The HEFMA Leadership Forum in Leeds on 28–29 May 2026 brought these challenges into focus. Record attendance and a varied programme reflected the increasing importance of estates and facilities in delivering the NHS 10 Year Plan. Sessions explored national priorities, emerging risks and practical approaches to delivery across complex systems.
Key themes shaping estates and facilities
Several themes ran consistently throughout the forum, many of which will be directly relevant to NHS organisations:
Preparedness and compliance
Discussion around Martyn’s Law highlighted the human impact behind compliance requirements and the growing responsibility on public organisations to strengthen security preparedness.
Digital and data-driven decision making
Sessions on digital innovation and artificial intelligence showed how estates strategies are becoming increasingly supported by data, automation and smarter systems.
Neighbourhood health and system working
There was a clear focus on care delivery closer to communities, with estates playing a central role in enabling local, accessible services.
Workforce and capability development
Retaining, developing and supporting estates and facilities teams remains a critical challenge across the system.
Sustainability and net zero delivery
Organisations continue to balance operational pressures while progressing towards long-term environmental goals.
These themes reinforce the scale of change facing estates and facilities teams, along with the need for coordinated, system-wide responses.
Key insights
Colleagues from the Hub attended the forum to strengthen networks and gather insight to support members. The event brought together a strong mix of suppliers and senior leaders, providing valuable visibility of the current estates landscape. Key insights include:
Market direction and supplier performance
Greater clarity on current and future estates contracts, alongside insight into supplier approaches and performance.
Emerging solutions with practical relevance
Innovations such as food waste drying technologies and decarbonisation solutions demonstrated how estates teams can address sustainability and efficiency challenges in practice.
Policy developments affecting estates roles
Continued discussion around the certification of Authorising Engineers, including the potential for a centralised national register, signals possible changes in governance and assurance.
Operational learning from CAFM and digital sessions
Insights into Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) systems highlighted opportunities to improve asset management, compliance tracking and operational efficiency.
What this means for NHS organisations
The forum reinforced a clear message. Estates and facilities are no longer a supporting function. They are central to delivering safe, sustainable and locally accessible care.
For many organisations, the challenge now is how to:
- respond to evolving compliance and regulatory expectations
- deliver capital and transformation programmes under financial constraint
- improve operational efficiency without compromising quality or patient experience
- access credible, tested solutions without increasing procurement complexity
This is where structured, compliant routes to market and shared system insight become increasingly important. The Hub supports organisations to navigate these pressures by providing access to frameworks, market intelligence and procurement expertise that reduce risk and support confident decision making. [Marketing…g Standard | Word]
HEFMA awards 2026 – recognising sector excellence
The forum also celebrated the achievements of estates and facilities teams across the NHS at the HEFMA Awards 2026. These awards recognise innovation, leadership and impact across a diverse range of categories.
Congratulations to all winners, including:
- Cost saving initiative
Paper Products Implementation Team, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Digital innovation
Catering Team, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
- Leader of the year
Jo Fitzgerald, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Personal development
Kerrey Healey, Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
- Project of the year
Capital Projects Team, Barnsley Facilities Services
- Sustainability
e-Bike Pilot, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
- Team of the year
Sustainability Team, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group
- Outstanding contribution
Mervyn Phipps, HEFMA National Treasurer
These examples highlight how teams across the NHS are already addressing many of the challenges discussed at the forum, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, sustainability and service quality.
Continuing the conversation
The HEFMA Leadership Forum offered valuable insight into both the challenges and opportunities ahead. It also reinforced the importance of collaboration, shared learning and informed decision making across systems.
If your organisation is currently reviewing estates priorities, planning transformation activity or exploring new solutions, we are always open to a conversation about how we can support your approach.
Let us know what challenges you are seeing in your organisation and where focused procurement support would add the most value.
Contact our Estates, Digital and Transport team: estates&[email protected]
By Patrick Pereira and Mark Kevlin, Procurement Specialists, Estates, Digital and Transport