COMMENT
Authorising Engineers: Implementing the Standard
Welcome to the August issue of Health Estate Journal. On 7 July, and following the landmark IHEEM–NHS England agreement on AE registration, the Institute once again held its Authorising Engineers Conference at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, where delegates heard from speakers on topics such as the development of standards for confined spaces and pressure systems, the role of AEs in the new Lifts Technical Platform, and the question of how the unstoppable rise of AI will transform the role of the AE. This being my first AE Conference, it was a pleasure to meet so many AEs, to gather positive feedback on Health Estate Journal, and discuss ideas for future articles. Further coverage of the event can be found in Institute News (from p9) along with a preview of the programme for Healthcare Estates 2026, which takes place on 13-14 October at Manchester Central. Once again, the August issue of HEJ is one of four
published each year with IFHE branding, and you will find two IFHE articles within these pages – one on contemporary healthcare architecture in Spain, courtesy of Luis González Sterling, co-founder of Argola Arquitectos (p33) and the other on the strategic advantages offered by emergency lighting, by Michael Goodman, senior key accounts manager at Clevertronics (p37). Elsewhere in the issue, there is further coverage of
IHEEM’s annual Wales Regional Conference at ICC Wales, where I report on an important talk by Jason Yi, associate
director at global consultancy Arup, and successful Arup apprentice Kate Yeomans, on how private sector apprenticeship programs can bring young people into the healthcare sector. This can be found on p23. With the future of the NHS remaining a key topic, it may surprise some to discover that the government is once again looking to public-private partnerships (PPP) to bring in health infrastructure investment. On p51, Sarah Beaumont- Smith, chair of both the Neighbourhood Health Forum and The LIFT Council, discusses the role of PPP in neighbourhood health delivery. Of course, when it comes to the long-term future of the NHS, funding is only part of the picture, and on p57, Samuel Rose, director at IMPOWER Consulting, and Dr Nicole Samuel, director for the National Centre for Child Health Technology at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, argue that clinical and digital transformation must be embedded within all large-scale healthcare capital programmes. Across the board, it is clear that fresh, innovative
approaches are needed, and on p68, Tim Chell, regional director at BAM UK & Ireland, suggests that we need to fundamentally rethink how we see the NHS estate – not just as infrastructure to maintain, but as a strategic asset that can improve outcomes and reduce costs. However the NHS moves forward, at least one thing is
certain: the role of the Authorising Engineer will remain key. I hope you enjoy the issue.
Matt Seex, Editor mattseex@
stepcomms.com
Delegates heard from a number of speakers on topics such as how the unstoppable rise of AI will transform the role of the AE
Editor Matt Seex
mattseex@stepcomms.com
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www.healthestatejournal.com August 2026 Health Estate Journal 5
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