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The Future of NHS Estates Management The Path to Digital Efficiency
Digital transformation is a major priority across the NHS, particularly within estates and facilities management. With increasing financial pressures, workforce shortages, and an urgent need for more efficient operations, NHS Trusts are being encouraged to adopt a more strategic approach to asset management.
The Challenge of Digitalisation in NHS Estates NHS Trusts manage vast and complex estates, spanning everything from major acute hospitals to GP surgeries and ambulance stations. However, each Trust operates in its own way, often using disparate systems and inconsistent processes. This lack of standardisation makes it difficult to achieve efficiency and cost savings.
The NHS is now moving towards a more integrated model, with Integrated Care Systems (ICS) bringing multiple Trusts together to share resources and standardise ways of working. This shift is driving a need for consolidated digital platforms that can support multiple functions - including asset management, compliance, and energy monitoring - across multiple locations. Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the UK’s largest
NHS Trust, is leading the way in this transformation. Their digital estates strategy is setting a benchmark for how Trusts can standardise, simplify, and enhance their operations using technology. MRI Software is at the heart of this initiative, helping to consolidate multiple systems into a single, integrated platform. “Until we consolidate our systems, we can’t be consistent,” Phil Mitchell, Director of Operations at Guy’s and St Thomas’, explained. “We need a partner, not just a supplier, to help us navigate this transformation.”
The Critical Steps to Digital Transformation To achieve true digital transformation, NHS estates teams must focus on four key areas.
First, accurate and reliable data is essential. Without up-to-date asset information, digitalisation efforts will struggle to deliver meaningful improvements. Trusts must invest in surveying and data management to validate and continuously maintain their asset registers.
Second, many NHS Trusts still rely on disconnected and outdated systems, leading to inefficiencies and increased operational costs. By consolidating applications into a single, integrated estate management platform, Trusts can streamline collaboration, automate workflows, and reduce IT expenditure while improving overall efficiency.
Third, to maximise productivity, Trusts must optimise existing resources by standardising operations and automating routine tasks. This transformation allows estates teams to work more effectively,
reducing manual processes and freeing up time for more strategic activities. Finally, a shift towards proactive maintenance is critical. Many Trusts continue to rely on reactive maintenance, with only 40% of assets proactively managed. By digitising maintenance planning and leveraging predictive insights, Trusts can move towards a more risk-based, preventative approach, reducing unexpected downtime, improving compliance, and ensuring safer environments for both patients and staff.
Managing Energy and Costs Energy efficiency is a major talking point
Beyond Compliance:
in healthcare estates management, but finding the budget to invest in energy initiatives remains a challenge. Of the 209 NHS Trusts in England, only 110 have dedicated energy managers overseeing
utility spend and net-zero initiatives. AI-powered energy management solutions that automatically analyse invoices, detect anomalies, and optimise energy use can help estate teams to close the gap and identify cost-saving opportunities in real time, ensuring that every Trust is on the right tariff and addressing energy wastage before it becomes a problem.
A Smarter Approach to NHS Estates Management
Estate management is the third-largest cost for NHS Trusts, after staffing and drugs, yet it does not always receive the attention it deserves. Budget constraints, staffing shortages, and inefficient processes have led to a stand-off within estates departments over how best to allocate resources. By partnering with NHS Trusts on digital transformation, data management, and automation, MRI Software can provide the expertise and technology needed to build smarter, safer, and more efficient hospital estates for patients, visitors, and staff.
To find out more about MRI Software’s healthcare solutions and how they can help NHS Trusts with digital transformation, contact their team today.
W:
mrisoftware.com/uk/healthcare/ T: 020 3861 7100
E:
EMEASales@mrisoftware.com
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