COVER STORY / ADVERTISING FEATURE


A future vision for healthcare facilities


June 2026 | Volume 80 | Issue 06


Infrastructure: digitising the


last mile of care see page 37


Designing buildings that


promote health see page 43


Communications and operational


resilience see page 67


Cover HEJ June26.indd 1 19/05/2026 16:11


Operating theatres (OTs) are becoming increasingly intelligent, incorporating technologies such as 3D navigation and imaging, AI, and augmented reality. Understanding how these solutions can be safely and effectively integrated within the healthcare space is vital to the future proofing of healthcare facilities. This increasing complexity was a driver for Starkstrom’s investment in its demonstration and training facility, where key stakeholders can interact with the latest OT technologies within a dedicated environment that showcases how these solutions can improve patient safety, advance surgery, enhance efficiency, and minimise vital infrastructure and OT downtime.


“Some of our best ‘showrooms’ are the hospitals


The facility simulates a realistic clinical environment.


where our vital infrastructure and OT equipment has been installed – new customers can visit these facilities and see the technology in situ,” explains Starkstrom managing director, Guy Pomroy. “However, vital infrastructure and OTs are becoming increasingly complex, and we wanted to create a facility that would help clinicians make effective and informed decisions on how their technology could be configured. “Within a week of opening the facility, we welcomed a number of clinicians and other stakeholders to the facility and the feedback was really positive. They can be hands- on with the technology in an environment where it doesn’t matter if you make a mistake.”


A flexible, configurable space The facility has been created with a frame above the ceiling space that allows the room to be re-configured at will, giving the flexibility to demonstrate and explore a variety of customer preferences for the vital infrastructure and OT set-up – helping stakeholders visualise a wide range of technology configurations in a realistic environment. “The facility allows us to


develop new innovations in a relatively live environment and evaluate how they might be received by clinicians,” says Guy. “We also invest in continuous


6 Health Estate Journal June 2026


training for our staff and field engineers, and this state- of-the-art facility will help ensure the highest standards of technical support for healthcare providers that have installed our technologies. “We have recently installed AEDs (defibrillators) and


provided training to support this online,” Guy continues. “We are now seeking to expand our training provision across other technology areas.” Guy points to the company’s advanced picture


archiving and communication system (PACs viewing station) and theatre control panels which can be viewed and operated in the live demonstration environment. The PACs technology – which provides access to images from multiple modalities, such as X-Ray, CT, MRI, and AV equipment – can be designed to virtually any configuration to meet the OT team’s needs and improve workflow. The touch-control panels enable the theatre team to


control humidity and temperature, the functioning of the ultra-clean canopy, keep track of the surgery duration, and receive alerts relating to the power supply.


Increased connectivity The facility incorporates the triangular Proteus pendant head – which has six surfaces that can be customised to meet an OT’s needs. The pendants are designed to help with infection prevention practices, improve workflow by providing a safe and organised environment for clinical staff, and are easy to maintain and service. The pendant range includes provision for medical gas services, an Anaesthetic Gas Scavenging System (AGSS) outlet to remove anaesthetic gases from the environment, and a VAC outlet to provide vacuum when used with suction control devices. This is in addition to provision for electrical services such as electrical sockets, AV sockets, and nurse call systems. Pendant movement is controlled by a remote switch or central membrane panel, making it easier to carry loads of up to 400kg (e.g. monitors, anaesthetic machines). It also offers provision for cable management, so cables can be hidden away to help prevent trips and falls. LED lighting provides gentle ambient light and illumination for reading notes, while the pendants also offer provision for medical poles – with three integral 25mm diameter IV poles and up to six Medi-Rails for mounting clinical devices and accessories, keeping the area around the patient bed tidy. “We also have a channel for data – we are seeing a trend for more and more equipment, coupled with increased connectivity, in theatres, and this is only set to increase in the future,” says Guy.


At Starkstrom’s state-of-the-art demonstration and training facility, the latest vital infrastructure and new technologies can be explored, touched, and configured – helping to visualise and optimise the operating theatres of the future.


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