Diary

The Innovation in Healthcare Conference and Exhibition, taking place on 8th April at Uttoxeter Racecourse, will bring together healthcare professionals, technology providers, and service suppliers in a forward-looking and collaborative setting. Attendance is free of charge, and the full programme is available on our website.

The Health Facility Planning Course will introduce the specialised aspects of Health Facility Planning. This course is intended for professionals who are already experienced in related industries but lack the specialised knowledge required for healthcare planning design.

Healthcare Facilities Planning will provide an overview instruction to use evidence-based research to improve a healthcare environment, master how to handle change leadership, stakeholder management, and strategic alignment with organisational goals when planning and designing your healthcare facilities.

The presentations are designed to offer relevant and up-to-date information to assist all those involved in working in Health Facilities or Health Services in remaining competitive, knowledgeable and an expert in the field.

The medical basis for the concept categories is introduced along with design and construction strategies to create healthy buildings.

The time has come to elevate human health and comfort to the forefront of building practices and reinvent buildings that are not only better for the planet—but also for people.

IHEEM, in partnership with our Welsh Branch and NHS Wales, Shared Services Partnership, Specialist Estate Services are joint together to deliver the annual Wales Regional Conference, Exhibition and Gala Awards Dinner.

Venue: The Conference and Exhibition are being held at the International Conference Centre at (ICC) Coldra Woods, Newport, South Wales NP18 1HQ

The Gala Awards Dinner is being held in the Augusta Suite, at the Celtic Manor Golf Club.

Theme: Navigating Uncertainty

Enhancing Contingency and Resilience in Healthcare Estates

This event focuses on strengthening healthcare estates to meet evolving challenges through improved planning, innovation, and workforce development. With pressures from infrastructure demands, workforce capacity, and climate-related risks, building robust, future-proof estates is critical. Bringing together sector experts and leaders, the programme explores how to build and maintain resilient systems, learn from real-world incidents, and prepare teams and infrastructure for the unexpected. Through targeted discussions and shared insights, the event aims to help estates become more adaptive, secure, and equipped to ensure continuity of care in uncertain times.

The IHEEM Northern Ireland Conference brings together leaders, innovators, and specialists from across the healthcare estates and engineering community to explore this year’s theme: Data & Intelligence: Driving Smarter, Safer Healthcare. As the healthcare system continues to evolve, the intelligent use of data—supported by emerging technologies, digital integration, and artificial intelligence—has become central to transforming the performance, resilience, and sustainability of our built healthcare environment.

This year’s programme highlights how advanced analytics, digital twins, AI‑enabled decision support, and real‑time building intelligence are reshaping the way we design, operate, and maintain healthcare facilities. Through keynote presentations and practical case studies delegates will gain insights into how data can unlock efficiencies, strengthen compliance, improve patient outcomes, and support a more sustainable future for health and social care.

The conference also celebrates the exceptional talent and commitment across our sector through the first IHEEM NI Annual Awards, recognising those who demonstrate excellence, innovation, and leadership. Awards will be presented for:

• Design Team of the Year – honouring outstanding collaborative design that enhances healthcare environments.
• Contractor of the Year – recognising exceptional project delivery, quality, and partnership in Healthcare setting
• Trainee of the Year – celebrating emerging talent and future leaders of the profession.
• Estates Team of the Year – acknowledging an individual or team whose impact has been truly transformative.
• Supply Chain Provider of the Year – rewarding excellence in service, reliability, and sector support.

Together, the conference and awards reflect the forward‑thinking spirit of the estates and engineering community and reaffirm Northern Ireland’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence in healthcare infrastructure.

The Health Facility Briefing System is a professional tool for the rapid creation of detailed briefing and scoping material and the production of schedules and specifications. This system is an essential toolkit for specialist Healthcare Planners, Healthcare Designers, Project Managers and Operators.

HFBS (Health Facility Briefing System) is the essential toolkit for Healthcare Estate Management Professionals, including Specialist Health Planners, Designers, Capital Project Leaders & Managers. IHEEM members can join this 2-day course to learn how the tool works, as well as receive a 1-year subscription to the software. Registered users can access comprehensive standards for Health Design and obtain ready-made, editable “Standard Components” including briefs, room data sheets and layout sheets.

Users can assemble detailed briefs, specifications and schedules on the web without any software, within a secure environment. Once a project is completed, it is regarded as an “Asset” or “Property”. Property information from the site, building and department to rooms, finishes, furniture, fittings, fixtures and equipment as well as services are recorded and saved in the system for ongoing management, auditing and benchmarking. Users can save their work directly to the web and print database-driven richly formatted reports for a project or asset-specific use.

HFBS is a world-wide system customised for use in each Domain, being a Country, State or Region. HFBS is available for private as well as public health projects and assets. At Government level, a Domain Administrator can use the HFBS for high level benchmarking, planning and asset tracking purposes. Furthermore, the mapping module of the HFBS tracks all Healthcare Properties visually over a map of the world with direct links to each facilities data.

A range of Power Tools built into the HFBS allow tasks that would normally take months or even years to accomplish to be carried out in days or minutes. This includes the creation of comprehensive; standards-based Schedules of Accommodation and matching Room Data Sheets. The HFBS is a powerful tool for Rapid Project Definition and Procurement, typically reducing the upfront cost of packaging a project for tender by 20% and shortening the delivery time by more than half.

IHEEM Members gets 20% off.

More updates to follow soon

IHEEM’s annual Conference, Exhibition and Awards takes place on 13-14 October at Manchester Central and will once again act as an invaluable event for professionals involved in the funding, design, building, management and maintenance of healthcare facilities.