to build 40

new hospitals by 2030 by creating a legally-binding target date.

It comes as, according to a Lib Dem Freedom of Information

(FOI) request, NHS trusts up and down the country have either yet

to receive the promised funding, or have received less than 10% of

the projected costs to build the new hospitals.

Trusts which have yet to receive capital include Hampshire

Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Berkshire NHS

Foundation Trust.

And Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Dorset County

Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, James Paget University Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust, The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust, West

Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Sussex NHS

Foundation Trust, and Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Trust are

Under the new proposals, patients who have been waiting for over 40 weeks

will be able to seek treatment at another hospital. Image, Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

wait, while improving the choice and control

they have over their own care.

“Giving this extra option to these patients

also demonstrates the clear benefits of a

single national health service, with staff able

to share capacity right across the country.”

It is estimated that approximately 400,000

patients — 5% of the overall waiting list —

will meet the criteria.

If no alternative hospital is found within

eight weeks of starting the process, the

patient will remain with their current

provider and keep their position on the

waiting list.

Some patients will not be eligible if their

clinical condition is too complex, making it

inappropriate to travel.

Responding to the announcement, Louise

Ansari of patient watchdog, Healthwatch

England, said: “Long waits are having a

devastating impact on both the physical and

mental health of people.

“People have also told us that they would

welcome the opportunity to travel to receive

care more quickly, as long as any additional

costs incurred would be covered.”

Lib Dems demand introduction of bill to speed

up delivery of New Hospital Programme

among those organisation that have received less than a tenth of

their outstanding project costs, according to the FOI data.

The findings follow figures which show the backlog maintenance

bill across NHS hospitals now stands at over £10bn.

And they come after an earlier Lib Dem report found that just a

quarter of the 40 new hospitals have received planning permission.

Davey said: “NHS trusts have been left without any funding

whatsoever as the walls fall around them.

“This is a national scandal.

“Ministers must introduce a Hospital Construction and Repairs

Bill to finally make good on their new hospitals promise and ensure

patients and staff are safe.

“We are left with hospital wards being drenched in sewage,

becoming roasting infernos in heat waves, and more often than

not, becoming overcrowded and in unacceptable condition. This

isn’t good enough.”


Policy

A ‘rocky road’ for health and

care services as Chancellor’s

budget falls short

The road ahead for the health and care

sector looks ‘decidedly rocky’, according

to industry leaders after the Chancellor’s

recent Autumn Statement offered little in

the way of additional funding or a longterm

vision for recovery of services.

In his budget announcement last month,

Jeremy Hunt announced that between

2023/24 and 2024/25, under current plans,

NHS England’s budget will only crawl up

from £161.1bn to £162.5bn in cash terms — i.e

before factoring in inflation.

And day-to-day spending is now planned

to be some £3.4bn lower in 2024/25

compared to the Spring Budget 2023,

according to experts at health think tank,

The King’s Fund.

IT’S GOOD TO TALK

Improvements to health and care

announced during his speech broadly fell

into two categories — more support to

tackle mental and physical illness to help

people back into work, and investment to

boost healthcare innovation.

There were new funding commitments

to expand Talking Therapies — an NHS

England programme to support people

with mild and moderate mental health

conditions — plans to expand employment

support services within community mental

health teams to help people gain and retain

paid employment; and proposals to embed

employment support within mental health

and musculoskeletal services in England.

There was also a commitment to publish a

health and disability White Paper.

But, alongside this increased support,

there was also the hotly-debated threat

to remove free prescriptions for those the

government describe as ‘people who should

be looking for work but aren’t’.

INNOVATION BOOST

On boosting innovation in healthcare,

the Chancellor announced a new West

Yorkshire investment zone with a focus

on life sciences; and £5m seed funding

for a new Fleming Centre to help tackle

antimicrobial resistance.

And Hunt reiterated the desire to improve

the UK’s ability to support commercial

clinical research trials and provided

The Prime Minister chairs a cabinet meeting before the Chancellor’s

Autumn Statement. Photo credit: Simon Walker/No 10 Downing Street.

slightly more than £50m for the Our Future

Health genotyping programme, as well as

announcing a freeze on alcohol duty; a rise

on duty rates on tobacco products; and a

rise in the National Living Wage from 2024.

But what does all this mean?

Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst in The

King’s Fund’s policy team, said: “Overall, the

budget documents had relatively little new

to say on health and care spending and

are instead replete with references to the

Autumn Statement 2022, when there were

more-significant funding announcements

for health and social care.

UNDER PRESSURE

“From what I can see, the path ahead for

health spending looks decidedly rocky.

“Overall health spending growth is starting

to stall in real terms and higher economywide

inflation has further eroded substantial

amounts from the cash boosts awarded

to health and care services in last year’s

Autumn Statement — essentially, the cash

announced in 2022 will not go as far.”

He added: “Public sector pay awards

have a clear impact on NHS England’s

spending pressures and until those are set

for 2024/25 it is hard to anticipate just how

large NHS England’s budget should be.

“But few would believe it is possible for the

NHS to stick to its putative 2024/25 budget

without significant cuts to the scope and

quality of services for patients.

“And, even if the 2024/25 spending plans

are untenably low, until there is something

else on the table they will have to form

the basis of NHS operational and financial

planning for the coming year.

“So, even if these budgets are topped-up

in the fullness of time, in the interim NHS

leaders can expect the usual unproductive

industry of submitting, revising, and

resubmitting plans to begin.”

POOR DECISIONS

And he warned that, with local authorities

going bust and directors of adult social

services saying they cannot meet their

statutory duties, there are fears they may not

be able to balance the books.

He said: “No one knows what the future

course of industrial action may look like, or

what its financial implications will be.

“But, by not investing more in health

and care services now, the Government

is taking a substantial bet that it may rue

when organisations lay their accounts

next year and reveal potentially large and

embarrassing overspends.”

Instead, he argued, the Government needs

a more-long-term approach, saying: “It is

starting to feel like incoherency and a lack

of strategy represent ‘path dependency’ for

health and care funding announcements

— where decisions for the future are

constrained by the poor decisions of today

and the past.”


Finance and Property Deals

Funding supports pay deal

for non-NHS health workers

Eligible healthcare staff at non-NHS

organisations such as charities, local

authorities, or social enterprises will

benefit from government funding to cover

the cost of their one-off payments as

part of the NHS pay award, worth at least

£1,655 each.

It comes after the NHS pay deal, agreed

between the Government and unions in

May, saw over one million staff including

nurses, paramedics, and 999 call handlers

receive a 5% pay rise for 2023 to 2024,

backdated to April, alongside two one-off

payments worth between £1,655-£3,789 for

full-time staff.

The Government has now agreed to

provide additional funding for organisations

with contracts to deliver NHS services, who

employ their staff on dynamically-linked

Agenda for Change contracts.

While these staff are contractually

eligible for the payments, the independent

organisations employing them are

responsible for making them.

The Department of Health and Social

Care has, however, responded to concerns

around providing the payments in the

current economic circumstances and will

make funding available to help deliver them.

Health Minister, Will Quince, said: “This

will ensure hardworking healthcare staff

and the organisations they work for are not

financially disadvantaged as a result of the

NHS pay deal, and means they will receive

their backlog bonus for their efforts during

the pandemic.

“Organisations will be able to apply for the

funding and will need to show they have

been negatively financially impacted by the

pay deal, and that their staff are employed

on dynamically-linked Agenda for Change

contracts.

“Many organisations have already

delivered the one-off payments to staff, but

can apply to be reimbursed to ensure there

is no impact on vital frontline services.”

The scheme, which will be funded from

existing departmental budgets, will open

in the coming weeks, and is expected to

be completed by the end of the 2023-2024

financial year.

As a result of the pay award, a newlyqualified

nurse has seen their salary go up

by more than £2,750 over the two years from

2021-2022 and 2023-2024, alongside over

£1,890 in one-off payments this year.

Non-NHS organisations commissioned by

Healthcare staff not directly employed by NHS trusts will also

receive a one-off payment. Image by Fernando Shiminaicela from Pixabay

the NHS have, where eligible, already been

funded for the consolidated 5% uplift under

the terms of existing contracts.

Responding to the announcement, Miriam

Deakin, director of policy and strategy at

NHS Providers, a membership organisation

which represents NHS organisations, said:

“Leaders across the NHS will welcome

wholeheartedly the news that eligible

healthcare staff providing vital health and

care services through social enterprises,

charities, and community interest

companies will receive the one-off payment

as part of this year’s pay award.

“These staff make a vital contribution to

delivering frontline patient care and at a

time when cost of living pressures continue

to bite, it is positive that this discrepancy is

finally being addressed.

“It is essential now that the process

for applying for this funding is as

straightforward as possible and that where

organisations have delivered the one-off

payments to staff already the reimbursement

process is equally streamlined to minimise

the impact on vital frontline services.”

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS

Confederation, which represents providers

from across England, Wales, and Northern

Ireland, added: “This is a very-welcome

intervention from the Government, and

one that recognises some of our members’

concerns that excluding non-statutory

providers from eligibility for central funding

of the recent pay rise would threaten the

ability of many to continue delivering vital

health and care services.

“This extra funding will help provide some

welcome certainty over the next year.”

But he warned that it was only a ‘one-off

short-term financial boost’ and called for a

longer-term solution.

“While grateful, our members will question

what they are meant to do in subsequent

years”, he said.

“Longer-term thinking and funding will be

required to ensure that healthcare providers

can continue to attract and retain the staff

needed to meet the increasing demand for

services.

“The fact that this one-off funding comes

from the existing Department of Health

and Social Care budget suggests that this

may come at a cost elsewhere in the health

service, and health leaders are clear that

robbing Peter to pay Paul does the service

no favours in the long run.

“While we are pleased that our calls have

been heard, and grateful that a short-term

solution has been found for non-statutory

providers, we are clear that the problem is

only partially tackled and will need funding

for future years to be found outside of

existing budgets.”



Care home sale

completed

Christie & Co has completed the freehold

sale of Burlington Nursing Home in

Bognor Regis, West Sussex.

Burlington Nursing Home is registered for

40 service users in 36 rooms, of which 21

have ensuite facilities.

The home comprises two attached

properties which have been extended and

upgraded over the years, as well as a large

garden with secure outdoor space.

The business has been owned by Carey

Jamison since 2007 and was recently

brought to market to allow her to pursue

other business interests.

Following a confidential sales process with

Charles Phillips at Christie & Co, it has now

been purchased by Prime Care Ltd — an

established nursing agency that places

professionals in nursing and care jobs in and

around the Sussex, Surrey, and Staffordshire

regions.

The company also owns two care homes

in the region, with this acquisition taking it

to three.

Jamison said: “When I bought the business

through Charles, this was my first care home

and venture into the sector.

“It was a steep learning curve and,

although there have been challenges along

the way, I have enjoyed the time I have had

at Burlington and have taken the decision to

sell as I want to pursue other interests and

feel now is a good time to be handing over

the business to a new owner.”

Rojimon Varughese, director at Prime Care

Ltd, added: “Having been involved in the

domiciliary care sector since 2014, and also

owning two care homes in the south, I was

keen to expand, and Burlington Nursing

Home appealed greatly to me.

“The home has a good reputation in the area

and a dedicated team of staff, who I am looking

forward to getting to know and work with.”

And Charles Phillips, director of healthcare

at Christie & Co, said: “Having sold the

business to Carey back in 2007, it was a

pleasure to be asked by her to act as the

agent when she decided to sell.

“The home attracted a good deal of

interest from first-time buyers, existing

operators, and investors due to the number

of registrations and performance.

“This is a good business in the popular

coastal town of Bognor Regis and is the

third care home completion we have had in

the town in the last five weeks.”

Burlington Nursing Home was sold for an

undisclosed price.

CARE HOME BUYOUT

PROTECTS JOBS

More than 250 jobs have been

safeguarded at three North East care

homes following a multi-million-pound

deal by Malhotra Group Plc.

The Newcastle property, care, and

leisure company says it plans to plough

significant investment into the trio of

homes — which were formerly part of

Four Seasons Healthcare — based in

Howdon, Morpeth, and Blyth.

The value of the deal has not been

disclosed and the newly-acquired homes

have now been renamed, forming part of

Malhotra’s Lifestyle Care brand.

The company, which owns 15 homes

across the North East through its

Prestwick Care brand, said the deal

saved 257 jobs, but crucially secures

217 critical care beds across the region,

offering both residential and nursing care,

while protecting community resources.

PROPERTY FUNDS

SUPPORT HEALTH

INFRASTRUCTURE

Blackfinch Group has introduced

two new infrastructure and property

funds — the IFSL Blackfinch NextGen

Infrastructure and IFSL Blackfinch

NextGen Property Securities funds.

Both will have a minimum of 75% of

holdings within developed markets

and will look for companies under

the umbrella of digitalisation, energy

transition, and sustainable urbanisation,

including energy storage and renewable

energy generation, healthcare

infrastructure, and sustainable waste

disposal.

PRIVATE FUNDING

OFFERS LIFELINE

Private developer, Citybranch, has offered

to forward fund the construction of a

long-awaited new health and wellbeing

hub in Knutsford, Cheshire.

If approved, the £15m facility would be

let to the NHS on a 30-year lease, with

the agreement enabling the NHS to

acquire the freehold interest for £1 at the

end of the term.

The offer comes after 15 years of

lobbying to improve facilities for doctors

currently working out of four outdated

surgeries.

A decision is expected to be made early

in the new year.



Benefiting from

trust and transparency

Exploring the role of benefit corporations within the property investment market

Bosses at a leading healthcare property

investor are calling for an increase in

the creation of benefit corporations

— or B Corps — within the financial

services industry.

Octopus Investments is the largest

manager of Venture Capital Trusts and

investments, helping to build care homes,

retirement communities, and other

healthcare facilities across the country.

And, in 2021, the company became

a B Corp — a certification measuring

an organisation’s overall social and

environmental performance.

Benjamin Davis, chief executive of

Octopus Investments, said: “B Corp

certification requires a company to

meet the highest standards of social and

environmental consideration, transparency,

and accountability, to balance profit and

the impact they have.

“The movement should feel especially

relevant for financial services, where trust

and transparency are integral.

“Whether you’re a financial adviser

guiding a client through an economic

downturn, an institutional investor

committing capital to a fund, or an investor

investing through a platform, the whole

industry relies on trust.

“Yet trust and transparency have not

always been associated with our industry.

In fact, I often see financial services ranked

among the least-trusted industries by

consumers globally.

“This is something we should strive

to change and is why we should be

encouraging frameworks like B Corp to

drive better, more-transparent business.”

He added: “I have been at Octopus for

12 years and I can say with confidence that

becoming a B Corp in 2021 was one of the

best decisions we have made in our 23-year

history.

“We have always known that people want

to buy from, and work for, companies that

out-behave and do the right thing, even

when no one is watching, so becoming a

B Corp was another important step for

us in building a trustworthy business that

makes decisions by considering all of its

stakeholders.”

The qualification and certification

process took the company two years and

has changed the way it operates.

Davis explains: “In every decision we

look at how we can serve our shareholders,

employees, customers, the environment,

and the broader community.

“It’s a powerful framework that’s legally

cemented into our business as we changed

our Articles of Association to ensure

we must consider the interests of all our

stakeholders when making decisions.

“And we use that framework to help us

continue to do the right thing when we set

objectives, run the day-to-day business, and

report on progress.”

Examples of the impact of the

certification include:

• Shareholders — the company produces

a comprehensive, publicly-available

annual report, despite there being no

obligation to do so as a privately-owned

company

• Employees — Diversity and inclusion

targets build a more inclusive workforce

and place renewed focus on training and

education

• Customers — The company continues

to provide a best-in-class service, with

financial advisers voting it five stars

for service nine years in a row at the

Financial Adviser Service Awards

• Environment — A net zero carbon

emissions target has been set to track

emissions every year

• Community — Volunteering is actively

encouraged among employees and more

than £1.5m has been donated through

the foundation, Octopus Giving

Davis said: “Financial services is an industry

that influences society, both in terms of

customers and in deciding where money is

directed and how effectively it is used.

“The industry has an enormous impact

on people’s lives and the planet, and

consequently we have a duty to people and

the planet.

“B Corp is an ideal framework to develop

trust and we are looking forward to growing

the ground swell of support for better

business.” n



Shoots of light for healthcare

property investment

This article explores the current state of the healthcare property market and

why as it matures as a sector it is becoming more attractive to investors

The healthcare property investment

market, like other commercial

property markets, has seen a

downturn over the past 12 months, driven

principally by inflationary pressures and

subsequent interest rate rises since the mini

budget in September 2022.

However, according to experts at

commercial real estate and investment

specialist, Colliers, there is a growing

appetite from global capital funds to

explore the sector moving forwards.

In particular, the care home market is

attracting interest, according to Colliers’

Healthcare Market Snapshot for the third

quarter of 2023.

Speaking to Healthcare

Property, Richard Harris,

director and head of

healthcare capital markets at

Colliers, said: “For the past

12-18 months, there have

Richard Harris

Adam Lenton

been capital restrictions due

to wider market activity

and this slowed everything

down.

“But we are now in a

position where we are seeing

shoots of light in terms of

new investors from the UK

and overseas — including

the US, Europe and the Far

East — who are seeing value in the market.”

On the attraction of investors to the

Colliers’ latest Healthcare Market Snapshot reveals shoots of light as new investors move in from overseas

Transaction volumes are notably down on previous years, with openly available stock limited, but there

is growing appetite from global capital to explore the healthcare sector

social care sector in particular, Adam

Lenton, Colliers’ director and head

of healthcare valuation and advisory,

added: “With an aging population, and

the subsequent acute illnesses that come

with this, there is increasing demand for

care-based property advice and investment

across private and NHS providers.

A LIGHT TOUCH

“There are as many care homes closing as

there are opening, so there is a strong case

within real estate to develop high-quality,

purpose-built facilities.

“We have also seen significant capital

interest in the senior living/retirement

sectors, which are designed with a ‘light

touch’ care element on site.”

The NHS waiting list crisis is also

attracting attention, with Harris reporting

an emerging market among property

investors for high-acuity facilities including

neuro and rehabilitation services.

“Over the past decade, the pool of

investor interest in care homes has grown

significantly, with specialist funds such as

Octopus, Target, and Impact being joined by

mainstream institutional investors”, he said.

“There is still a degree of nervousness

around ‘reputational risk’ which is less

prevalent than in core sectors such as

offices, but as the market continues to

mature, and lease structures become aligned

to that risk , investors generally are more

relaxed.”

TICKING BOXES

He adds: “Healthcare has really matured as

a sector and is noticeably on the agenda of

the majority of funds now.

“It provides a long-term, secure income

for investors and ‘ticks the ESG box’, which

is a real attraction.”

“With yields moving out over the last 12

months, we are seeing engagement from

new investors who see this as a window of

opportunity to acquire good-quality assets

while the specialist healthcare REITs have

capital restrictions.

“Despite the recent fall in capital values,

there is still an imbalance between supply

and demand of good-quality real estate and,

as such, we predict yields will recover at a

faster pace than some of the other real estate

sectors.” n



Healthcare premises

investment stalls

Harry Hyman, founder and chief executive of Primary

Health Properties and publisher of Healthcare Property

Magazine’s owner, Nexus Media Group, explores the

delays to new healthcare projects being caused by

intransigence on rental levels from the NHS

Primary Health Properties PLC

(PHP) is a FTSE 250-listed real

estate investment trust (REIT).

Established for nearly 30 years, PHP is a

long-term specialist investor in healthcare

premises, with £2.8bn invested across 514

sets of premises in the UK and Ireland.

Approximately 70% of this portfolio

is let to GP practices delivering services

in primary care for the NHS and its

Irish equivalent, with 20% let to NHS

organisations delivering similar services.

Currently, 90% of the portfolio is in the

UK and some six million people obtain

healthcare services from PHP’s buildings

Newly-formed Integrated Care Systems

(ICSs) have a fundamental requirement to

change models of care.

And, for every right clinical reason,

appropriate services are being moved from

secondary care to primary care.

That requirement is bolstered alongside

the introduction of more than 29,000

direct patient care staff working in general

practice — who are not GPs or nurses —

since March 2019.

In many cases these dynamics, alongside

an ageing, unfit, and inadequate primary

care estate, result in a need for new

primary care premises in order to realise

commissioning intentions.

New primary care estate has to be paid

for by capital and this is available from state

and also from the private sector.

State capital is fundamentally restricted

and subject to myriad competing priorities,

including the New Hospital Programme

and rectification of Reinforced Autoclaved

Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

It is a matter of record that allocations of

state capital to primary care are extremely

low and the delivery of new primary care

premises through state capital is minimal.

Private capital for new primary care

premises is available through Third Party

Development (3PD), a market that has

been established for some 30 years.

… in the last 12 months the delivery of new

premises through 3PD has largely ground

to a halt, with no immediate prospect of a

resumption.

Under 3PD, the private developer draws

on its own capital to deliver appropriate

premises which are then let to either

GP practices or members of the NHS

‘family’ under an institutionally-investable

commercial lease, usually for a fixed period

of 25 years.

The rent payable for the premises

represents the developer’s annualised cost of

delivering the building.

And this rent is agreed with the ICS,

which is advised by the District Valuer

(DV) and revenue funded, either through

premises reimbursement — where GP

practices hold the lease — or direct by the

NHS if an NHS body takes the lease.

Over the years 3PD has delivered a large

number of purpose-built, modern, and

flexible premises, with over 12 million

patients — around 18% of the UK — now

served through buildings owned by its main

providers.



However, in the last 12 months the

delivery of new premises through 3PD has

largely ground to a halt, with no immediate

prospect of a resumption.

The reason delivery has failed is that the

typical level of rent which is offered by the

NHS is approximately 30% lower than it

needs to be in order to allow schemes to be

commercially viable.

As a result, private capital from 3PDs will

not be made available for scheme delivery,

instead pursuing acceptable returns in other

sectors and territories.

Alongside the shortage of state capital,

there is a very bleak prospect for delivery

of new primary care premises, which are so

essential for service change.

The situation for 3PD rents becomes even

more frustrating on closer examination.

The cost of constructing new premises

(materials and labour) has increased by

approximately 60% over the last three years.

And, over the last 18 months, the Bank

of England base rate has risen from 0.75%

p.a. to 5.25% p.a as the market has returned

to the norm of higher base rate not last seen

since the 2007-08 Global Financial Crisis

(GFC).

The rise in interest rates means the

yield or rent multiplier on all commercial

property, including primary care, also

increases, which means the same amount

of rent pays for less capital cost for the

building. There is, therefore, significant

rising cost and less ability to pay for it with

a given level of rent.

ICSs use the DV to advise them on the

level of rent for a new development and

they do not value the rent on the cost of

delivering the premises, but instead adopt

historic rental ‘comparables’.

The DV’s methodology typically

generates a rent which is about 30% less

than the cost of delivering the premises in

today’s climate of higher build and labour

costs and the cost of capital reverting to

pre-GFC levels.

In some limited cases ICSs have chosen

to increase the DV’s level of rent to enable

developments to proceed. However,

significantly more ICSs have chosen to

follow the DV’s advice, meaning that

developments are no longer viable and will

not be delivered.

The rental tone in the sector as controlled

by the DV has ensured, over the years,

that rents have fallen in real terms and

performed considerably worse than other

alternative sectors like care homes and

student housing.

And this has resulted in limited capital

investment from 3PD in the UK as

more-equitable returns can be achieved in

other sectors. For example, we have seen

specialist investors like Primary Health

Properties invest over £200m into Irish

primary care developments since 2016.

While primary care, and therefore

the setting of rents for new primary care

developments, is fully delegated from NHS

England to ICSs, it is our understanding

that NHS England continues to take an

active role and advises ICSs that the level

of rents for new developments must not

exceed the DV’s valuation.

Adopting that advice means new schemes

cannot come to fruition, thereby frustrating

ICS commissioning objectives.

Research commissioned by PHP has

shown that primary care rents can rise

Alongside the

shortage of state

capital, there is a

very bleak prospect

for delivery of

new primary care

premises, which

are so essential for

service change.

ahead of inflation and remain relatively

more affordable than other health sectors

including local authority-funded elderly

care homes, and considerably more

affordable than the mainstream commercial

sectors.

From a 3PD perspective there is

fundamental demand for new premises

from service commissioners.

In its recent Mission Statement for

the NHS, the Labour Party is clear that

primary care will play a very-significant role

in modernising the NHS.

Although in the minority, we are starting

to see a handful of ICSs increase rents

beyond DV assessment, in order to provide

a suitable funding envelope.

PHP and other investors alike want to

continue to invest in the sector, but require

acceptance from commissioners and their

advisers that the rental tone needs to be

higher to enable modernisation of the

primary care estate to meet current and

future commissioning requirements. n

PHP and other investors alike want to

continue to invest in the sector, but require

acceptance from commissioners and their

advisers that the rental tone needs to be higher

to enable modernisation of the primary care

estate to meet commissioning requirements.


Market Analysis

A positive outlook for


The latest Glenigan construction industry forecast predicts a rise in the

number of healthcare projects over the next two years

The report provides a forecast based on

analysis of Glenigan’s database of current and

planned construction projects across all sectors

This graph shows the value of underlying project starts in the

health sector compared to other markets

The healthcare construction sector

is expected to pick up over the next

two years as delayed projects start

on site and the upcoming General Election

puts the NHS at the forefront of the

political landscape.

According to Glenigan’s newly-released

Construction Industry Forecast 2024-

2025, health projects starts dropped by an

estimated 15% in 2023 as NHS resources

and management time were prioritised on

addressing long waiting lists and resolving

industrial unrest.

Nevertheless, the outlook for the

health sector remains positive with NHS

investment likely to be a high political

priority and a 3.8% per year real-term

growth rate in NHS capital funding set to

support a rise in starts from 2024.

LOOKING AHEAD

The report forecasts the value of underlying

project starts for health developments with

a construction value of less than £100m will

reach £3.5bn in 2024 — an 11% increase

on this year — and £3.55bn in 2025 — a

further 2% rise.

The report states: “The Government

has committed to a progressive long-term

increase in NHS capital investment.

“The Spending Review in October 2021

allocated £32.2bn of capital funding to the

Department of Health over the three years

to 2024/25, including plans to upgrade

over 70 hospitals by the end of the decade.

“In 2019, the Government

also announced plans for 40

‘new’ hospitals by 2030. This

was relaunched in May of

this year as Hospital 2.0, an

enlarged programme of 45

hospital projects, including

five additional hospitals with a

RAAC problem.

“However, progress to date

has been slow, with a National

Audit Office investigation

finding that only 32 projects are

likely to be completed by the

end of the decade.

“To date, only seven projects

have started on site, while 31 do

not yet have full funding to start

core building works, suggesting

that they are unlikely to start

during the forecast period.”

TOP PRIORITY

However, the report adds:

“Although project starts have

fallen recently, the outlook

for the health sector remains

positive.

“NHS investment will be

a top political priority in the

run-up to next year’s General

Election, and a 3.8% annual realterm

growth rate in NHS capital

funding is expected to support

an increase in starts from 2024

The healthcare construction market is expected to grow over

the next two years

The South East and East of England have seen the most activity

as the current frontline service delivery crisis eases.

“The increase in approvals this year is forecast to feed

through as an 11% rise in project starts in 2024.

“Post-election, sector growth is forecast to moderate

to 2% in 2025 as the new administration reviews

spending programmes and priorities.” n


Market Analysis

Skills and labour shortages

continue to impact


The UK construction industry is a

crucial driver of economic growth

and development.

However, it faces a series of challenges,

with one of the most-pressing issues being

the ongoing skills and labour shortage.

According to Currie & Brown’s UK

Construction Market Outlook report —

which tracks construction activity from

the start of 2023 to date — 225,000 extra

construction workers will be needed by

2027 to meet predicted demand.

Nick Gray, chief operating officer for the

UK and Europe at Currie & Brown, said:

“The national infrastructure pipeline is

crucial to both the economic health of the

UK, and improving the entire population’s

quality of living through increased access to

key services.

“Therefore, the predicted skills shortage

revealed in this report should be seen as

a wake-up call for the construction industry.

“Avoiding a cliff edge that threatens

the delivery of key projects such as the

New Hospital Programme will demand a

collaborative effort on training from players

across the industry.

“It will also need robust project

management and continuous, close control

of cost and risk.”

A key issue is an ageing workforce, with

35% of construction workers over the age

of 50.

An exodus of EU workers post Brexit

and during the COVID-19 pandemic has

further exacerbated the problem.

One of the most-concerning trends,

however, is the sharp rise in skills shortages,

with plumbers, bricklayers, carpenters, and

electricians among the trades experiencing

the most-significant issues.

And one of the root causes of this is

the decline in the number of completed

construction apprenticeships, which since

2017/18 has fallen by around 11% annually.

Tim Balcon, chief executive of the

Construction Industry Training Board,

(CITB), said: “From building the homes

the country needs, to constructing energy

and transport infrastructure and retrofitting

the built environment to help drive down

energy bills and meet net zero targets, the

need to recruit and retain talent in the

sector has arguably never been greater.

“To bolster industry’s resilience, CITB

will strive to attract and train a diverse

range of recruits for industry, equipping

them with modern skills for rewarding

construction careers and I look forward to

working with and supporting industry and

stakeholders in the challenging times that

lay ahead.”

As well as creating new apprenticeships

within the market, Currie & Brown’s report

advises project teams to engage early with

their contractors to ringfence skilled labour

and expand their pool of supply partners.

It also suggests that part of the solution to

the problem could be delivered through the

use of advanced technologies, such as AI,

which will provide benefits through design,

cost, and risk management, safety, and

offsite construction innovations. n

Avoiding a cliff

edge that threatens

the delivery of key

projects such as

the New Hospital

Programme

will demand a

collaborative effort on

training from players

across the industry.


Building Design

New guidance sets the tone for the

future of mental health settings

NHS England has updated its design

guidance for the development of

medium and low-secure mental health

facilities for both adults and children and

young people.

Health Building Note 03-01 Supplement

1: Medium and low secure mental health

facilities for adults; and Health Building Note

03-02 Supplement 1: Medium and low secure

mental health facilities for children and young

people were published last month and

highlight best-practice approaches to the

creation of more-therapeutic environments

for psychiatric patients in acute facilities.

Informed by the Design in Mental Health

Network, the Care Quality Commission,

architects and contractors, and estates

specialists, key recommendations include:

• Providing ground-floor living

Photo: Kleiton Santos from Pixabay

accommodation where possible

• Briefing and design should respond to the

national service specifications around leastrestrictive

environments

• A careful balance between maintaining a

therapeutic and psychologically-supportive

environment within a safe and secure

facility, while protecting the safety and

wellbeing of all building users

• Designing services, not just buildings,

informed by ‘experts by experience’

• Accessible accommodation and facilities

which promote equality, choice, and

inclusivity

• Greater emphasis on supporting meaningful

activity through a variety of spaces which

are flexible and adaptable

Hannah Chamberlain, chief executive of

the Design in Mental Health Network, said:

“Much work has been going on behind the

scenes and we are delighted to be able to

share these updates.

“We look forward to continuing our

engagement with NHS England and

articulating the standards of excellence that

we all as a design community aspire to.”

Reducing ligature risk on psychiatric wards

A new guidance document has been

published aimed at reducing harm from

ligatures in mental health wards and

environments for people with learning

disabilities.

Developed by members of the Mental

Health and Learning Disability Nurse

Directors Forum, experts by experience,

and the Care Quality Commission (CQC);

the guidance is aimed at staff who have

responsibility for caring for patients, as

well as those who assess and manage risk

in the inpatient environment, and those

responsible for buying, installing, and

maintaining fixtures and fittings.

The built environment is one of five key

factors that the guidance says should

be considered when working to reduce

harm from ligatures — the others being

therapeutic engagement, staffing and skills,

technology, and procurement.

The detailed section on the built

environment focuses on minimising

harm associated with the use of ligatures,

including ligature material and ligature

anchor points.

SAFETY FIRST

And the guidance gives examples of safety

interventions, with a critical difference from

previous advice being that low-lying ligature

points should not be deemed low risk and

should be removed wherever possible.

The guidance also covers ward layout

and design, and the importance of striking

a delicate balance where staff are able

to observe patients, support a home-like

environment, provide private spaces to

promote patient dignity, and create a

therapeutic environment.

It states: “Ward design and how well staff

are able to observe patients are contributory

factors for a proportion of suicides.

“An ideal ward design provides maximum

opportunity to observe patients.

“Locations with a good line of sight

reduce the need for restrictive intrusions

and support a non-institutional ‘home-like’

environment.

“Private spaces are also important for

providing patients with a greater sense of

control, identity, and dignity and can help

improve people’s wellbeing and positive

behaviour and play a significant role in their

recovery journey.”

It adds: “Research has shown that almost

all deaths by suicide happen in places

where patients have privacy in bedrooms

and bathrooms — with a minority of 8%

happening in shared or communal areas.

“Safe and effective mental health care

relies on a careful balance between safety,

privacy, and dignity, ensuring individual

patient needs are met in line with the

Equality Act 2010 and patients’ human

rights.

“As a result, services need to make sure

that they have appropriate systems and

controls in place to keep people safe while

balancing the need for privacy.”

To coincide with the guidance, the Mental

Health and Learning Disability Nurse

Directors Forum has developed a ligature

point assessment template designed to

support staff in identifying and recording

ligature risk points, controls, and actions

required to mitigate risks associated with

the built environment.

Commenting on the document,

Hannah Cadogan, a lecturer in nursing at

Roehampton University and representative

for lived experience at the Royal College

of Nursing, said: “As a nurse myself, I

know how easy it is to concentrate on the

measurable aspects of a risk or difficulty.

“You can easily create a tick-box form to

say you have door handles that cannot be

used as ligature point; in this you feel as a

healthcare worker you can demonstrate you

have reduced the risk, which feels like a job

well done.

“However, as a person who has suffered

from severe mental illness and used mental

health services, I have learnt from my own

lived experience that the interventions

that are not so easily measurable, like

therapeutic engagement, more often than

not were the factors that reduced my risk of

using a ligature.”


Preview

The cream of the caring crop

The Healthcare Design Awards, previously run by Pinders for 25 years, will next

year be organised by long-term event partner, Caring Times.

To be held at the Royal

Lancaster Hotel on 27

March, the awards recognise

innovation and excellence in the

design of care facilities.

Whether it’s a new-build,

extension, or regeneration project,

the judges will be looking for entries

which not only demonstrate good

design, but have made a real impact

on people’s lives.

They will include care homes

for the elderly; homes for adults

and younger people with learning

difficulties, sensory or physical

impairment, mental disorders,

acquired brain injuries, or substance

misuse; extra-care, assisted living,

and retirement housing; care

villages; and clinics and secure units.

This year there are six categories:

• Best Architectural Design

(sponsored by Virgin Money)

• Best Interior Design

• Best Exterior Design

• Best Specialist/Dementia Care

Design

• Best Independent Living Design

• Best Acute/Primary Care Design

The entry deadline has now passed

and the judges will soon be meeting

to consider all entries, with three

finalists to be chosen in each

category.

Judges will then visit the finalists

to view the projects in person

and decide on a winner for each

category.

Each finalist will receive:

• A trophy recognising their

achievement to display within

the project

• £500 payable to a charity/good

cause of their choosing

• Two free tickets to the Healthcare

Design Awards in London,

where finalist projects will be

showcased prior to winners being

announced

• PR in Caring Times magazine

• An awards finalist logo for use in

marketing material

For more information on

attending the event, visit

healthcaredesignawards.co.uk

or call 020 7104 2000


Building Design

Five lessons from Alder Hey

In this report we explore the approach to the design of two new mental health buildings at

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and how they will set a precedent for future delivery

of more-therapeutic clinical settings

“But why should it be this way?

“Imagine if typical clinical buildings were

uplifting, positive, homely environments,

flooded with natural light and connected to

gardens and greenery.

“And imagine if, instead of dreading

entering a hospital, patients felt they were

visiting a calm, comforting place of healing.”

To inform future design, he has collated

five ‘lessons learned’ from the projects,

which he hopes will create a new generation

of psychiatric facilities.

The Catkin Centre and Sunflower House have been designed as two

connected buildings surrounded by open space and views to parkland

Patients are set to move into two new

purpose-built mental health units

at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in

Liverpool.

The Catkin Centre and Sunflower House

provide much-improved mental health care

for children and young adults, bringing

together a range of specialist psychiatric

services previously scattered across the

hospital site and through the city.

Arranged in two connected buildings

covering 3,000sq m, the facilities were

designed by Cullinan Studio and represent

an alternative approach to the traditional

hospital typology by creating a series of

cloistered routes around two courtyard

buildings where clusters of consulting rooms,

bedrooms, and day spaces are gathered

around a central outdoor garden room.

NATURAL MATERIALS

The buildings themselves are raised over the

car park, drop-off, and pedestrian access

area and are set against a backdrop of stone

gabions and garden terraces.

External walls are clad in red-brown

weathering steel panels to contrast with the

green planting and bay windows.

And, inside, the interior is lined with

timber, adding warmth and bringing a

feeling of nature into the internal spaces,

while bedrooms and clinical consulting

rooms have projecting bay windows offering

‘child-sized’ refuge spaces looking towards a

new park.

The Catkin Centre will provide a new

home for outpatient services including

ASD, ADHD, development paediatrics,

CAMHS, eating disorders, and crisis care;

and Sunflower House provides a ‘homefrom-home’

for young people with complex

and enduring mental health conditions,

comprising a 12-bed inpatient mental

health unit for children aged 5-13.

It is one of only six inpatient units for this

age group in the country.

LESSONS LEARNED

Architect, Roddy Langmuir of Cullinan

Studio, said: “Designed for patients’

mental wellbeing, the Alder Hey Children’s

Hospital in Liverpool pioneers a new

approach to clinical buildings.

