Achieving the NHS’s aim of becoming the world’s first fully net zero carbon national health service by 2045 will rely upon thousands of NHS professionals in diverse settings and roles, including its clinicians, managers, estates leaders and operations experts. Maria Manidaki (right), Technical Director, Decarbonisation, Mott MacDonald examines what is needed. NHS England’s “Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service” report recognises that achieving ambitious net zero targets in an organisation so complex and specialised is a significant challenge. Its teams will need to work collaboratively to drive a substantial transformation of the NHS’s built environment and infrastructure assets, while continuing to prioritise high standards of care, which will also need to be decarbonised. With the net zero goal in mind, NHS decision-makers will need to begin translating net zero goals into strategy, and then into real-world programme and projects. While everyone is clear about the scale and urgency of our climate challenge, the sector cannot make the case for investment or take practical action without good governance, synergies and trade-offs with other objectives and value for money. Those diverse decision-makers will often be responsible for busy, sensitive clinical environments, estates projects, or operational resources. To ensure they can play their part in achieving a net zero NHS, it’s crucial to ensure they’re supported to deliver low carbon impact in their day-to-day work. Baking it into organisational governance, alongside well-established ingredients like finance and clinical models. And, providing them with the tools for success. This is where PAS 2080 excels and is already making a difference in the UK’s infrastructure sector. PAS 2080 is a global specification for managing whole life carbon within infrastructure and the wider built environment, recently updated in 2023. It provides an effective, practitioner focused framework for reducing carbon emissions throughout the lifecycle of infrastructure projects, with a focus on systems-thinking, whole-life carbon management and value chain collaboration. The PAS 2080 carbon management process enables every decarbonisation project practitioner, no matter the role, to consistently and straightforwardly understand their baseline emissions and establish clear accountability for their projects. It also creates a framework to engage with their teams and supply chains to influence and measure the progress they make. In addition to driving best practices for the further decarbonisation of NHS estates, the use of PAS 2080 also has the potential to better enable holistic thinking about the role of carbon. That includes thinking about carbon alongside achieving cost, nature, circularity, climate resilience and care outcomes. As the NHS’s decarbonisation objectives go beyond estates to include its Scope 3 indirect emissions, like medicines, telemedical devices, IT services and travel, this is going to be essential to achieve success. In practical terms, that means addressing complex clinical challenges, like the 2% of the NHS’s emissions footprint that are generated by its use of current anaesthetic gases. But, those gases play a critical role inproviding a high standard care, and will have established cost and supply chain arrangements that make themeffective. It’s imperative to enable and empower NHS teams to address the problem at every level, with creativity andconfidence. By looking at whole-life carbon emissions from the materials, energy and other consumables usedthroughout the lifespan of assets, the NHS can make important whole life carbon and cost reductions. It will also better understand the impact of maintaining, repairing, repurposing, adapting, upgrading, expanding and eventually repurposing or removing them. PAS 2080’s application of value chain collaboration is key. This enables NHS managers to assign accountability for sustainability and engagement at multiple levels, as well as incorporate it into the work of each department. It also outlines what targeted engagement is required with clinical professionals and the wider supply chain to evaluate and implement selective decarbonisation initiatives. Taken together, this can provide the creativity and confidence required. It enables an NHS Trust and its teams to approach different carbon hotspots such as anaesthetic gases, where innovative new solutions will need to be fully evaluated and then delivered by a complex supply chain. It enables the diverse range of professionals who will deliver a net zero NHS to consistently break down the challenge and make success possible. As the government develops and progresses a new 10-year Health Plan, using PAS 2080 can help shape better operational and capital expenditure, with a clear understanding of its stakeholder requirements and wholelife value of the interventions it makes. In doing so, it can demonstrate value for money, as well as the delivery of carbon reduction alongside care and resource efficiency. Other sectors with comparable challenges are already implementing the principles of PAS 2080 with success. Some asset owners have gone for full verification to PAS2080, while others have considered the carbon management framework principles and have developed their own carbon management approaches. For example, Heathrow Airport is a 24/7 operational environment, with an aircraft taking off and landing close to every 45 seconds. It is using good carbon management practices, including the principles of PAS 2080 to identify, pioneer, test and standardise the use of new low carbon construction materials, as well as considering lower carbon assets across different asset delivery programmes. Heathrow Airport has developed its own carbon management framework following good principles from PAS2080 to ensure its stakeholders are properly engaged, its suppliers understand their requirements clearly and whole-life carbon reduction performance can be properly understood. But, while delivering the net zero pledge will not be simple in the NHS, adopting good industry practice solutions like PAS 2080 can ensure its achievable for every part of our healthcare system – whether it is to identify and target carbon hotspots in the supply chain for the consumables and products the NHS uses or simply to optimise the capital investment programme of its estates. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

