HEALTH SECTOR NEWS


New endoscopy unit for Swindon opens


A new endoscopy unit has opened in Swindon, offering patients the opportunity to receive care sooner and closer to home. The new facility, which was built


by Vanguard Healthcare Solutions using modern methods of construction (MMC), saw its first patients in late November, with approximately 6,000 more expected to follow over the next 12 months. Dr Ajeya Shetty, endoscopy


lead, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m proud that this new addition will significantly expand our capacity to deliver timely, high-quality endoscopic care. By moving services closer to patients, we can shorten waiting times, support earlier diagnosis and improve outcomes across our community.” Julian Auckland-Lewis, programme


director, Great Western Hospitals, commented, “The Department of Health and Social Care is very keen that whenever capital schemes are being pursued, a modular approach is considered for a range of benefits, typically because it can be done


Corridor


care deeply worrying


faster. And it’s also particularly relevant for this scheme, where you’re building something in a working environment where you’ve got other activities and traffic and pedestrian movement in the area. So, if there’s a degree of construction activity or manufacturing work that you can conduct away from that site and then bring it in prefabricated, it just means less disruption in the area in which you’re placing the building.” Will Moran, associate director of Estates and Facilities, Great Western Hospitals, commented: “Vanguard have been very good, linking with clinical teams, not just estates teams... It’s taking that personal touch to work


with the local teams to ensure that the service get what they want from it, really. It’s not just about providing a space. It’s providing a space that people want to work in and have a say in and get what they want from it.”


Vanguard’s UK business director, Simon Squirrell, added: “By having more services that were once only available in larger hospitals, based in the community, people will be able to access care and, in many cases, receive important diagnoses more quickly. We are delighted to be supporting our colleagues in the NHS to deliver even more excellent patient care and essential procedures.”


Birmingham University develops energy storage solution


Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new form of energy storage designed to help commercial buildings cut carbon emissions by capturing surplus renewable electricity and delivering heating or cooling when required. The compact thermochemical


storage system, created by Professor Yongliang Li, Chair in Thermal Energy Engineering at the University’s School of Chemical Engineering, is aimed at buildings where conventional low-carbon technologies such as heat pumps


are difficult to install or operate efficiently. A 5 kW laboratory demonstrator has already been built, showing how the system can respond to smart tariffs and grid signals to charge when renewable electricity is plentiful and release energy when demand rises. Unlike conventional thermal


storage, which relies on hot water tanks and gradually loses heat to its surroundings, the new system uses advanced thermochemical materials that store energy through a reversible chemical reaction. This allows energy to be stored for long periods without loss and at much higher energy density. Professor Li said:


“Thermochemical storage behaves more like a fuel than a hot water tank. Because it is triggered by a chemical reaction, there is no energy loss during storage, which allows for much greater efficiency and long- term storage capability.” He added that the technology


22 Health Estate Journal February 2026


could play an important role in easing pressure on the electricity grid as buildings electrify. “The increased generation of zero- carbon power means the limiting factor is now the flexibility of energy storage systems. By storing electricity when it is cheap and abundant and releasing it when buildings need heating or cooling, this type of technology can unlock the full value of clean energy.” Early analysis suggests the


system could offer lower upfront and operating costs than existing alternatives. The research team is now


working with a UK industrial partner to develop a fully integrated pilot system at a practical scale. University of Birmingham Enterprise is also seeking additional commercial partners to trial the technology in energy-intensive settings such as HVAC, manufacturing and commercial buildings.


“However, patient flow is a


whole system issue, of which corridor care is the highly visible tip of the iceberg. The NHS has been starved of capital investment for more than a decade and is dogged by crumbling infrastructure and outdated equipment. There is simply not enough space to house and treat the number of patients who need its care.


“Health leaders will continue to do all they can to tackle the root causes of corridor care, including trying to ensure flow through the system by improving patient discharge, working with local authorities to improve social care provision, and prioritising vulnerable older patients at the front door through increased frailty screening.”


Corridor care becoming the norm across hospitals is deeply worrying, health leaders say. Responding to new public polling from the Royal College of Nursing on corridor care and testimony from nursing staff, Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: “It is deeply worrying that corridor care is becoming the norm across hospitals in the face of rising demand. These new figures and accompanying testimony paint a stark picture of the depth and frequency at which NHS leaders and their teams are faced with little choice but to treat patients in temporary and often inappropriate spaces in hospitals.


“Health care leaders know that corridor care is undignified and can often be unsafe and frustrating for patients and their families. They also know how the practice is now taking its toll on staff.


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