“As the architects behind the hospital’s

new Catkin Centre and Sunflower House

buildings, we believe these buildings can

provide a blueprint for the NHS and all

healthcare providers.”

He added: “The links between

environment, mental health, and physical

health are now well established. For example,

a significant body of evidence shows that a

connection to nature can improve patient

outcomes and recovery times.

“Yet, traditional hospital buildings are

designed with virtually no reference to the

mental wellbeing of their patients.

“Too often they are functional,

forbidding, and detached from the natural

world.

1. Hospital masterplanning: Enable a

joined-up healthcare approach by

creating a ‘health campus’

The Alder Hey project brings together

a range of facilities that were previously

scattered across the hospital site and the city

of Liverpool in two connected buildings.

The new buildings come together with

the main hospital, The Institute, the

bereavement centre, and a re-imagined

Springfield Park (also designed by Cullinan

Studio with Turkington Martin) to form

a ‘health campus’, offering a new joined-up

approach to the treatment of physical and

mental health for children and young adults

and giving patients what one clinician

described as ‘a Ritz experience’.

The buildings and the spaces between

them have been designed to accentuate

opportunities for planting, walks through

landscape, and views to create a holistic

approach to ‘health in nature’.

This kind of innovative approach has

great benefits, but also challenges as clinical

and patient privacy needs must be balanced

with maintaining a welcoming and open

environment.

With imaginative solutions, architects

can meet these challenges and enable

hospitals to deliver healthcare that joins up

physical and mental wellbeing.

2. Design legible layouts that feel

safe, warm, welcoming, and noninstitutional

Traditional hospital buildings tend to be

mazes without centres; confusing labyrinths

of corridors and identical, boxy rooms that

leave patients disorientated and alienated.

Alder Hey takes a completely different

approach.


Building Design

Masterplanning of the site has created

a ‘health campus’. Drawing, Turkington Martin

Cloistered routes surround two courtyard buildings,

where clusters of consulting rooms, bedrooms, and day

spaces are gathered around a central outdoor garden

room offering activities and views.

It is a legible layout as users can easily orientate

themselves within the building, promoting feelings of

security, and reducing stress.

Gone are the long, intimidating, windowless

corridors of typical clinical buildings.

With plenty of seating, daylight, and views outside,

the circulation at Alder Hey is designed as a place to be,

not just to pass through.

And extra-wide ‘bulges’ in the generous corridors

prevent the circulation areas from being potential

places of conflict — a common cause of patient stress

in traditional mental health units with their typically

narrow routes.

Simple, clear layouts and corridor ‘bulges’

help with orientation, reducing stress

The buildings represent a new

way of designing hospitals

A timber ‘cone’ brings

daylight into the building

It is important to integrate mental

health facilities into the community

3. Connect patients to the natural world

The eddies in the corridors serve another purpose;

they connect patients to the buildings’ central outdoor

garden rooms, so that even when indoors they feel close

to flowers, plants, and daylight.

Alder Hey is the first children’s hospital in Europe to

be integrated within a new publicly-accessible park, and

the mental health buildings are surrounded by green

space, trees, and flowers.

Bedrooms and consulting rooms have projecting bay

windows that offer ‘child-sized’ refuge spaces that shield

direct overview from outside and look instead towards

the new park.

So all parts of the buildings — and all spaces to wait,

be alone, or be sociable — give views of nature.

Numerous empirical studies have shown that

connection to nature reduces stress and heart rates and

improves feelings of wellbeing.

While a parkland may not be a practical possibility

for all hospitals, architects and designers can find

imaginative ways to bring patients closer to nature, even

in the most-unpromising locations.

4. Make hospital buildings multi-sensory

instruments for healing

Connecting with nature promotes healing because it

provides a form of effortless stimulation appreciated via

all the senses.

The simple act of sitting in contemplation in a

courtyard garden presents you with an array of subtly

changing colours, textures, lights, sounds, and scents.

Central outdoor garden rooms bring people close to nature, even when

they are indoors, thanks to the planters being right up to the glazing

As well as creating gardens and outdoor rooms, architects can bring nature

into buildings by using natural materials.

Internally, the Alder Hey buildings are made of timber, a material not normally

associated with hospitals, but here revealed and expressed throughout.

The wood creates a warm, tactile effect that can be appreciated with multiple

senses: sight, smell, and touch.

The building itself can then become an instrument for healing.

5. Integrate hospitals into the community

Hospitals are public buildings, but even when they are in residential and urban

areas, it is rare for them to feel like cherished parts of the community. They are

usually alien ‘other’ places: forbidding institutions, generally ignored and, when

needed, approached with trepidation.

Alder Hey’s location within a new park points the way to new ways of

thinking about hospital buildings.

Why shouldn’t they be pleasant places to visit, positively integrated into

communities, even loved?

Visitors to The Catkin Centre and Sunflower House do not have to sit in

the ‘limbo’ of boring, formal waiting rooms between appointments; they can

wander in adjoining courtyards, sit at desks to carry on their work or school

homework, and carry on their lives in a visually-interesting space.

The British have a deep regard for the NHS and visiting its hospitals

shouldn’t be a matter of dread, but thought of warmly as an opportunity to find

tranquillity and restoration in a place of healing. n


Building Design

Closing the circle:

Regenerative design

for health and wellbeing

Building resilient healthcare across the UK and Europe is a growing priority and the market is facing

many challenges that are straining such a vital resource. Here, Andrew Tempany, technical director,

and associate director, Lynne Houlbrooke, from Stephenson Halliday, an RSK Group company, lay

out how we close the circle and harness the benefits of regenerative design for greater resiliency

In today’s world, we face challenges

that exert pressure on indispensable

healthcare systems: an escalating climate

crisis, the legacy of a global pandemic,

and economic uncertainty are stretching

the services and infrastructure of national

health and social care across Europe.

With extreme high temperatures being

felt across the continent this summer,

the pressure caused by environmental

conditions is only increasing and, when

combined with economic stresses, it is

making for difficulties in care provision.

However, regenerative design approaches

offer the opportunity to contribute towards

the alleviation of the present challenges

facing our vital healthcare systems.

RESTORING AND REPLENISHING

The principle of regenerative design places

ideas of restoring and replenishing the

surrounding natural environment through

our built infrastructure at its centre,

…regenerative design

approaches offer

the opportunity to

contribute towards

the alleviation of the

present challenges

facing our vital

healthcare systems.

creating net positives through a circular

approach.

This means integrating buildings and

infrastructure into existing networks

and spaces so they are of benefit to, and

accessible by, the community.

And, in the healthcare context, this is

particularly valuable.

Stanley House is a specialist

facility in neurological complex

care in Herefordshire where the

landscape has been design to

incorporate healing courtyards

The village of Staunton in Gloucestershire is cultivating ‘edible

landscapes’ that embody therapeutic horticulture principles

A recent study by The Wildlife Trusts in

the UK found that ‘green prescribing’ —

that is, referring patients to nature-based

programmes — could result in an annual

cost saving of £635.5m when supporting

1.2 million people, in addition to the

mental and physical health benefits of

accessing nature to the individual.


Building Design

Creating health and social care

environments that give access to green

space and nature offers healthier spaces for

patients and clinicians by supporting both

mental and physical wellbeing.

And the reach is much wider: staff

and patients become their guardians,

maintaining the environment and further

supporting patient rehabilitation.

BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN

Nurturing this link between the indoors

and the outdoors, bringing nature to

patients, is exemplified at Stanley House, a

specialist facility in neurological complex

care in Herefordshire.

Here, the landscape has been designed

to incorporate ‘healing courtyards’ that are

directly linked to the individual rooms of

the building, connecting the outdoors and

indoors.

Local orchards have been reinstated for

their cultural and sensory associations, and

plants have been installed at different levels

to create a unique sensory environment that

brings residents back in touch with nature.

The cultural aspect of ecosystems

services in contributing to our wellbeing is

important, as it relates to a sense of place,

connection and identity, as well as creating

a rich design focus for spaces in which to

decompress.

The village of Staunton in

Gloucestershire is another successful

example of developing greater access

to nature through cultivating ‘edible

landscapes’ that embody therapeutic

horticulture principles.

LIVING OFF THE LAND

The village’s community garden, designed

to reflect the historic Chartist architecture

of the village and to embody the aspirations

of the Chartists to live a life on the land,

offers a shared central space to be enjoyed

by everyone.

The garden is an extension of the village

that encourages healthy living through

increased access to fresh fruit and vegetables

grown by residents and social spaces that

can be enjoyed by all.

Staunton’s gardens take a preventative

approach to healthcare, supporting health

and wellbeing in day-to-day life.

Bringing these spaces to the heart of

communities has innumerable benefits.

The regeneration of Green Gates

Community Park in Frodsham, Cheshire,

emphasises the power of accessible green

space, as well as co-design with its users.

Here, the community directly informed

the development and rebuilding of its local

playground, which ensured it met its needs.

CLOSING THE CIRCLE

Now open to the public, the park was

co-designed to provide learning and

play space for children at the same

time as being an open space for all local

residents, incorporating accessible paths

for the elderly and wheelchair users as

part of a lifetime neighbourhood design

concept, another core tenet of healthy and

sustainable communities.

Closing the circle and bringing health

and social care considerations back into

these wider contexts offers multiple benefits

by curating reflective landscapes that are

more than ‘just’ restorative.

By embracing regenerative principles,

developers can design healthy environments

for all and, most importantly, integrate

these into the heart of communities, where

they are valued most.

Circular and regenerative design

approaches ensure the design is right

for its context by looking closely at the

interconnections that already exist in

the community and incorporating wider

benefits.

Such an approach draws the United

Nations Sustainable Development Goals

(SDG) and the six capitals of design into

projects, creating lifetime neighbourhoods

that meet our needs and grow with us into

the future, as well as contributing solutions

to contemporary environmental and

societal challenges.

The challenges faced by this industry are

broad but, by recognising the benefits of

many smaller scale interventions, we can

achieve strategic benefit.

SMALL-SCALE

INTERVENTIONS

The important thing here is to have a

compelling vision and to recognise how the

design for a site can contribute to a wider

environmental vision or strategy as part of a

network of practical, regenerative, naturebased

interventions.

This is how we can harness the power of

small-scale interventions to add value so

they are greater than the sum of their parts.

To achieve this vision, good design is key.

The simplicity of design — elegant

solutions that realise multiple benefits and

that work for people — is equally vital.

Whether this is through considering

access and flow, creating a design to capture

the imagination and delight the senses, or

working for a range of different interests

and behaviours, we must take an approach

that considers the management, sustainable

maintenance, and governance of the space

from the start.

Such a regenerative, collaborative

approach ensures the delivery of resilient

healthcare services for the future in line

with the wider benefits of sustainable

development goals.

This is the bigger picture of modern

healthcare.

Designing healthcare settings to sit

within natural and community spaces

affords us the opportunity to create real,

far-reaching resilience. n

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Andrew Tempany is

technical director of

landscape design at

Stephenson Halliday, an

RSK Group company

specialising in landscape

architecture and

environmental planning.

Lynne Houlbrooke is

associate director of

landscape design at

Stephenson Halliday.


Estates and Facilities Management

Ultra-Violet light can disinfect larger areas, such as

operating theatres or consultation rooms, within minutes

Some cleaning robots are equipped with UV-C

technology to disinfect areas as they clean them

Robots provide a consistency of service, enabling

the upkeep of cleaning standards and compliance,

while providing valuable real-time data

Smart choices:

Facilities management

technology for hospitals

Adam Mitton, managing director of healthcare at Mitie, looks at three ways hospitals are embracing

smart technology to enhance services and deliver efficiencies

Against the backdrop of a

notoriously-busy healthcare system,

managing healthcare estates and

facilities to an optimal standard has never

been more crucial.

Clean, safe, and well-maintained spaces

are a key part of enhancing staff and patient

experiences, and with the ongoing focus on

easing waiting list backlogs, increasing the

speed at which care facilities can be turned

around is more important than ever before.

And developments in facilities

management (FM) technology can help,

such as these three smart solutions.

SENSORS AND REMOTE

MONITORING

The most-efficient way of enhancing the

day-to-day running of any building is to

have a complete understanding of both the

facilities and the people using them — and

hospitals are no different.

Sensors can be used to gain a full view

of the facilities and areas that can be

optimised, by monitoring movements and

collecting data in real time.

This provides FMs with the knowledge

needed to continually evolve their service

and identify longer-term trends.

They also help with the practical,

everyday operations of healthcare estates, by

providing actionable insights, which allow

FMs to deliver demand-led services.

For example, real-time data measuring

footfall provides crucial insight on which

areas are busiest, and where cleaning or

security services may be most needed.

Similarly, automatic alerts may prompt

the replenishment of hand towel and

sanitiser dispensers when these are running

low, removing the need to manually check

each one — especially in non-acute areas

of the building, such as administration or



outpatient units.