LAST WEEK, Gedling Borough Council unanimously approved Delamere’s planning application for a new residential addiction treatment clinic in Bestwood, Nottingham, at the former Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service site. Totalling around £20 million, this development will represent the biggest investment in an addiction treatment clinic in the UK. The planning application includes the demolition of the existing site, significant landscaping, and the creation of more than 50 jobs for the local community. Delamere’s team will be made up of psychotherapists, recovery mentors, a 24/7 nursing team, and a hospitality team. Once operational, Delamere will provide premier clinical and therapeutic care for up to 32 guests struggling with alcohol dependency and substance misuse or behaviour addictions at one time as part of its 28-day treatment programme. The site will include a premium wellness suite, which will include ice baths, a fully equipped gymnasium, a steam room, a sauna and a meditation area, in addition to individual and group therapy rooms. Delamere is working with Architects Anderson Orr, Landscape Designer Tom Stuart-Smith, and Project Managers Edge P,  on the development of the rehab clinic, which will draw on the similar trauma informed design principles utilised in Delamere’s Cheshire site. Bestwood St Albans ward councillor, Rachael Ellis, was the only member of the council to comment on the application during the planning committee meeting, stating that she was happy that the site is being redeveloped and will create local jobs.  Delamere plans to officially open its doors in Nottingham in Q1 2027. Martin Preston, Founder and Chief Executive at Delamere, said: “We are thrilled by the committee’s decision to unanimously approve our plans for Delamere’s second site. Our development represents a huge investment and opportunity for the borough, and our ambitions for the Bestwood clinic to be a flagship in Europe. “At Delamere, we have a very clear purpose – anyone can recover from addiction with the right help – and in five years we feel that we have proven our proposition. Identifying the right location for our second site has been something we have worked hard at for several years, and so we are excited to be given the opportunity to create something the local community can be proud of.” Delamere’s site in Cheshire has treated more than 1,000 people since opening in 2020. For more information about Delamere, visit delamere.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

by Lydia Sullivan,Director of Procurement, Sustainability & Social Impact,NHS Shared Business Services. NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) is proud to be awarded the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply’s (CIPS) Corporate Ethics Mark, a symbol of dedication to ethical sourcing, responsible supply chain management and the highest standards of corporate ethics. Currently one of only three NHS organisations to receive the CIPS Corporate Ethics Mark, staff at NHS SBS have been assessed as having full competency in ethical sourcing and supplier management. The certification reflects the organisation’s ongoing commitment to fostering ethical practices in every aspect of its procurement processes. As responsible procurement becomes ever more a central focus within supply chain processes and management, it is crucial for procurement teams to establish, implement and uphold ethical practices. This includes outlining a company’s code of conduct and demonstrating a clear commitment to environmental, social, and legal responsibilities. The mark signals to NHS SBS suppliers, customers, prospective employees and other stakeholders, that they are working with a business that prioritises the training of staff in ethical sourcing practices, and ensures ethical values are upheld in the way suppliers are selected and managed. Being awarded it represents NHS SBS’s commitment to ethical procurement and supplier management, and a pledge to ensure these standards are embedded across the organisation. Lydia Sullivan, NHS SBS Director of Procurement, Sustainability & Social Impact commented: “The CIPS Corporate Ethics Mark is an important sign that we are well underway with our long-term goals of achieving sustainability and net-zero emissions. It supports our vision of a future where every business transaction contributes positively to society and the environment. “For our customers, the mark represents more than just a certification. It is a testament to the values we uphold in our business operations. By choosing NHS SBS, customers can have assurance they are partnering with an organisation that places a high priority on ethical procurement practices, sustainability, and responsible sourcing. “For suppliers – both to NHS SBS, and those we enable the NHS and wider public sector organisations to source and buy from efficiently and compliantly, the mark reinforces the importance of shared values and the significance of aligning with an ethical partner. It strengthens our collective commitment to sustainability, reducing environmental impact, and promoting fair labour practices. “By earning this mark, we reaffirm our dedication to embed ethical practices into every part of our supply chain, helping to drive change not only within our organisation but across the verticals in which we operate.