Morning, Monday, 9th March 2026
Online
This conference will examine priorities for the NHS estate, and next steps for the development of hospitals in England.
Government funding plans & targeting
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess the way forward following the commitment of £6bn per year for health infrastructure in the Government’s UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy, published earlier this year. Delegates will consider how the funding could best be deployed to optimise potential impacts on the scale and pace of estate renewal, alongside priorities for further development of ICB ten-year infrastructure strategies.
Areas for discussion include strategies for simplifying the process for accessing capital funding, alongside options for unlocking additional resources and public-private partnerships while achieving long-term value for money.
Next steps for hospitals
Options for responding to delays to the New Hospital Programme will be assessed, including how to mitigate extended reliance on ageing facilities, rising maintenance backlog costs, and constraints on capacity for modern care - as well as addressing implications for patient outcomes and workforce wellbeing. We expect discussion on targeted investment such as prioritising premises affected by RAAC, as well as the use of modular construction to sustain safe and effective care delivery until new hospitals are operational.
Infrastructure for local healthcare delivery & decarbonisation priorities
Planned sessions consider operational and estate planning for services delivered in the community, including the development of Neighbourhood Health Centres and other community-focused facilities, and redesign to meet the demands of more integrated care. Opportunities for local engagement through the Government’s Pride in Place Strategy will be examined, as well as alignment with wider regeneration projects, and improving spatial planning and coordination between commissioning and estate development.
Further sessions will focus on estate decarbonisation and the NHS net zero plan, including priorities for risk and climate resilience planning, energy strategy, and delivery of long-term sustainable value.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- implementation of the Infrastructure Strategy: priorities for distributing funding - integration with ICB long-term infrastructure plans - alignment with regional health service needs
- capital investment strategy: mix of public and private financing - unlocking additional resources while maintaining affordability
- impacts of hospital programme delays: managing reliance on ageing facilities - addressing maintenance backlogs - safeguarding patient outcomes and workforce wellbeing
- interim solutions: modular construction and targeted investment in high-risk premises, such as those affected by RAAC
- integrated services: development of Neighbourhood Health Centres and community-focused facilities - redesigning estate to support integrated care and local engagement through the Pride in Place Strategy
- estate planning and utilisation: improving spatial planning and coordination between commissioning and estate development - repurposing underused assets - adoption of digital estate analytics
- decarbonisation and resilience: priorities for achieving net zero among NHS assets - planning for risk and climate resilience - delivering long-term sustainable value