Engineers, too, can benefit from remote monitoring,

as this may point towards the early signs of a problem

with an asset or system — such as critical ventilation–

so this can be pro-actively addressed before an impact

occurs affecting patients and clinicians.

UV-C LIGHTS

With thousands of people visiting every day, it is critical

that healthcare estates and facilities are maintained to a

safe hygiene standard, as efficiently as possible.

To address this, there are innovative solutions to speed

up some of the more manual, time-consuming tasks.

One solution is Ultra-Violet (UV-C) light, which

can disinfect larger areas, such as operating theatres or

consultation rooms, within minutes, saving crucial time

as well as achieving exceptional results.

In fact, researchers from Boston University found

UV-C reduced 99.9999% of the COVID-19 virus

within 25 seconds.

Using such technology, critical areas can be sanitised

and prepared for the next patient in record time,

helping to ease waiting list backlogs and relieve pressure

in an environment where every second counts.

ROBOTS

As technology continues to improve exponentially,

tools like cleaning robots are become increasingly

commonplace.

Because robots provide a consistency of service, their

use allows for the upkeep of cleaning standards and

compliance, while also providing valuable real-time data.

These can eliminate tasks that take up significant

amounts of cleaners’ time, as they allow colleagues to

focus on duties that require direct human intervention,

such as disinfecting difficult-to-reach areas, or

Sensors can be used to increase efficiency by

monitoring movements and collecting data in real time

sterilising equipment.

But one thing we have noticed with cleaning robots is that connecting

technologies together helps to compound the benefits of smart tech.

For example, some cleaning robots are also equipped with UV-C technology

to thoroughly disinfect areas as they clean them.

Sensor technology, UV-C cleaning, and robots are just three smart

innovations which can be introduced in hospitals to deliver more-efficient FM

services.

And, not only are they easy to implement, without disrupting the delivery

of essential healthcare services, but, importantly, they play a crucial role in

improving the experience of both patients and staff. n



Chlorine disinfectant has no

impact on common superbug,

research finds

New research from the University of

Plymouth has concluded that treating

spores of Clostridioides difficile (C.

diff) on hospital surfaces with chlorine

disinfectant is no more effective than

using water with no additives.

The study found that spores of C.

diff on surfaces remain completely

unaffected despite being treated with high

concentrations of bleach.

The research has been written-up in the

journal Microbiology, in which the study’s

authors say susceptible people working and

being treated in clinical settings might be

unknowingly placed at risk of contracting

the suberbug.

As a result, and with incidence of biocide

overuse only serving to fuel rises in

antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide,

they have called for urgent research to

find alternative strategies to disinfect C.

diff spores in order to break the chain of

transmission in clinical environments.

Dr Tina Joshi, associate professor in

molecular microbiology in the Peninsula

Dental School, carried out the study with

Humaira Ahmed, a fourth year medicine

student from the same school.

She said: “With incidence of antimicrobial

resistance on the rise, the threat posed by

superbugs to human health is increasing.

“But far from demonstrating that our

clinical environments are clean and safe for

staff and patients, this study highlights the

ability of C. diff spores to tolerate disinfection

at in-use and recommended active chlorine

concentrations.

“It shows we need disinfectants and

guidelines that are fit for purpose and work

in line with bacterial evolution, and the

research should have significant impact on

current disinfection protocols in the medical

field globally.”

C. diff is a microbe that causes diarrhoea,

colitis, and other bowel complications and

is known to infect millions of people around

the world every year.

Previously, Dr Joshi and colleagues

have demonstrated the ability of C.

diff spores to survive exposure to

recommended concentrations of sodium

dichloroisocyanurate in liquid form and

within personal protective fabrics such as

surgical gowns.

The new study examined the spore

response of three different strains of C. diff

to three clinical in-use concentrations of

sodium hypochlorite.

The spores were then spiked onto surgical

scrubs and patient gowns and examined

using scanning electron microscopes

to establish whether there were any

morphological changes to the outer spore

coat.

Dr Joshi, who is on the Microbiology

Society Council and co-chairs its Impact &

Influence Committee, said: “Understanding

how these spores and disinfectants interact

is integral to practical management of C.

diff infection and reducing the burden of

infection in healthcare settings.

“However, there are still unanswered

questions regarding the extent of biocide

tolerance within C. diff and whether it is

affected by antibiotic co-tolerance.

“With AMR increasing globally, the need

to find those answers — both for C. diff and

other superbugs — has never been more

pressing.”

AI tool supports EFM professionals

NHS estates and facilities management

(EFM) staff at all levels are being invited

to contribute to an innovative research

project being led by Carl-Magnus von

Behr and Carl Partow from the University

of Cambridge.

The initiative is centred on developing

innex.ai, an artificial intelligence (AI)/

large language model (LLM) tool to boost

productivity for NHS EFM teams.

The tool is being developed based on three

years of research on knowledge sharing

among NHS trusts and in partnership with

AI specialists at the University of Cambridge.

A knowledge-sharing platform, it has

an LLM-powered chatbot interface for

NHS engineers, leveraging large language

and fact verification models to enable

conversations with a custom-built vector

database of relevant information across

different categories (regulatory, guidance,

standards, peer knowledge, etc) to provide

accurate answers and insights, bridging the

current skills gap and empowering informed

decision-making in healthcare infrastructure

management.

Moreover, it will facilitate connecting to

domain experts and peers for best-practice

knowledge sharing as well as assisting in

policy drafting and grant applications.

A recent pilot workshop at the Health


Association’s (HEFMA) Trent Branch annual

conference has already demonstrated

promising results, indicating significant

productivity improvements.

And it is now being demonstrated more

widely through online training and taster

sessions.


Environmental

Advancing green healthcare

amid climate challenges

Jessica Brown, senior sustainability consultant at

Lexica, explores the NHS’s journey to becoming carbon

net zero and outlines where the challenges lie to meet

the Government’s 2040 target

Each week seems to highlight the

critical importance of sustainable

healthcare solutions, to ready the

service for undeniable changes in our climate.

And, having recognised the emerging

threat and defining its net-zero target

timeline, the NHS is now in a pivotal phase

for turning ambition into action.

Sobering reminders of climate change

and continued pressures on our health

services have reinforced the significance of

delivering against net-zero targets.

The NHS has set itself two targets for

delivering net-zero carbon healthcare and

aims to be the world’s-first net-zero national

health service.

While these targets may appear

ambitious, the NHS has made significant

progress in its advancement for green

innovation this year.

MAKING PROGRESS

At the beginning of the year, NHS England

announced the decommissioning of

desflurane by early 2024.

Desflurane is a volatile anaesthetic used for

surgery, but it has a global warming potential

2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide.

The commitment and progress made

in 2023 builds upon the continued hard

work of anaesthetists who had already

successfully reduced desflurane from 20%

of all anaesthetic gases to just 3% over the

last five years.

And, from April 2023, all new contracts

above £5m per year require suppliers to

publish a Carbon Reduction Plan for their

UK Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a subset of

Scope 3 emissions as a minimum (aligning

with PPN 06/21).

This is the latest driving force embedding

net-zero commitments within procurement.

Sobering reminders of climate change and

continued pressures on our health services

have reinforced the significance of delivering

against net-zero targets


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Moreover, a wealth of guidance and

toolkits has been published to educate,

guide, and embed net zero within the NHS.

These include the Carbon Literacy

toolkit, which provides resources to

engage staff in national net-zero policy

and encourage low-carbon actions; the

Net Zero Building Standard, which

provides technical guidance to support

the development of sustainable, resilient,

and energy-efficient buildings; and the

newly-published NHS Net Zero Travel and

Transport Strategy, the latest roadmap to

support NHS bodies to achieve a zeroemissions

fleet by 2040.

FUNDING FOR HEAT

DECARBONISATION

With NHS buildings contributing 15% of

the total NHS carbon footprint, reducing

emissions from hot water and space heating

systems, which account for 80% of NHS

greenhouse gas emissions, and improving

the energy efficiency of the ageing estate

will be essential.

Stringent limits on capital budgets,

however, mean integrated care boards

(ICBs) and trusts must source external

backing through funding rounds such as the

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and

the Green Heat Network Fund.

Feedback on the award process has

highlighted concerns over allocations being

made on a first-come-first-served basis.

As the policy landscape evolves, and

with a general election likely in 2024,

increasing green funding opportunities

for the NHS will be crucial to deliver heat

decarbonisation and reach its net-zero goal.

INCREASING CLIMATE

RESILIENCE

As global temperatures rise and extreme

weather events become increasingly

common, the need for climate-resilient

health systems has never been more

important.

Risk management and adaptation will,

therefore, play a vital role in protecting the

NHS from climate-related hazards.

The World Health Organisation (WHO)

has recently published the Operational

Framework for building climate-resilient

and low carbon health systems.

This, along with the publication of the

third National Adaptation Plan, reinforces

the magnitude of embedding climate

adaptation and resilience in existing and

new building infrastructure globally.

Of climate change hazards, heat stress

presents a key risk, with the summer

heat waves of 2022-23 highlighting the

vulnerabilities present within ageing

building infrastructure, with a third of the

estate having been built before 1965 and

designed to keep heat in when the climate

was cooler.

As a result, employees, patients, and

visitors are regularly experiencing heat

stress and the NHS faces many obstacles in

attempting to reduce its impact.

The population continues to require self

help about how to keep cool and hydrated,

placing more demand on the service, and

there is an economic disconnect between

government, developers, and retrofitters,

with different agendas and motivations.

Addressing these challenges, and

safeguarding healthcare systems from

climate risks, will become a much-morepressing

matter for the NHS in 2024.

PRIORITISING AND

EMBEDDING SOCIAL VALUE

Alongside emissions reduction efforts,

social value continues to be a high priority

on the sustainability agenda for the NHS.

Driven by the public procurement

note (PPN 06/20), social value delivery

within the NHS’s supply chain provides a

mechanism to align targets, obtain Scope

3 footprints, and deliver additional value

to the communities served by national

healthcare.

INVESTMENT IN SOCIAL

PRESCRIBING

Another key initiative is social prescribing,

which presents significant opportunity for

public health benefits through engagement

with ICBs and their systems.

This alternative treatment method aims

to reduce demand on healthcare facilities

and strengthen community support.

Non-pharmaceutical medical

interventions, such as green social

prescribing, also work to address the

importance of being outdoors for people’s

mental and physical health.

Social prescribing is important to reduce

pressure on the existing NHS services,

but also increasing focus on preventative

care, such as treating pre-diabetics through

lifestyle changes.

Continued investment into robust

community care and support will be key for

NHS sustainability in adopting joined-up,

efficient, and low-carbon care models for

the future.

INCREASING INNOVATION

And continued investment into

technologies and processes will be a point

of focus within the healthcare sector

moving forward.

In 2023, the National Institute for

Health and Care Research partnered with

UK Research and Innovation to launch the

£30m programme ‘Realising the health cobenefits

of the transition to net zero’.

Award of the successful researchers in

2024, and further funding, is expected to

identify the carbon impact and material

waste associated with emerging health and

social care delivery models and pathways.

To maintain momentum and progress

against trusts’ Green Plans, 2024 is

expected to be a year of shared learning and

innovation, keystone commitments, and

data-driven action.

As technology advances, so must the

speed of access to capture the carbon

benefits that arise.

Similarly, suitable funding and

commercial solutions must be brought

back to the NHS to allow full benefits to be

unlocked.

The efforts of NHS staff across the

country have proven the potential and

scalability of several solutions. And now is

the time to commit and reap the associated

wider societal, environmental, and

economic benefits. n

2024 is expected to be a year of shared learning

and innovation, keystone commitments, and

data-driven action


Environmental

Priming pumps and plant

rooms for a net-zero NHS

There are clear and ambitious targets in place to get the NHS to net zero, but identifying a route for

such a complex system is going to be particularly challenging. And key to this is navigating plant rooms

and pumps, which are safety critical to healthcare settings. This is why it is imperative they are specified

and maintained correctly, as Jason Hartigan, specification sales manager at Wilo UK explains

Healthcare settings must run like

clockwork to ensure patient safety

is prioritised at all times.

At the beating heart of hospital services,

hidden away from patients, most staff, and

members of the general public, are plant

rooms.

Within these rooms, the vital organs of

hospitals are stored, transporting water and

other mission-critical supplies around the

building and across the estate.

And this is where you will find circulating

and booster pumps, distributing hot and

cold water to the main arteries of a hospital.

These plant rooms and pumps cannot

fail. If they do, disaster can strike, leading

to disrupted operations, surgical wards

shutting down, and the creation of unsafe

environments for both patients and staff.

At a time where the NHS is under

immense stress with a growing backlog

of patients in need of medical care, this is

simply not an option.

THE BEATING HEART

Alongside the safety aspect, it is essential

that these plant rooms operate efficiently.