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Some projects require military style planning to ensure that work can be undertaken in short periods of access time, and this is absolutely the case at Milton Keynes Hospital where Ashe has been working on a £3.4m Salix funded project for Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (MKUH). In order to meet efficiency targets the hospital building, which was constructed in 1984, needed to replace its single glazed windows with thermally efficient double glazing. Many of the windows are on occupied hospital wards each with eight beds. Without the capacity to decant an entire ward to another space, the project has been undertaken in live wards with only the patients from the two beds nearest the windows being relocated during the works. Window of opportunity Contracts manager, Steve Cockram, explains the challenges on a project of this type: “We only got one day to cordon off each area to the safety and hygiene standards required by the hospital which takes around two hours. We then removed the existing windows, installed the new windows, clearing any debris and cleansing the area to high clinical hygiene standards ready for patients to move back into the bay by the end of the day.” A major challenge was upgrading the windows in the hospital’s shop. The shelving and refrigerators were all positioned against the windows which had to be moved from the working area, old windows removed, new windows installed, then all returned to their original positions, in one working day, whilst the shop remained open to the public.  Steve continues: “Despite the best programming, it was inevitable that some wards would not be available as planned due to emergencies, therefore it was decided that all of the new windows would be ordered and stored within easy access of the site so that we could pivot quickly to work in another part of the building should access be denied.” This plan B approach made Ashe so efficient that the team actually shaved four weeks off the original schedule which was due to complete in mid-October. In total 456 windows, 22 doors and a curtain wall have been installed. Precision timing Extensive mechanical and electrical works have also been carried out providing new energy efficient air handling units (AHU) to ensure clean ventilation. The AHUs serve four of the main operating theatres at the hospital, so timescales were crucial in achieving theatre re-commissioning. The trust required three months’ notice for the start of the works to allow for closures to be communicated to staff, and operations to be scheduled appropriately. Each theatre was shut down for three weeks at a time, with the handover of each AHU and theatre allowing access into another theatre. Ashe adhered to these strict timescales and managed to complete the AHU works to operating theatres also ahead of programme. Ashe has also installed the services in preparation for the upgrade of the steam generation for the hospital’s autoclave sterilisation system. The works will enable the hospital to transition from gas-powered to an electrically-heated system, to make it more energy efficient. Careful co-ordination with the hospital was required so that one of the four main entrances could be closed for two days to allow use of a crane to access the plant room. Signage and barriers also had to be of a high standard. The project forms part of the hospital’s Greener Future plans having secured £4.8m of funding from the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which aims to reduce emissions from public sector buildings by 75%. The project was procured under the Pagabo Medium Works Framework. This is one of several healthcare projects Ashe is currently undertaking which includes creating a new community diagnostic centre in the heart of the city, for MKUH.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

A multi-million pound project to create state-of-the-art facilities to support mental health patients in Norfolk and Suffolk has achieved sectional completion for three new wards and gym facility.  Service users, carers and staff have all been involved with the development of the new building to improve facilities for inpatient care at Hellesdon Hospital.  The investment is the single largest capital investment ever to improve facilities at the Trust which will modernise inpatient mental health care and benefit service users, their families and carers, and staff. Construction of the new Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) mental health facility near Norwich is expected to welcome service users and staff at the end of January 2025. The new Rivers Centre wards will allow the Trust to provide modern, purpose-built environments and therapeutic space as well as additional capacity, providing an extra 15 beds for the Trust.  This will help to reduce the use of out of area and independent sector placements for people living locally who need inpatient mental health care, treatment, and support.  VINCI Building’s Regional Director, Paul Tumelty said: “At IHP our purpose is to contribute our skills and expertise to benefit and improve the lives of people that live and work in our communities. We are delighted that Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust gave us the opportunity to fulfil our purpose at the Rivers Centre and bring their vision to life for a state of the art facility to support mental health patients.” Katie Fenn, Senior Project Manager at VINCI Building said: “This project is an example of what can be achieved with the right planning, design, dedication and collaboration to create a centre that will impact positively on communities, businesses, and local people. “I am extremely proud of the team and our supply chain partners who have worked tirelessly on the new Rivers Centre, and I look forward to the buildings becoming a reality.” This investment will play a significant role in enhancing care for local people, recognising wherever possible people needing inpatient care should receive care in a facility as close to home as possible. The project consists of three new ward buildings, a purpose-built gym and a hub, which has been carefully designed to promote a feeling of community. This central area will house a main reception and café and will be the ‘heart’ of the development. The project has focused on ensuring a sustainable future, with electricity supplied from