HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
NHSPS Town Planning merges with HUDU
NHS Property Services’ Town Planning team has announced its merger with NHS Healthy Urban Development Unit (HUDU). HUDU was established to create
healthy sustainable communities, working with local and national organisations. Its work focusses on influencing the planning and health agendas and integrating health into national, regional, and local planning policy.
As part of wider NHS strategic objectives, HUDU and its staff transferred into the NHSPS Town Planning team in July. This transition builds upon and expands the NHSPS town planning team, which is already the largest dedicated professional town planning team in the NHS. Winners of the 2022 & 2024
RTPI In-house Planning Team of the Year Awards, NHSPS’ team of 23 town planners directly oversees town planning matters for the NHSPS portfolio in nearly every local planning authority in England and directly represents ICBs on town planning matters for more than 40 per
New Innovation Hub opens in Hemel Hempstead
Draeger Medical UK has officially opened a new, state-of-the-art Innovation Hub in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, marking an investment in healthcare innovation. The new facility has been designed to align with key NHS priorities, including accelerating digital adoption, delivering more care closer to home, and shifting the focus of healthcare from treatment to prevention. By providing a collaborative environment for clinicians, healthcare leaders, and technology specialists, the Hub is intended to showcase integrated solutions that help address some of the most pressing challenges facing the NHS today. A dedicated workspace within
the Hub has been named the Garrett Anderson Room, honouring pioneering physician Elizabeth
Garrett Anderson, who played a leading role in securing women’s rights to train and practise medicine in the UK. The launch was attended by the
Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss CBE CStJ, and the Mayor of Dacorum, Councillor Garrick Stevens, who joined employees, customers and partners to celebrate the opening of the new Hub. Draeger Medical UK MD Matthew
Bedford said: “This investment demonstrates our commitment to Hemel Hempstead, our employees and our customers. The Innovation Hub provides a modern environment where healthcare professionals can experience the latest technologies, receive specialist training, and collaborate with our teams. “As we continue to grow, we are
proud to be investing in our local community and creating a facility that
will support both our customers and our people for years to come.” The Lord-Lieutenant of
Hertfordshire, Robert Voss CBE CStJ, commented: “Today marks more than the opening of a new facility. It represents a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the belief in the need for advances in healthcare. “Healthcare is facing
unprecedented challenges. Not only here in the UK but around the world, health systems are under increasing pressure from ageing populations, workforce shortages, rising demand, and the growing complexity of patient care as well as funding. At the same time, we are witnessing extraordinary advances in technology that offer new opportunities to improve outcomes, enhance efficiency, and support healthcare professionals in delivering the very best care. “This Innovation Hub has been
created to help bridge that gap between possibility and practice. It is a place where engineers, clinicians, scientists, digital specialists, and industry partners can work together to develop solutions that are not only technologically advanced, but genuinely responsive to the needs of patients and healthcare professionals.”
22 Health Estate Journal September 2026
cent of the population in England. Aahsan Rahman, head of town planning at NHSPS, said: “I’m delighted to welcome new colleagues into the team and the integration of HUDU into the NHSPS town planning team further strengthens NHS town planning capabilities.”
Keys handed over at National Rehabilitation Centre
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has received the keys to the country’s first National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC). The NRC is a 70-bed, state-
of-the-art specialist rehabilitation centre for NHS patients who have experienced a life-changing illness or injury. It will be NUH’s fourth hospital site. The facility is co-located
with the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate (SHRE) near Loughborough and is part of the government’s New Hospital Programme. Building contractor Integrated
Health Partnerships (IHP) has worked over recent months to resolve the issue with the water quality in the building. As a result, 183 mixer taps throughout the building have been replaced, work has been carried out to stabilise the temperature in the hot water system, and a chlorine dioxide unit installed to prevent any future issues should water temperatures fluctuate.
Miriam Duffy, NRC director,
said: “We are delighted to finally receive the keys to the National Rehabilitation Centre after months of work with IHP to resolve the stubborn water quality issues in order for us to safely receive our first patients. “Whilst there is still important work to do before we welcome our first patients, receiving the keys allows us to begin the final preparations to bring the building to life. Over the coming weeks, our teams will be working closely together to ensure every aspect of the centre is ready to provide outstanding patient rehabilitation from day one.”
AdobeStock / Francesco Scatena
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