The NHS contributes roughly 4-5% of

the UK’s total carbon emissions, with the

NHS in England alone responsible for 40%

of the public sector’s emissions, so bringing

these figures down is a must to get to the

NHS’s goal of becoming net zero by 2045.

This is why the beating heart of

healthcare settings, plant rooms, and pumps

also require a level of ‘medical’ attention.

A CHALLENGE FOR

MANAGERS

As plant rooms and pumps essentially keep

healthcare properties up and running, they

require regular, specialist monitoring for


Environmental

accurate and efficient operational levels.

Industry professionals will be aware that

individual pumps have various levels of

‘health’ which deteriorates over time.

And while the responsibility of

monitoring the health of pumps in a plant

room generally falls to estates and facilities

managers, they are often overloaded with

other tasks, which means that individual

pumps can be overlooked.

Due to estate managers moving between

healthcare settings, too, one of the biggest

challenges is that managers are unaware of

the equipment that resides within a plant

room and may not have an up-to-date asset

list. This, in turn, means managers do not

know when equipment was installed, who

it was installed by, and when it needs to be

serviced or replaced.

Since estate managers tend to spread their

expertise across a wide subject field, it is

also the case that many do not have enough

specialist knowledge on individual pumps

in particular.

This is why it is key that specialists from

the pump industry are brought on board

to establish clear maintenance schedules

within healthcare settings.

PUMPS IN DIFFICULT PLACES

Alongside challenges of not having the

historical background of a plant room

and the equipment within, these areas

are notoriously difficult to navigate, let

alone going in to assess the condition of

individual assets.

Often, plant rooms are located in

difficult places to access with numerous

complications around them.

For instance, a plant room may be located

on top of a hospital, with poor access. And

pumps that need replacing in these areas,

particularly bigger, heavier pumps, will

require careful planning and consideration,

from demounting the existing pump,

removing it off site, and then craning any

new pumps in.

THE IMPORTANCE OF

PROFESSIONALS

Given these challenges, seeking expert

advice and consulting with pump

manufacturers is crucial for asset and plant

managers to ensure plant rooms stay in tiptop

condition.

Reputable suppliers can offer expertise

which consolidate and enhance existing

assets.

From here, an asset list can be drawn up,

and thereafter an effective maintenance

schedule can be deployed.

A straightforward-yet-effective planned

preventative maintenance (PPM) schedule

is the traffic light system, which ranks

equipment from red to green.

Quite simply, equipment ranked red

needs urgent attention, amber may require

attention soon, and green means pumps are

in good health.

Adopted by Wilo when aiding estate

managers draw up their asset lists and assess

their pumps, these schedules assist with

organising ongoing maintenance routines

and staying on top of documentation, while

mitigating any sudden and unforeseen

downtime.

Remote monitoring, preventative

maintenance, and service agreements can

also be offered, taking the pain completely

away from estate managers.

Importantly, when finding reputable

suppliers to work with, it is vital that they

understand plant rooms are, in lots of ways,

delicate areas.

And any third-party staff should undergo

the correct training and be certified to

enter these areas, so they do not cause any

additional problems.

Industry specialists should also undergo

CSCS training and hold all the right

qualifications.

SMART PUMPS

After determining what is in plant rooms,

and how to stay on top of maintaining the

pumps inside of them, by working together

estate managers and pump manufacturers

can start to make inroads into helping the

NHS get to net zero.

One of the biggest leaps forward in recent

years is the advent of ‘smart’ technology,

which has lessened the sole responsibility

on individuals and introduced helpful

solutions.

Modern smart pumps not only move

water around a building, but also provide

immediate energy savings through

intelligent, automated operation, which can

be used to define an ongoing energy usage

strategy.

To illustrate this, pumps such as the

Wilo-Stratos MAXO, can ‘learn’ the

operational characteristics of a heating or

cooling system.

And, used in conjunction, circulating

pumps can be configured to adapt in realtime

to demands and work holistically with

other building services.

These smart functions not only provide

detailed data to estate managers, but they

also keep healthcare settings running by

identifying any issues before they become

at risk of operating inefficiently, or worse,

breaking down.

Performance data, alerts, warnings, and

notifications can ensure systems are always

maintained and operating to their highest

efficiency.

The latest in smart pump technology also

provides data on heat flow, cooling flow,

and volume flow.

The combination of this data with other

smart systems provides insight into usage

patterns, resulting in better-regulated

indoor climate control that keeps power

and water usage to a minimum while also

reducing costs.

By working with manufacturers, not

only can they help specify the right pumps

for the application, but they can also help

forecast energy and cost savings.

To give an example, Wilo, when drawing

up asset lists, can provide an energy audit

at the same time. This will show both cost

and carbon savings that helps determine the

ROI, as well as how many years it will take

to pay back the investment.

SAFER, MORE-EFFICIENT

HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

Plant rooms and pumps are safety critical to

many settings, but particularly to healthcare

environments.

This is why the role of maintenance

should be taken seriously and given proper

and thorough attention by both managers

and external specialists.

Through the holistic use of ‘smart’

pumps, important data can be collected and

analysed to save money, water, energy usage,

and ultimately move the NHS much faster

to its net zero ambitions. n


Environmental

Photo credit: Jon Hunt from Pixabay

New framework supports

green transport plans

NHS Shared Business Services

(NHS SBS) has launched a

new ‘Sustainable Transport and

Infrastructure’ framework agreement

designed to support the NHS in lowering

its carbon output and achieving its 2040

carbon net zero ambition.

According to NHS England, emissions

from travel and transport account for 14%

of the total carbon footprint of the NHS.

This includes 4% for business travel and

fleet transport, 5% for patient travel, 4% for

staff commutes, and 1% for visitor travel.

Transitioning fleets to zero-emission

vehicles; encouraging employees towards

active forms of travel like cycling, walking,

and car sharing; and looking to low-carbon

logistics and transportation of goods using

pedal power, are some of the interventions

the NHS is putting in place to meet its

sustainable transport objectives.

In its ‘Net Zero Travel and Transport

Strategy’ the NHS has said that by 2033

staff travel emissions will be reduced by

50% through shifts to more-sustainable

forms of travel and the electrification of

personal vehicles.

And, from 2030, all new ambulances

will be zero emission vehicles, while, from

2040, all owned, leased, and commissioned

vehicles will be zero emissions.

However, to get there, NHS trusts will

need to have the necessary supporting

infrastructure in place.

Bicycles, for instance, will need cycle

parking facilities, built with materials that

are climate friendly.

In addition, electric vehicles and e-bikes

will require power-charging infrastructure

and the means to tap into renewable energy,

like solar, to store and generate the power to

fuel them.

These are services the NHS can access

via NHS SBS’s new framework agreement,

which includes the design and construction

of car parks incorporating solar panels to

generate and store electricity; sustainable

transport consultancy services; bike hire

and repair; low-carbon logistics; and

electric vehicle charging solutions

Anjub Ali, senior construction specialist

at NHS SBS, said: “We have worked

with NHS sustainability, estates, and

procurement colleagues in designing this

framework and have aligned it to fulfil

the common themes which have emerged

from NHS trusts’ Green Travel Plans so

it includes a range of suppliers providing

transport and infrastructure-related services

to support the NHS on its journey.”

The framework offers core services in

nine lots:

• Sustainable transport consultancy

• Cycle parking and infrastructure

• Micro-mobility

• Low carbon deliveries

• Electric vehicle charging solutions

• Design, build and finance of sustainable

car parks

• Design, build, finance and operation of

sustainable car parks

• Car park management

• Car park equipment and maintenance

The framework agreement offers a

compliant route to market to all NHS and

public sector organisations across the UK

and will run from 20 November 2023 to 19

November 2027. n


Environmental

Funding the future

Securing funding for decarbonisation projects within the health sector has proved a stumbling block

to achieving the Government’s net-zero ambitions. Here, we look at the avenues available and how

they are helping to transform estates and drive efficiencies

From 1 April 2021 the England Salix Energy

Efficiency Loan Scheme (SEEF) was replaced

by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

(PSDS).

The PSDS was developed to reduce the level

of emissions from public sector buildings, while

also supporting the economic recovery from the

COVID-19 outbreak.

And, since it was first launched, two successful phases

have been completed, with phase three having recently

closed and worth up to £1.425bn. Overall, the scheme

aims to reduce emissions by 75% by 2037, contributing

to a 22% reduction of all UK emissions.

The funding and deliverance of the scheme is

completed via Salix Finance, a non-departmental

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

(BEIS) body that is solely owned by the Government.

And it offers 100% interest-free capital for the public

sector, enabling health trusts to install modern and

renewable energy technologies to replace outdated and

traditional methods that only negatively impact the

environment.

VALUE FOR MONEY

This includes upgrading existing heating systems using

low-carbon technologies such as air source, water

source, or ground source heat pumps.

Ian Rodger, director of programmes at Salix, said:

“The scheme is empowering organisations across

England to make significant reductions in their carbon

footprint from heating public buildings.

“The huge enthusiasm for the scheme shows how

much public sector bodies care about their carbon

emissions and Salix is proud to be able to support them

with finance and technical support to achieve their

ambitions.”

Working with Vital Energi, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS

Trust received £25m from the first phase of the PSDS scheme

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

But a major stumbling block for NHS trusts has been the short window for

bids to be received and funding to be spent.

For example, the latest phase closed after just three days after a previous

applications portal suffered technical issues.

Applications are now being assessed and funding will be awarded based on

the order in which they were submitted — in effect a first-come-first-served

approach — with offer letters being sent out in March and trusts then having

just a short amount of time to spend the money and deliver the improvements

— 31 March 2026 for phase 3c.

The process demands six mandatory submissions:

• Application form

• Cost evidence, including quotes and CapEx

• Energy-savings calculations

• End-of-life heating system evidence

• A project programme

• A detailed risk register

There is also the option of uploading up to three further documents,

including feasibility studies, schematics, and building energy figures.

And this means trusts must be forward thinking and ‘bid ready’ as each phase

is announced.

Vital Energi helped The Christie Hospital to successfully bid for PSDS

funding, with works including new solar panels and battery storage


Environmental

An air source heat pump is helping to

reduce carbon emissions at York Teaching

Hospital as part of an EPC with Vital Energi

This is an opportunity

to make a significant

investment into the energy

infrastructure on your site,

putting you well on the path

to net-zero carbon

MAKING A CASE

Mark Seberry, director of innovation

delivery at engineering design, energy,

and sustainability consultancy, Hydrock,

advises: “In simple terms, teams’ bids for

funding must be able to provide detailed

baseline evidence data and a coherent

plan which supports a compelling case for

investment.

“However, the challenge for NHS trusts

is that net-zero targets are often set by third

parties who may have limited awareness of

what is required to achieve them in practice.

“Perhaps this is why the 2021-2022

ERIC data showed that more than 60%

of NHS trusts did not currently have a

written and approved Heat Decarbonisation

Plan for their sites, which sets out how

they will remove the use of fossil fuels as a

heating source and ensure a net-zero carbon

heating system by 2040.

“In addition, the key information

which informs how an estate is currently

performing is often spread across a disparate

number of teams and varies in quality, often

in non-digitalised formats.

“In preparation for funding, trusts must

acknowledge these challenges and allow

sufficient time, steps, and resources to fully

gather, digitise, and synthesise the relevant

information to support their bid.”

And he advocates a five-pronged

approach to being ‘fund ready’:

• Consider the range of data needed

• Understand and map existing sources

and formats of data

• Identify time, resources, and steps

needed to gather and analyse data

• Capture and integrate behavioural

insights alongside traditional estates and

sustainability metrics

• Collaborate to align PSDS funding

opportunities with both sustainability

and estates goals

Vital Energi has also worked with a number

of NHS organisations to successfully secure

funding under the scheme.

OVERSUBSCRIBED

Its managing director, Ashley Malin,

said: “The timescales for submission are

very short, and the level of interest leads

to a large number of applications and an

oversubscription for the funding available.

“Our advice would be to develop your

project and complete as much detailed

work as you can in advance of making an

application.

“This is an opportunity to make a

significant investment into the energy

infrastructure on your site, putting you well

on the path to net-zero carbon.”

And he advises using specialist

consultants to support bid development,

adding: “The Government is looking for a

balance between overall carbon reduction

and the amount of grant funding required.

So, if you’ve got a scheme which will save

you a few tonnes of carbon, but it costs

£50m, then the tonnes of carbon saved per

pound invested won’t be substantial and

that particular project won’t be as desirable

to fund.

“We have a proven track record of

helping new and existing clients gain PSDS

funding.

“Of the £1bn fund, we helped secure

£100m in phase one for public sector

organisations, which has increased during

subsequent phases, and we have the inhouse

capability to complete feasibility

studies, surveys, and data analysis required

to develop a qualifying scheme.”