solar panels and heating via air source heat pumps. The new facility makes full use of the natural environment with the aim of providing a haven where both patients and staff can relax away from clinical areas. It is hoped that this will have a positive impact on everyone’s wellbeing, while also playing an important role in service users’ recovery. The project has been delivered by Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, has announced the completion of the new Barwell Medical centre, which is now open to the public. Located off High Street, Barwell, the state-of-the-art, two-storey facility replaces the outdated Jersey Way centre, addressing the increasing demand for modern healthcare services in the local community. Designed to accommodate the region’s growing population, the new medical centre will cater to a continuing rise in users over the next decade, and the building’s additional space has enabled a broader range of vital health services including physiotherapy, mental health support, and minor surgical procedures. The L-shaped facility now features 12 consulting rooms, a health promotion area, recovery spaces, and modern amenities, including 52 car parking spaces and six cycle racks. Constructed to BREEAM Excellent standards, the centre ensures long-term sustainability and energy efficiency. As part of G F Tomlinson’s commitment to the communities they serve, the project also saw the contractor source 70% Local Labour within 30 miles of site and the team worked closely with a neighbouring school for a variety of community activities, which included hosting a health and safety assembly alongside a site poster competition for pupils. They also supported the local LOROS Hospice with a Christmas tree collection initiative – which allows local residents to have their trees collected by volunteers, in return for a voluntary donation to the hospice. Adrian Grocock, Group Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “To deliver this contemporary medical facility, which will significantly enhance access to vital healthcare services for the Barwell community, has been an honour. With our extensive experience in healthcare schemes, we understand the crucial role such facilities play in improving lives. Seeing this project come to fruition is a proud moment for our team.” Dr Mark Findlay, GP Partner at Barwell and Hollycroft Medical Centres, said: “We are very grateful to G F Tomlinson for their professionalism, community-minded approach, and unwavering support throughout this process. After 17 years of planning, we are thrilled to move into our new centre, through which we can now provide our patients and staff with the space and resources they deserve. We are located much closer to the local pharmacy, we’re on a bus route, and we have ample parking.” The project, which included the demolition of an unused brownfield site previously housing a vehicle workshop and warehouse, marks a significant step forward for healthcare provision in Barwell, ensuring the local community has access to essential medical services for years to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

NHS Property Services is excited to announce that we have received a resolution to grant from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for the Whitechapel Road Life Sciences project. The project will revitalise a series of outdated buildings and empty sites in the area near the Royal London Hospital into a thriving life sciences district.  The development will include five new and repurposed buildings, ranging from three to 13 stories. Allies and Morrison have designed three of these buildings, with Gibson Thornley responsible for the remaining two.  Supported by Barts Health NHS Trust, Queen Mary University of London, the Greater London Authority, and the borough, this project will provide lab-enabled commercial workspaces, educational facilities, and new public spaces. The goal is to establish Whitechapel as a premier life sciences hub, offering adaptable, high-quality spaces for a variety of life sciences and public health organisations, from small start-ups to larger enterprises.  The development also sits within the London Hospital Conservation Area and adjacent to several listed buildings characterised by their unique brickwork, fine detailing, decorative features and high level of craftsmanship which has been a key inspiration for our proposals. Some of this heritage is revitalised in the plan.  The masterplan features all buildings with ground-floor public spaces, including community areas, retail, and outreach services. The success of the new plans is underpinned by an inclusive and contextual public realm, connecting with a complex mix of existing communities, businesses and institutions, while also providing an environment that is green, safe and climate resilient.  The proposed transformation of these five vacant sites has been developed over a number of years through extensive engagement with the local community. Creating this much-needed space will not only deliver a new home for life sciences but also deliver many benefits such as:  Adrian Powell, Director of Investment & Development Management at NHSPS, said: “We’re delighted that the Strategic Development Committee have approved our planning application which will create a new home for life sciences in Whitechapel. The approval of the planning application is the next step in delivering this long-held vision, which is shared with Queen Mary University of London, Barts NHS Health Trust, and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and other stakeholders.   “The proposals will regenerate a series of outdated buildings and empty sites around the Royal London Hospital and Queen Mary University, being the catalyst in creating a thriving life science cluster. The development will deliver a range of economic, health and social benefits for Tower Hamlets, including the creation of thousands of jobs, as well as attracting major investment into the UK’s life science sector.”  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals