VENTILATION SYSTEMS
Healthy air: Guidance to guaranteed compliance
Mathew Hopwood, Sales director at Mansfield Pollard, explores the evolving role of HTM 03-01 in healthcare ventilation. He argues for a more structured approach to compliance, acknowledges industry resistance, and calls for closer collaboration between manufacturers and industry bodies like IHEEM to ensure safer, more consistent air management across healthcare estates.
In healthcare environments, ventilation is far more than a background utility, it is a clinical safeguard. The systems that manage it are integral to infection prevention, patient safety, and the overall resilience of healthcare infrastructure. From operating theatres to isolation rooms, the quality and control of air can directly influence clinical outcomes. Yet despite this critical role, the UK healthcare sector still relies on guidance rather than enforceable standards. At Mansfield Pollard, we believe it’s time for a more robust, system-wide approach. As specialists in air management, and manufacturers
of HTM 03-01 compliant air handling units, we’ve seen first-hand the benefits of rigorous design, validation, and performance assurance. We’ve also seen the confusion, inconsistency, and missed opportunities that arise when compliance is treated as open to interpretation rather than a defined benchmark. We aren’t calling for a blanket regulation. Rather,
we’re calling for clarity, collaboration, and smarter specification, especially in high-risk clinical areas where the consequences of poor ventilation are most severe.
The clinical imperative for ventilation Ventilation in healthcare settings is a cornerstone of clinical safety. Properly designed and maintained systems ensure appropriate air change rates, pressure differentials, and filtration levels, all of which are essential to controlling airborne pathogens. In environments where patients are immunocompromised, or undergoing aerosol-generating procedures, the margin for error is slim. HTM 03-01, the Health Technical Memorandum for specialised ventilation, provides detailed guidance on achieving these outcomes. It outlines best practice for system design, installation, validation, and maintenance. However, it remains exactly that: guidance. Crucially, it is not law. Its use of advisory language, ‘should’ rather than ‘must’, creates a grey area that may compromise patient safety. The term ‘HTM-compliant’ is widely used across the
industry, but without a formal certification framework, it is often self-declared and, as a result, inconsistently applied. In fact, there is no statutory mechanism to enforce compliance. This ambiguity leads to significant variation in system performance across healthcare estates. Manufacturers, contractors, and estates teams may interpret HTM compliance differently. This inconsistency places undue pressure on authorising engineers, particularly those trained and endorsed by IHEEM, who are often engaged too late. By that point, systems are already installed and
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 141
operational, and resolving non-compliance can be costly, disruptive, or even unfeasible. We believe IHEEM’s role is essential, and should be strengthened to close this gap. Their authorising engineers are highly skilled professionals who uphold best practice and protect patient safety. However, they need greater support, particularly through earlier engagement in the design and specification process and stronger collaboration with manufacturers.
Industry resistance and misconceptions Despite the clear benefits of HTM 03-01 compliance, resistance persists across several fronts. Procurement teams may view HTM compliance as a cost burden, focusing on capital expenditure rather than lifecycle value. Yet, the long-term benefits, including reduced infection risk,
Ventilation systems are integral to infection prevention, patient safety, and the overall resilience of healthcare infrastructure.
Air handling unit designed to maintain clean, controlled air in healthcare environments.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184
