COMMENT
Balancing continuity and transformation
Hello and welcome to the October issue of Health Estate Journal. This month we focus not only on the everyday realities of estate management, but also on the constant balancing act between ambitious transformation and the uninterrupted delivery of care. The challenge lies in building for the future whilst
protecting the present. Behind every new progressive design plan or construction programme is a hospital that must continue to function day and night, providing critical patient care. The question is not simply how to modernise, but how to update healthcare buildings without disrupting essential services? This theme runs strongly through several features this month, with one piece examining the complex task of delivering major capital projects in live hospital environments, detailing how operational resilience must sit at the heart of project planning (p175). Equally, several contributions this month remind us that
transformation is not just about infrastructure, but about patient experience, and the importance of patient-led design. This is exemplified by the NHP’s single-bedroom prototype (p54). Elsewhere, we look at innovations in infection prevention
(p137), smarter approaches to maintenance (p87), and the role of estates teams in achieving Net Zero goals (p108). In each case, the thread is continuity: how to keep
Cover Story Design without compromise
Delabie’s Be-Line range is a practical embodiment of ‘design for all’. The company explains: “From the outset, we briefed our designers to bridge the gap between functionality and form – to provide the performance expected in a clinical setting, with the aesthetics suitable for high-end care environments. Working closely with industrial designers and occupational therapists, we developed grab bars and shower seats that support users safely and comfortably, whilst also complementing and enhancing the space’s overall design.” The grab bars, for example, feature ergonomic lines that improve grip with a flat front face to prevent hand rotation. The surface also remains at an ambient temperature to prevent user discomfort, and the bars are offered in three different finishes to create a clear visual contrast from their supporting wall. Included in the Be-Line range are its lift-up shower seats
and shower stools, which follow the same principles. Their smooth, non-slip surface is designed to prevent water pooling and improve user safety. The shower seats are also removable, allowing a Delabie shower shelf to be
fitted in its place depending on the occupant’s level of autonomy. The Be-Line range also incorporates a number of matching accessories, such as its long-handled toilet brush, toilet roll holder, tilting mirror and clothes hooks to ensure continuity of design. Delabie explains that these are not luxury products reserved for flagship facilities. “Our robust fixtures meet all regulatory requirements of a range aimed at persons with reduced mobility, whilst moving away from the clinical perception of mobility aids,” the company concludes. “Delabie Be-Line: design without compromise.”
Delabie Henderson House Hithercroft Road Wallingford Oxfordshire OX10 9DG T: 01491 824449
www.delabie.co.uk
services running safely and sustainably, while preparing for tomorrow’s demands. Nowhere is the pressure more visible than in the data. The NHS now faces a maintenance backlog of £13.8 bn, with over half of this posing a direct risk to service continuity. At the same time, Trusts must pursue decarbonisation, expand diagnostic capacity, and adapt to new models of care. It is no wonder that the skills and experience of estates professionals are being stretched to new limits. What is encouraging, however, is the innovation and collaboration on display across the sector. Whether that’s through multidisciplinary collaboration and information sharing, or the use of BIM and digital twins (p112), solutions are being found that place patients and staff at the centre of every decision. I hope you enjoy this
month’s issue. As ever, I welcome your thoughts, reflections, and ideas for future features.
Niamh Marriott, Editor
niamhmarriott@
stepcomms.com
The challenge lies in building for the future whilst protecting the present… The question is not simply how to modernise, but how to update healthcare buildings without disrupting essential services?
Advertising feature
October 2025 | Volume 79 | Issue 09
Prototyping the future: New hospital
bedroom design see page 54
AI’s impact on NHS estates workforce see page 99
The NHS’s 10 year
path to Net Zero see page 171
HEJ cover
Oct25.indd 1
22/09/2025 11:38
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 5
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