sponsored by HEALTH SECTOR NEWS


Guide to help make optimum use of space


NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has released a new NHS Estate Optimisation Guide ‘to help NHS leaders and estate managers navigate one of the most pressing challenges in modern healthcare: making the most of the places and spaces that support patient care’. Simon Taylor, director, Estates


Policy, Strategy & Capital Projects at NHSPS (pictured), explained: “Estate optimisation is now critical to meeting patient need and NHS reform. This guide provides NHS leaders with


the right practical steps to unlock the full potential of their estate, using the expertise and knowledge of the property experts across NHSPS and the wider system.” The newly released guide developed by experts at NHSPS outlines a clear, flexible framework for: n Assessing space demand and property supply.


n Understanding space utilisation. n Weighing options for transformation, savings, and reinvestment.


It also includes expert insights from


across NHSPS teams and partners, with contributions from Jenny O’Donnell, Infrastructure, Capital, Estates and Sustainability lead at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB, and Vissy Plati, Senior designer at Ryder Architecture. “Simply better understanding


current space utilisation can often lead to transformative estate opportunities,” added Simon Taylor. “In some cases, buildings thought to be in constant use are only 40% utilised. In others, strategic lease


Kier starts work on ‘global health leader’,


Haleon’s new oral health innovation hub Kier has signed a Pre- Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) with Haleon to deliver a ‘state-of- the-art’ global Oral Health Innovation hub in Weybridge, Surrey.


Named by the UK Government


as part of its International Investment Summit, the facility will be a key space to support research and development for the global health provider, with brands including Sensodyne, Centrum, and Panadol. The four-storey building is designed to be a centre of global excellence for oral health life sciences research and innovation. Kier representatives joined


Haleon’s manufacturing site in Levice, Slovakia.” Baroness Jones added: “Haleon


Haleon recently for a ground- breaking ceremony attended by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, the UK Minister for Technology. Kier says the new space will incorporate digitally enabled laboratories, contemporary office workspaces,


and a dedicated consumer behavioural research facility. It said: “Equipped with the latest technology, it will feature a cutting- edge digital immersive room that will bridge the gap between ideas and reality, connecting the hub to


is breaking ground on a new centre that will place the UK at the forefront of innovation to improve everyone’s oral health – which we know is important to our wider health, and to children’s development. This centre, and the substantial investment behind it, are proof that the UK’s world-leading life sciences sector is the place to be to grow businesses and work on fresh ideas to transform healthcare. Leveraging these strengths will lead to the long-term economic growth that will help us deliver on our Plan for Change.”


Collaboration to raise standards and drive innovation


The Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) and the government property profession (GPP) have established ‘a strategic partnership’ to drive up standards and innovation across the government estate and workplace and facilities management (WFM) more widely. They say the


collaboration ‘represents the continuing elevation


of WFM standards across the public sector by focusing on accreditation, collaboration, and talent development, leading to a more efficient, effective, and sustainable future for the government’s property portfolio, addressing critical


maintenance issues, and making a more resilient public sector estate’. The GPP says it is committed to accrediting 90% of government workplace and facilities professionals in senior practitioner


and leadership roles with approved professional bodies by 2030. The IWFM and GPP say this level of ambition ‘underlines the importance of professional development aligned to recognised standards in managing complex environments’. The GPP also wants to attract and retain civil service talent through the Property Fast Stream, designed to appeal to candidates who might not have considered a career in the public sector. The partnership is expected to help


the government address the £49 bn maintenance backlog identified by the National Audit Office earlier this year, and aligns with ongoing


IWFM programmes, including comprehensive guidance on asset management and a Level 6 Workplace Diploma. Jonathan Nobbs, IWFM


director of Membership and Partnerships (pictured), said: “For many years, IWFM has enjoyed a strong collaboration with the Cabinet Office. The signing of the partnership marks a new phase of our work together, centred on a shared strategic ambition to improve standards, to support existing facilities management professionals to be the best they can be, and inspire others to be part of this impactful profession.”


August 2025 Health Estate Journal 21


negotiations or repurposing office space can unlock significant savings to fund future care delivery.”


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