ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
The strategic asset of the resilient electrical network
Martin Heaward, UK head of Sales of Projects and Specifications at Gewiss, explains the consequences of relying on a product-first approach for a healthcare facility’s electrical infrastructure. He outlines the importance for those responsible for healthcare estates of working alongside electrical partners who can help them see the bigger picture, and create high-performing, effective and resilient solutions which meet their current and future needs.
As healthcare estates continue to evolve, the expectations placed upon them have never been higher. Operators are tasked with delivering environments that support exceptional patient experiences, promote staff wellbeing, meet increasingly ambitious sustainability targets, and remain resilient against operational challenges. These requirements are not just competing priorities, they’re deeply interconnected, and, at the centre of it all lies a component of the estate that is often overlooked: its electrical infrastructure. Historically seen as a ‘behind-the-scenes’ necessity, an
estate’s electrical infrastructure has shifted from a functional requirement to a strategic asset. From modular hospital builds and mental health facilities to integrated retirement communities, the electrical backbone of a facility impacts everything: healing outcomes, safety, energy efficiency, and long-term maintenance costs.
Holistic approach Yet, despite this critical role, decisions about infrastructure are still too often driven by a ‘product-first’ mindset – with a focus on immediate needs, price points, or individual components rather than the system as a whole. The real question facing operators is: how can they ensure their infrastructure is not only fit for today, but ready for the challenges of the future? Traditionally, the role of electrical infrastructure in
healthcare design was to ensure that power was delivered safely and reliably. Of course, this core function absolutely remains. Yet in the modern healthcare setting, it’s just the start.
In recent years, both the scope and expectation of the
UK’s healthcare estate have evolved beyond recognition. The pressure on estates teams today isn’t simply about delivering compliant and functional environments, it’s about creating places of healing that are sustainable, adaptable, resilient, and genuinely supportive of those who live, work, and recover within them.
Powering clinical technologies Today’s electrical systems must underpin every aspect of a facility’s operation – from powering clinical technologies and supporting digital health delivery to enabling energy optimisation, staff safety, and patient comfort. Importantly, these systems must be intelligent, interconnected, and future-proof – capable of scaling alongside the needs of a growing and increasingly complex health network. From emergency lighting and modular distribution boards to lighting control and power monitoring systems, every element must now be seen not as a standalone component, but as part of a holistic platform. A platform that needs to be robust yet adaptable, efficient yet upgradeable, compliant yet cost-effective. The strategic importance of infrastructure is sometimes easy to overlook, until it fails. Inadequate, unreliable or outdated electrical systems can have far-reaching consequences for healthcare estate operators: n Operational downtime: Power failures, poorly integrated systems, or unplanned maintenance can shut down wards, delay care, or create compliance breaches.
Performance iN lighting is a specialist lighting manufacturer and supplier acquired by Gewiss in 2022. PiL’s products installed at the Paris- Saclay Hospital include the company’s Theos Glass mini LED streety lighting luminaires – for car parking areas and access roads, and walkways, and Mimik 10 post landscaping LED bollards, in walkways and green spaces.
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 129
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