SPACE UTILISATION
Optimising space use via data-driven insights
Matt Etherington, Public Sector Workplace specialist at Matrix Booking, explores how data-driven insights can help organisations balance occupancy levels and adapt to changing work patterns.
Estates and facilities managers in healthcare are under constant pressure to do more with less, but as the way healthcare staff work continues to evolve, so too must the environments that support them. Flexible working models – such as hybrid, compressed hours, and job sharing – are now formally recognised across the public sector. While clinical teams must remain on site, many administrative and support roles are increasingly mobile. This shift presents both opportunities and challenges for estates teams. In this evolving landscape, the role of estates and facilities managers and other estates professionals is no longer just about maintaining buildings; it’s about supporting better care through smarter, more responsive environments. With up to £10 bn of new NHS investment earmarked for digital transformation, there’s a clear opportunity to harness data and technology to drive more efficient, patient-focused estate strategies – but only when done right. Therefore, it leaves one pressing question: How is the role of estates and facilities managers evolving in response to the balancing act of modern healthcare, where rising expectations and limited resources demand smarter, technology-driven approaches to managing space?
Competing demands in the modern workplace Hybrid working has transformed the way that space is being used across healthcare – but not evenly. Despite clinical teams needing to remain on site, many administrative, managerial, and support staff can now work more flexibly. However, these evolving work patterns are often at odds with how NHS spaces were originally designed and are currently managed. The result? A growing disconnect between planned space allocation and actual usage. This mismatch presents a significant challenge for estates and facilities teams. Unlike in the corporate world, where space can often be consolidated or repurposed quickly, NHS facilities must balance clinical priorities, safety regulations, and public accountability. Spaces that were once fully occupied may now sit empty for days, while others are stretched beyond
capacity. Without accurate visibility into how space is being used, it becomes difficult to plan effectively, or to respond to shifting demands.
Reactive maintenance At the same time, reactive maintenance continues to dominate budgets across the NHS estate. The recently announced £750 m in government funding – described by the NHS Confederation as a ‘small downpayment’ on a £14 bn maintenance backlog – is being directed toward urgent infrastructure issues such as leaking roofs, faulty wiring, and poor ventilation. While this funding is essential to keep facilities safe and operational, it leaves little room for proactive space optimisation, particularly at a time when estates teams are expected to support new ways of working. Administrative and support staff increasingly seek
flexible working arrangements and better working conditions, while clinical teams require consistent, well- equipped environments. This dual demand places further strain on estates teams, who must balance safety-critical
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 77
Matrix Booking says: “Superficial tracking methods like badge swipes or card scans offer little insight into how spaces are used or how long staff stay, while trends like ’coffee badging’, where employees briefly check in to meet attendance expectations, further distort the picture.”
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
