Current Landscape
The NHS Estate is undergoing a significant transformation, prioritising sustainability, maintenance, infrastructure and workforce development. The current maintenance backlog is estimated at £11 billion. With ageing infrastructure and increasing demand for healthcare facilities, estates teams have been tasked with developing "Hospitals of the Future" through clear, locally informed infrastructure strategies. Key efforts focus on achieving Net Zero carbon emissions by transitioning from fossil-fuel heating to sustainable systems. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for more healthcare staff working in innovative and inclusive environments to meet growing demands and leverage advanced technologies. These initiatives collectively aim to create a resilient, efficient and sustainable NHS.
Importance and timeliness of the event
This Health Estates conference serves as a pivotal platform for industry leaders, experts and practitioners to converge, exchange insights and stay abreast of the latest advancements in healthcare infrastructure and estates management. The Health Estates Conference is not merely an event but a cornerstone for professionals to stay informed, inspired, and connected, ultimately contributing to the continual improvement of NHS Estate.
Key content streams:
Net Zero (Carbon Savings): Estates teams must develop strategies at the trust and ICS levels to integrate their heat decarbonisation plans, transitioning from fossil-fuel heating systems to net zero alternatives.
Maintenance Backlog: Addressing the £11 billion estates maintenance backlog.
Infrastructure: Each Integrated Care System (ICS) needs a clear and well-planned infrastructure strategy. NHS England is working to establish a nationally agreed set of infrastructure priorities, informed by local needs and requirements.
Workforce: Emphasis on the necessity for more staff, working in innovative ways, within a compassionate and inclusive culture to deliver optimal patient care.
Transforming NHS Facilities Management: Innovations, Challenges, and Future Directions
Why attend
The Health Estates Conference offers a valuable opportunity for industry experts, professionals and key stakeholders to exchange ideas, share experiences, and engage in meaningful conversations, ultimately empowering individuals to make informed decisions that positively impact the future of healthcare infrastructure and the overall NHS Estates.
We have an invite only option for NHS Senior Managers for our conference, to see if you qualify for a complimentary place please click the button below.
Registration & Networking
Registration - Open from 8:30 am - Closes at 11:00 am
All delegates must complete their registration process before the 11:00 AM cut-off time. Please arrive in a timely manner to allow for registration and to avoid any inconvenience. Delegates who arrive after the registration deadline will be refused entry to the event.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain the event's schedule and ensuring that everyone can fully participate in the Conference. If you have any questions or require assistance, our event staff will be available to assist you with the registration process.
Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to an insightful and productive event together!
Presentation - The National Healthcare Estate - Productivity (Confirmed)
The NHS has made significant strides in improving productivity within its estates. Since Lord Carter's 2016 report, which identified £1.275bn in potential savings, the NHS has achieved substantial efficiencies. By 2024, NHS England's productivity report confirmed these targets had been met, with the estate running 17% more efficiently, resulting in £2.2bn of savings and accommodating 13.8 million more patients.
Despite these achievements, the NHS estate faces ongoing challenges, including a maintenance backlog of £13.8bn. As such strategic infrastructure planning and innovative investment models are crucial to overcoming these hurdles.
This presentation will explore the current productivity returns of NHS Trusts in England and introduce a dashboard for Estates and Facilities departments to utilise and continue to drive change through guidance, oversight, and sharing best practices.
NHS Estates Workforce panel discussion
The panel discussion on the NHS Estates and Facilities Workforce Action Plan will focus on the necessity for an expanded workforce, innovative working methods and a compassionate, inclusive culture to enhance patient care. Key topics include addressing workforce shortages through strategic recruitment, leveraging technology and digital solutions, promoting diversity and inclusion and integrating a comprehensive estate workforce plan within the ICS infrastructure strategy. By aligning with national objectives and building capacity for complex infrastructure requirements, the discussion aims to provide actionable insights and foster collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the NHS is equipped to meet future demands.
Panellists:
Case Study - Powering Healthcare’s Future: NHS Net Zero, Data-Driven Sustainability and Cost Savings
Case Study - UK Direct Business Solutions
Dr Christian Hornung, GP, Clinical Director & Founder “Energy Coop”
Championing data-driven sustainability in the NHS through practical, scalable solutions that reduce costs and support the Net Zero agenda.
