INSTITUTE NEWS
Graham Taylor: Lifetime Achievement Award
Graham P Taylor BSc, PGDip, C.Eng, FIHEEM, MIET, MWMSoc. was the recipient of the IHEEM Lifetime Achievement Award at Healthcare Estates 2026.
Back in 1973 – about 53 years ago – Graham started his first job in the NHS, where he worked at Sheffield Northern General Hospital as an assistant hospital engineer, and also at Trent Regional Health Authority, where he learned all aspects of hospital engineering from some wonderfully talented and knowledgeable engineers. Regions were temples of
excellence in those days. On his first day at the NGH, his boss took him on a tour of every department in the hospital: steam boiler house, sterile supply, commercial-size laundry, operating theatres and many more – things of wonderment that he had never seen before!
But the first place Graham
was taken was the hospital’s boardroom, where he was shown a portrait of Florence Nightingale, beneath which was one of her famous quotes: “The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.” Graham’s boss told him that if he wanted a successful career in hospital engineering, he must never forget that quote, to carry out his duties with passion, and never forget that everything we do as hospital engineers and estates managers is for the ultimate benefit of the patient and the safety of the clinical teams caring for them.
Graham was first elected as a member of IHospE in August 1977.
While Graham’s career has almost reached its finale, he would like to pass on the following message: that during his career, he has seen many near misses in hospitals because corners have been cut and best- practice guidance and standards have not been followed. Trusts frequently call in GPT Consult to sort out problems and do expert witness work, all because the brief and design were not right in the first place.
This has never been more apparent than now, when the NHS is under so much financial pressure.
After six years at the Northern General, and Trent Region, Graham moved to the Oxford Regional Health Authority as design leader and project manager for the new Milton Keynes Hospital. Milton Keynes Hospital was successfully opened in 1984.
Striving for excellence After travelling around Europe for the next two years, Graham worked as a Consultant Engineer and designer for the next 25 years, successfully delivering over 40 projects at various hospitals throughout the UK – too numerous to mention each one, but including Sheffield, Leicester, and Colchester.
His specialist topic was the ventilation of operating theatres and critical ventilation for other departments – such as isolation rooms and critical care – along with clean rooms for SSD and Aseptic Suites.
Soon it was 2006, and 20 years of consultancy had flown past, when Graham accepted a job as Design Leader for Laing O’Rourke’s P21 division. Many more projects were added to Graham’s portfolio, including the Mandeville Wing at Stoke Mandeville, Pembury Hospital, and early design work for Alder Hey. Suddenly it was 2009; and in another two years Graham would be 65 years, and it would be time to retire. So, Graham started planning for retirement. In 2009,
he did his first AE and AP courses at Eastwood Park! Graham’s passion was too great to suddenly stop working, and he thought he could do a bit of part-time consultancy work, such as technical advice, become an AE, and teach or mentor the ‘young guns’ coming into hospital engineering. In February 2012, he founded GPT Consult, and here we are today, some 14 years later, with the company having grown into one of the leading AE and technical advisers in the UK. Graham attributes his success to building on the Florence Nightingale quote that he learnt on is first day at Sheffield NGH way back in 1973, coupled with IHEEM’s Principles of competence and honesty, responsibility, and fairness, and – most importantly as an AE – ensuring independence, safety, and governance.
Graham has also added a few of his own comments along the way – the ‘GT Rules’ n Always strive for Technical Excellence.
n Always comply with published best practice guidance or do something better.
n Always work with others in an atmosphere of mutual collaboration and respect – especially when you think they are idiots.
n Remember – You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot climb a ladder with a large church bell under each arm.
Back in June 2017, 72 people sadly lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The CPS has now received papers to consider prosecuting 20 companies and 54 individuals for negligence in relation to the fire.
Whatever our professions or disciplines, we must always uphold IHEEM’s principles and ensure such a tragedy can never happen in one of our hospitals or healthcare facilities.
Diary dates
IHEEM Healthcare Facility Planning course, in partnership with TAHPI
https://www.iheem.org.uk/ learning-hub/training-courses/ health-facility-planning-course 2-13 November
IHEEM Health Facility Briefing system
https://www.iheem.org.uk/ events/health-facility-briefing- system-june-256-134 26-27 November
Discount rates of over 20% are available exclusively for members when booking training courses via the IHEEM website.
10-11 November Scotland Regional Conference, Exhibition & Gala Awards Dinner 2026
https://www.iheem.org.uk/ events/scotland-regional- conference-exhibition-gala- awards-dinner-2026/
November 2026 Health Estate Journal 9
INSTITUTE NEWS
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