HOTTING UP

Among the NHS organisations to benefit

from this collaborative approach is

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS

Trust, which received £25m from the first

phase of the scheme.

The project involved completely

removing the existing coal-fired boiler

house and replacing it with a higherefficiency,

lower-carbon system.

In addition, Vital Energi has installed

over 300kWe of solar across the hospital

estate to generate zero-carbon electricity,

along with air source heat pumps to

generate low-carbon heat.

The savings to the trust are in excess of

£2.5m a year and there will be a carbon

reduction of 14,000 tonnes a year.

If trusts choose not to use the PSDS, or

their bids have been unsuccessful, there are

a few other avenues they can try.

The Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF)

is a three-year, £288m capital grant fund

which launched in March 2022 to support

the commercialisation and construction of

new low and zero carbon heat networks and

the retrofitting and expansion of existing

heat networks.

It aims to develop and grow the heat

network market and address some of the

challenges of decarbonising the UK’s heat

sector.

Funding rounds take place on a quarterly

basis and it will run until November 2024.

PRIVATE FUNDING

There is also help available from the

private sector, with many manufacturers

and energy companies offering Energy

Performance Contracts (EPCs), which are a

low-risk method of financing and delivering

improvements and renewable projects for

the NHS and private health sector.

These contacts deliver the infrastructure

needed to drive energy efficiency and overall

estate improvements without organisations

needing to find the upfront capital.

Typical EPCs have a contract length of

between 10-15 years and incorporate debt

and equipment financing.

And what makes them particularly

attractive to the health sector is that they

guarantee specific levels of energy savings

for the length of the contract.

An example of this approach can be

found at St George’s University Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust, the largest acute

healthcare provider in south west London.


Environmental

Mark Seberry of Hydrock advocates a five-pronged approach to being ‘fund ready’

Under the contract the tust is guaranteed to save more than £1m a year

as well as saving 6,000 tonnes of carbon annually — the equivalent of the

emissions from 3,000 cars.

The savings allow the trust to invest more in patient care and teaching

medical staff, as well as helping to meet regulatory compliance.

And Veolia is also operating a 20-year EPC at The Rotherham NHS

Foundation Trust.

Most recently, the agreement has seen the commissioning of a new Battery

Energy Storage System (BESS), which will contribute to targeted EPC savings

of over £1m a year, provide an energy income, increase resilience of the energy

supply, and enable the trust to cut carbon emissions by 49,620 tonnes.

Centrica Business Solutions has a 15-year EPC with St George’s

University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which includes the

installation of two new combined heat and power units

The location had been served by a 40-year-old energy

centre which had become inefficient and incapable of

meeting new environmental targets.

In response, the trust partnered with Centrica

Business Solutions to create a new energy strategy for

the hospital as part of a 15-year EPC.

GUARANTEED SAVINGS

The contract includes the installation of two Combined

Heat and Power (CHP) units and four boilers, which

form a new energy centre.

Centrica Business Solutions also introduced a

number of improvement schemes across the site,

including lighting, a building management system,

chiller replacement, and split unit air conditioning

optimisation.

RESEARCH

But research is also set to play a key role moving forward.

In September, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

announced a partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to launch

a new £30m funding programme which will support the UK in its transition to

net zero.

The funding call will provide up to £6m over five years to a number of UK

research institutions.

Each research hub will address at least one challenge of the net zero

agenda and the hope is to generate research to understand the human health

implications of current policies and identify new health-focused interventions.

Commenting on the launch, Dr Sophia Lentzos, head of sustainability at

NIHR, said: “I am delighted to announce this joint funding opportunity.

“In addressing the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and combat

climate change, it is paramount that we understand how to best protect and

promote the physical and mental health of the UK population as we transition

to a net zero world.

This funding call will allow us to better understand the impact of new

interventions across sectors on health and will be vital to ensuring a healthy

population in the future.

“It also acknowledges the impact of healthcare on the environment and the

urgent need to understand the changing nature of care.” n


Environmental

GP premises go green

A number of GP practice and community hospital

buildings across Forth Valley are set for a green

boost as part of wider plans to improve energy

efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and support the

delivery of the health board’s net-zero targets.

Almost £2m of funding from the Green Public Sector

Estate De-Carbonisation Scheme (GPSEDS) will be

used to improve the energy efficiency of 13 primary care

premises across Forth Valley.

This includes Airth Health Centre, Camelon Health

Centre, Falkirk Community Hospital (Westfield Medical

Practice and Woodlands Resource Centre), Slamannan

Health Centre, Bannockburn Health Centre, Dunblane

Health Centre, Orchard House Health Centre, Stirling

Health and Care Village, St Ninians Health Centre,

Clackmannan Health Centre, and Tullibody Health

Centre.

The work will include the installation of morethermally-efficient

glazing, solar roof panels, insulation,

LED lighting, and electric boilers.

Building Management Systems will also be upgraded

at a number of sites to improve the control of heating

and cooling systems using digital technology that will

allow remote access from multiple devices.

Financial savings from these improvements are

expecting to be around £59,000 a year, underpinned by

an additional £30,000-a-year income from electricity

generated by the new onsite solar panels.

Lifetime carbon savings are anticipated as 1,595

tonnes of carbon dioxide.

This supports efforts to reduce maintenance and

energy costs and contribute to the delivery of targets set

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) has

updated its Plan For A Greener Future with the aim

of reducing its carbon footprint by 80% by 2032.

The plan contains more-targeted aims and

objectives to ensure it aligns with the National

Greener NHS and sets out the process to meet the

NHS Long-Term Plan and documents.

Some of these aims include reducing carbon,

waste, and water; improving air quality and

biodiversity; and reducing the use of avoidable

single-use plastics.

The plan will guide and develop future services in

line with national and local policies and will ensure

sustainability is embedded in all services.

The objectives are to:

• Reduce the trust’s NHS carbon footprint by 80%

by 2032, and achieve net zero by 2040

• Reduce the trust’s NHS carbon footprint plus

(including in its wider supply chain) by 80% by

The Woodlands Resource Centre is one of a number of primary care

facilities which will be upgraded to improve environmental efficiency

out in NHS Scotland’s Climate Emergency & Sustainability Strategy.

Derek Jarvie, NHS Forth Valley’s head of climate change and sustainability,

said: “Increasing the energy efficiency of local healthcare facilities across Forth

Valley is a key priority as this will not only cut energy bills and generate income,

but will also help reduce carbon emissions.

“This work is just one of a wide range of initiatives underway to reduce

waste, use more-environmentally-friendly products and deliver greener, moresustainable

services in our efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.”

The works will also see improvements to green space around Stenhousemuir

Health Centre funded by the contractor.

This will support the health and wellbeing of staff onsite and people in the local

community, as well as encouraging greater biodiversity.

Other initiatives include work in theatres to discontinue the use of certain

anaesthetic gases which contribute to global warming, reducing packaging

waste, and increasing the use of reusable equipment.

And work is underway to reduce food waste from patient meals, switch to an

electric vehicle fleet, and reduce the use of single-use products.

Plymouth trust cements its

commitment to a carbon-free future

2039, and achieve net zero by 2045

• Achieve 10% net biodiversity gain by 2030 across

the estate

• Adopt the Clean Air Hospital Framework to

achieve an ‘Excellent’ score of 70% by 2028

• Reduce the risk rating of the climate change risk

assessment by 20% by 2025

• Adopt a sustainable model of care for each

clinical pathway by 2030

The plan will be reviewed regularly and will align

with emerging policy, guidance, and other resources

within the Greener NHS Programme.

The trust’s Green Plan programme manager, Kirsty

Wavish, said: “Since the publication of the Green Plan

in 2020, we have taken steps to embed sustainability

into trust culture and operations.

“Our initial focus has been on engaging our staff

and seeking views as to how we can become a moresustainable

organisation.

“A governance structure has been set up with a

dedicated sustainability sub-committee and specific

working groups whose purpose has been to drive the

aims and objectives set out in the plan.”

She added: “Acting responsibly and reducing the

impact we have on our environment is an important

consideration for the trust, from the way we care for

our patients to ensuring we have a strong, financial

and sustainable system in place.

“As a large acute healthcare organisation, we are

committed to actively delivering our contribution to

reduce carbon emissions and embed sustainability

into everything we do.

“Climate change is globally recognised as the

greatest environmental and economic threat faced

by the national governments and individuals and it is

also an opportunity for us to make those sustainable

improvements, ensuring we use resources

responsibly.”


Environmental

Green competition helps

to drive efficiencies across

hospital services

Sustainability leads at Hampshire Hospitals NHS

Foundation Trust are helping to save thousands of

pounds as well as reducing carbon emissions as part

of an innovative competition.

In June of this year, the trust announced a Green

Team Competition in partnership with the Centre for

Sustainable Healthcare (CSH).

Through the initiative, six teams were selected

to engage in an award-winning programme in

sustainability in quality improvement (SusQI) which

transforms expert knowledge into action on the frontline.

Each team received mentoring from CSH facilitators

to drive healthcare transformation by developing,

implementing, and measuring the impact of projects

through the lens of the sustainable value equation.

And, collectively, the competition has brought

anticipated savings to the trust of £443,119 and 252,112

kgCO2e each year — the carbon footprint equivalent

of driving 744,572 miles in an average car, or 917 return

trips between Basingstoke and Edinburgh.

The teams presented their projects, including the

anticipated savings and opportunities to scale and

spread the innovations, at a showcase and awards

ceremony on 28 November.

The six projects are:

• Reducing medicine waste (pharmacy team) — The

aim is to reduce waste by moving patients’ medication

with them and returning unused medication so it can be

reused. Across a month trial period, the team observed

an increase return in medication to the cost of £6,942,

equivalent to 2,360.28 kgCO2e. And savings from

waste disposal (incineration) were approximately £27

and 32 kgCO2e. In addition, the project has increased

awareness among ward teams of how pharmacy works

and has enhanced working relationships

• Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy

(OPAT) service (OPAT team) — OPAT is a safe and

validated model of care that allows patients to receive

antimicrobial therapy on an outpatient basis instead

of needing to stay in hospital. At its current capacity,

the service is demonstrating annual savings of £115,641

and 5,139 kgCO2e

• Reducing CO2 waste through implementing

remanufactured harmonic scalpels in laparoscopic

surgery and replacing disposable surgical gowns

with reusable surgical gowns (theatres team) —

Projected across a year an anticipated £50,163 and 395

kgCO2e will be saved (based on purchasing a 67:33

ratio of remanufactured/new scalpel). Using reusable

surgical gowns is projected to save £23,310 and 52,524

kgCO2e per year

• HHFT Glove Use Awareness Campaign, (infection

prevention and control team) — Leadership

engagement sessions, poster campaigns, and educational videos have been

used and a trial across two wards recorded a 7% reduction in unnecessary

glove use. Projected across a year, the project will achieve savings of £992 and

804 kgCO2e

• Reducing low value activity in the emergency department (emergency

team) — The aim was to reduce the number of unnecessary coagulation

samples. The team observed a reduction in 1,884 coagulation samples in two

months — a 24% reduction. This reduction equates to a saving of £7,266 and

1,095.67 kgCO2e per year. It also saved approximately 955 hours (40 days) of

lab processing time per year

• Reducing food waste (catering team) — The team engaged clinical staff

to provide information on their perceptions for why food may be wasted .

Through implementing several changes the team has projected annual savings

of £157,135 and 143,716 kgCO2e per year. There will also be an additional saving

for reduced food waste

Alex Whitfield, trust chief executive, said: “The Green Team Competition is a

brilliant initiative which captured the energy and enthusiasm of our frontline

teams from across the trust.

“The projects saved carbon, saved money, and improved patient care.

“They really showcased some of the outstanding innovation in our teams and

the judging was incredibly difficult as every project was a winner!”

The catering team eventually took the top prize.


Interview

Alison and Fiona frequently speak at industry conferences and events to explain

the importance of clinical involvement from the earliest stages of a building project

The importance of clinical

involvement in healthcare

building projects

Jo Makosinski speaks to Fiona Halstead and Alison Cann about why involving clinical staff in

building projects is crucial to designing healthcare buildings which work for all

do not appreciate how well thought out

modern healthcare buildings should be, and

“People

with the ones that are great, how hard it was

to get there.”

This stark observation comes from Alison Cann,

clinical compliance specialist at Barts Health NHS

Trust, who, along with colleague, Fiona Halstead,

is leading a charge to imbed clinical advisors in all

healthcare development project teams.

“The problem is there’s a lot of clinical people who do

not understand buildings and a lot of architects who do

not understand the intricacies of healthcare delivery”,

Halstead adds.

“They have a huge vision, quite rightly, but to get that

into a building is very difficult.

“Creating a healthcare building which truly works is

about flows and processes, and you have to look at that.