Today’s talk will share the story of The Energy Coop—a simple, smart model making real impact across healthcare estates.
Morning Break
Morning Break
Case Study - The Future of Parking for the NHS & Healthcare
Case Study - GroupNexus
The Future of Parking for the NHS & Healthcare
In this session, GroupNexus explores how parking can be transformed from a challenge into a strategic asset within NHS and healthcare settings. We’ll discuss the importance of early engagement in the procurement process, the need for tailored, site-specific solutions, and how innovation is reshaping the patient, visitor, and staff experience. From data-driven decision-making to cutting-edge technology, discover how forward-thinking parking strategies can support operational efficiency and enhance the overall care environment.
Case Study - Reimagining PFIs: Unlocking Net Zero in NHS Estates through Partnerships, Decarbonisation and Digital Innovation
Case Study - Equans
NHS Trusts face mounting pressure to meet net zero targets while working within the constraints of ageing infrastructure, complex PFI agreements, and tight budgets. In this session, insights will be shared on how Equans is redefining the possibilities of PFI estates - challenging outdated assumptions and showcasing collaborative, scalable solutions that align legacy assets with modern sustainability goals.
We’ll explore how data-driven business cases and trust-wide decarbonisation strategies are unlocking funding and accelerating measurable progress. Through real-world examples and the deployment of Equans’ five-stage roadmap - supported by predictive analytics from tools like SMARTR - this presentation will highlight how decarbonisation and digital innovation is transforming decision-making, compliance, and performance tracking across Equans healthcare contracts.
Presentation - Sustainability and EV Adoption in the Ambulance Service (Confirmed)
The challenges and opportunities of installing EV charging infrastructure to support the transition to an electric fleet as part of the mission to make our service more sustainable
Case Study - The NHS estate faces a critical challenge. There is £13.8 billion in overdue maintenance and escalating costs.
Case Study - SFG20
The NHS estate faces a critical challenge. There is £13.8 billion in overdue maintenance and escalating costs.
Delayed upkeep not only risks patient safety, but also results in increased fines, legal exposure, and wasted budgets.
Join Marc Watkins who will be sharing a practical, step-by-step framework for securing additional maintenance funding - even in a constrained financial climate.
You'll gain insight on:
Lunch and Networking
Lunch and Networking
Case Study - How existing infrastructure can help the public sector better understand estate occupancy
Case Study - Switchshop
Calling all NHS estates leaders: Would you like to better understand occupancy, dwell time, and movement across your estate? In a world of tight budgets and interdepartmental complexity, this session explores creative ways to extract actionable insights using infrastructure you already have.
Join technology evangelist and Switchshop product leader Michael Drayson as he outlines the real-world challenges facing large healthcare estate owners in 2025. He’ll explain why existing solutions are often too rigid, failing to scale affordably, and introduce Switchshop’s OccuFi, a flexible new tool that helps estate teams flexibly zone their buildings to gain use-case-driven insights into occupancy, dwell time, and pathing behaviour – all from their existing network, with no additional hardware to purchase or maintain!
Keynote Presentation - Net Zero Operating Theatres (Confirmed)
This presentation will give practical tips to how people can significantly reduce carbon emissions within the operating theatre. Jonny will discuss his latest research on air handling and will share what he thinks the future of operating theatres will look like. Jonny will share plans with the audience on a new low carbon theatre they are designing for the Royal London Hospital.
Presentation - NHS Estate Infrastructure (Confirmed)
NHS Estate Infrastructure
This presentation explores the critical role of capital investment in supporting the NHS for the future. Drawing on recent analysis from the Health Foundation, it highlights the UK’s historic underinvestment in health infrastructure, the need to modernise digital systems, and the growing maintenance backlog that threatens care quality and efficiency.
Transforming NHS Facilities Management: Innovations, Challenges, and Future Directions Panel Discussion
Within this panel, we’ll delve into the latest trends and challenges in NHS facilities management. Experts will cover technological advancements, sustainability practices, and data-driven decision-making while addressing budget constraints, regulatory compliance and workforce issues. The discussion will also explore the crucial role facilities teams play in keeping NHS hospitals, health centres and GP practices up and running to ensure medical staff can focus on caring for patients.
Panellists:
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