“It is all very well giving an architect a brief for a new

ward, or a new room on a ward, and they do that very

well. But it might not flow well and support patients

and staff, and that’s where we come in.”

A BRAVE MOVE

Barts’ clinical compliance team was born 23 years ago when Jilly Bowen, the

deputy director of EFM (capital), made the ‘brave’ decision to bypass external

consultants and put together an in-house team made up of senior clinical

staff whose job it would be to ensure the needs of patients and staff were

acknowledged, and acted upon, when building projects were developed.


Interview

Fiona Halstead and Alison Cann

are clinical compliance specialists

at Barts Health NHS Trust

We are the link between the clinical users

and the architects, who are at two ends of the

spectrum. One doesn’t always understand

drawings, and the other doesn’t understand

clinical flow, and we understand both

Halstead and Cann are both RNs

and were drafted in from operational

management and clinical nurse

management roles to lead this team.

And the results have set a new benchmark

for the design, construction, and operation

of healthcare developments, both at Barts

and across other healthcare operators in the

UK and further afield.

“There’s a lot of things we can do by

going by the book, but we can’t understand

a lot of it without using each project as an

individual entity, and that’s where we can

act as the lynchpin”, said Cann.

“Clinicians have great ideas, and so do

architects, and we help to marry them up.”

Halstead adds: “We are the link between

One of the projects Alison and Fiona were involved with was the

creation of new theatres at Newham Hospital in east London

the clinical users and the architects, who are

at two ends of the spectrum. One doesn’t

always understand drawings, and the other

doesn’t understand clinical flow, and we

understand both.”

EARLY INTERVENTION

To maximise the positive impact of this

role, they advise trusts to create clinical

advisory panels, and get them involved in

all building projects at the very-earliest

opportunity.

Halstead explains: “In the very-early stages

we should be involved — just as the project

is being morphed and when they have an

idea of what they want because they might

be looking at the wrong space or a space that

does not link with other correct services.”

An example of this is the creation of

standalone surgical units, an increasinglycommon

development within the health

sector as it struggles to cope with an

increase in patients and a post-COVID

backlog of procedures.

Cann said: “If it’s a standalone building

like a surgical unit the only way to get a

patient to ICU is to call 999 and send an

ambulance.

“It is such a ridiculous waste of resources

and as a nurse I cannot say that it is in the

patient’s best interest.

“In this case, I would want a link corridor

running between both buildings written

into the plans at the earliest stage.

“While it might also seem simple on

paper to get patients in for surgery, when

you start to factor in all the support spaces,

for example staff changing rooms, nursing

stations, and clean and dirty utilities, these

can be overlooked and then the department

does not work in the best way for staff or

patients.

DEVELOPING SKILLS

“As a team we think about this all the

time and there are certain things we have

developed unusual skills in which are

helping to inform more-efficient healthcare

facilities.”

Another key attribute for those on the

team, and another role they play, is forward

thinking to ensure that all developments

meet the needs of patients and clinical staff

both when they open and in the future.

“What happens a lot is they choose the

wrong building, without thinking about

how different a service might look in a few

years”, said Cann.

“Part of our job is to look at future

demographics.

“When we were building an A&E unit in

London the (then) consultants wanted to

have it all curtains with no solid walls so in

the event of a major incident they could use

it like a field hospital.

“We thought it was a horrible way to


Interview

Using their clinical and management

knowledge, Fiona and Alison ensure

buildings work for both staff and patients

… there are certain

things we have

developed unusual

skills in which are

helping to inform

more-efficient

healthcare facilities

look after people, not to mention the lack

of confidentiality, privacy and dignity, and

noise.

“We insisted on hard walls, while some

had curtains in the front, and we got

support from our infection prevention and

control team.

“And that was a good move when

COVID hit.

“Looking to the future, we are likely to

have another pandemic and it is also our job

to look at things like that.

THE LITTLE THINGS

“We also are very keen on single rooms and

we get the same comments that they are not

good for nursing, but if you design them

well, there is no difference.

“These are great for confidentiality,

privacy and dignity, and for managing

patients with infectious diseases or those

who need to mobilise after surgery.

“It’s the little things like that which

people do not think about it until they have

thought about it!”

Halstead adds: “Flexibility is critical and

part of our role is in the background to

look at new projects and developments in

technology, what other people have done,

and to read healthcare magazines so we

know what the future looks like.

“As a manager I understand the needs,

not just from nursing, but all staff and

patient flows etc.

“And we have to be negotiators as you

work with some difficult personalities who

do not want to be told what to do, and might

not see the reasons why we are doing it.

MEETING NEEDS

“Having management on board, as well as

clinical staff, is advisable too because they

see things from a different perspective and

a good manager who can manage their staff

can be a real asset as there is a lot of delicate

weaving to be done.”

In conclusion, Cann said: “People do

not realise how complex an environment a

clinical space is.

“If you have done your homework, and

have considered the needs of staff, patients,

and managers, you can create lovely

environments which improve

patient outcomes and are places staff want

to work in.

“I think if we don’t design our healthcare

buildings with clinical input we will not

meet people’s needs.” n


People

Plugging the skills gap

Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint

venture between construction giants,

VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine,

has teamed up with Greater Manchester

Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

(GMMH), Manchester City Council, and the

Skills Construction Centre to open a new

Community Skills Centre.

The centre, which officially opened on 12

September, is situated on the construction

site of GMMH’s new £105m adult mental

health inpatient unit, North View, on the North

Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) estate.

The hands-on service will support local

residents aged 16-24 who are not in

employment, education, or training to gain new

skills and experience for employment, helping

to close the future construction skills gap.

And it will provide local people furthest away

from the labour market the opportunity to

gain a Level 1 Award in a construction trade

of their choice, alongside basic digital, maths,

and English skills, a CV, Construction Skills

Certification Scheme (CSCS) Card, and will

involve a minimum of 70 hours practical work

experience on the North View site.

Each trade cohort delivered through the

centre will support 15 trainees and a second

cohort which will focus on training for basic

DIY skills and digital skills is also planned.

Danielle Doherty, VINCI Building’s social

value manager, said: “Teaming up with the

Refugee scheme

bolsters workforce

Refugees are

helping to bolster

the NHS workforce

in the capital.

Set up by West

London NHS Trust

18 months ago and

now overseen by the

North West London

Integrated Care Board (NWL ICB), the

Refugee Employment Programme is offering

new career opportunities for refugees living

in local communities.

The initiative was the brainchild of West

London NHS Trust chief executive, Carolyn

Regan, after the organisation received a

number of enquiries from refugees seeking

employment with the NHS.

The differentiating factor of the programme

is that it does not focus solely on refugee

doctors or nurses. It also recruits clinical

Skills Construction Centre allows us to provide

a very-different training environment from

mainstream education providers, which is so

important as many people have struggled or

have previously been excluded from school

and would not thrive in a traditional college

setting.

“We understand the barriers some young

people face getting into employment and

believe everyone should be provided with the

opportunity to showcase their best qualities

away from the traditional interview.

“Providing training and a minimum of 70

hours work experience allows candidates to

gain confidence and showcase their work ethic

away from an otherwise-stressful setting.”

Work on North View started in August 2022,

with the new unit anticipated to open in the

coming months.

Once completed, the upgrade will house

a purpose-built Psychiatric Intensive Care

Unit (PICU), eight adult acute wards, and a

treatment suite.

and non-clinical staff, including estates and

facilities workers.

And there are eight NHS trusts across the

ICS area delivering the programme, giving

jobseekers more options.

At a recruitment fair earlier this year, 100

refugees from countries such as Ukraine,

Afghanistan, and Syria accessed support

and advice and took part in face-to-face

interviews, with 25% of the candidates

offered work placements.

A spokesman for the programme said: “It

is mutually beneficial as we are developing

talented people and broadening the

diversity of our workforce.

“We would like to encourage trusts within

all ICBs to take on some of the refugee

volunteers, especially those living locally, and

will continue to work together with other

London ICBs to recruit suitable refugee

candidates nearer to where they live.”

LIFT COMPANY

ANNOUNCES

NEW CHAIR

Simon Murphy has been

appointed as the new

chairman of the Coventry

LIFT Company, Arden Estate

Partnerships, a long-term

public-private collaboration between

Community Health Partnerships,

Equitix, and gbpartnerships.

An experienced and well-regarded

senior leader within the health sector,

holding positions as chairman of

Sandwell Estates Partnership LIFT

Company and deputy chairman of the

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS

Trust, Murphy takes over from outgoing

chairman, George Marsh, who has led

Arden Estate Partnerships since its

formation in 2003.

Over the past 20 years the LIFT

company has delivered five new, highquality

integrated health and wellbeing

hubs, representing a capital investment

of over £34m.

NHSPS EMPLOYS

DATA AND

INTELLIGENCE LEAD

NHS Property Services has

announced the appointment

of Richard Fitzsimmons as

its new head of data and

intelligence.

Appointed in 2019 as operations

business intelligence lead at the

government-owned property

organisation, he will shape NHSPS’ data

and intelligence strategy and promote

the use of assured and quality analytics

for data-driven decision making.

SALES DIRECTOR

JOINS BENDER

Healthcare electrical safety

equipment supplier, Bender,

has appointed Carl Fletcher

as its new UK sales director.

He will be responsible for

the management and development of

the sales function covering the main

business areas of healthcare, eMobility,

service solutions, and industry.

A supplier of electrical safety monitoring

products, engineered solutions, and

services, Bender UK employs over 100

staff across three office locations in the

UK and Ireland.


People

CONSTRUCTION GIANT

RESTRUCTURES

OPERATIONS

Bouygues’ UK chief

executive, Rob Bradley,

is retiring from the

company as the firm

restructures its UK

operations.

He will be succeeded

by Fabienne Viala, who will also continue

her roles as chair and UK country

director for Bouygues Construction.

As a result, Bouygues UK will now

be organised into three business units,

including two regional businesses

covering London and the South East

and the South West and Wales. They

will be led by Philippa Prongué and John

Boughton respectively.

The additional business unit, Complex

Projects, will be led by Gerald Farque,

and will primarily concentrate on

healthcare, science, and research

projects nationwide.

PLANNING

CONSULTANCY

BRINGS IN ASSOCIATE

DIRECTOR

Healthcare strategy

and planning

consultancy, Lexica,

has appointed Yogesh

Luhar as associate

director to the property

consultancy team.

Based in Manchester and with over

30 years of experience in estates and

asset management growth strategies

across the NHS and wider public sector,

he will oversee Lexica’s full range of

property consultancy services across

various clients in the North West,

including strategic estate reviews, asset

management, and full business case

development.

He will also focus on acquiring new

client relationships and leading business

development strategies for the region.

Mental health units

create jobs

More than 200 jobs will be created as part

of a £150m investment in the construction

and renovation of six mental health units

in Derbyshire.

This project is part of the Making Room

for Dignity initiative led by Derbyshire

Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which

encompasses the development of three new

units and the refurbishment of three existing

psychiatric facilities.

It has already added 27 full-time positions,

and an additional 209 jobs are expected

Community Health Partnerships (CHP) has appointed

two new non-executive directors to the board.

The Department of Health and Social Care-owned

company provides services to commissioners and local

partners across England with the aim of delivering

savings, increasing service integration, and driving

optimal use of the primary and community health estate.

Pete Cornforth and Eric Guillaume have now joined the

board for three years.

Cornforth brings over 35 years

experience in the investment and

asset management sector, having

previously held non-executive roles

at Surrey and Borders Partnership

NHS Trust and One Housing Group,

while currently undertaking roles at

Pete Cornforth John Whitgift Foundation, Transport

NEW ROLE FOR LEADING CONTRACTOR

Galliford Try has appointed Andrew Spencer to the newlycreated

role of supply chain and procurement director.

Spencer joins the business from Skanska, and has more than 25

years’ experience in construction. He will become the functional head

of supply chain and procurement professionals across the business.

CHP boosts the board

to be generated in the upcoming financial

year, spanning April 2024 to April 2025. Two

mental health units, each with 54 beds, will

be located at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

and Kingsway Hospital in Derby and are

expected to be finished next autumn,

opening to patients in November.

Additionally, a psychiatric intensive

care unit designed to accommodate 14

male patients at the Kingsway site will be

completed by November 2024 and is set to

open its doors by March 2025.

for London, The Ormiston

Trust, and East London NHS

Foundation Trust.

Guillaume

has over

20 years

experience

developing

customer-led

strategies and

Eric Guillaume has delivered

major programmes of digital

business transformation at board

level, previously working for

Grosvenor Group, ITV, and AOL

as well as the UK Parliament,

HMRC, and the BBC.

As part of his new role, Spencer will be tasked with developing

the business’s strategic approach to supply chain management,

supporting the development of a strong and aligned supply chain

to enhance delivery performance and support the business’s future

growth plans.


Healthcare Property Issue 01 January-February 2024

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