Project overview
Since 2019, Archus has served as Lead Supplier to NHS England’s Estates Technical Standards and Guidance (TSG) Programme, helping to shape the standards that underpin the planning, design and operation of healthcare facilities across the NHS. Following reappointment through to 2027, Archus continues to lead the delivery of this nationally significant programme, working alongside a multidisciplinary team of specialist partners.
The programme supports NHS England in maintaining and updating a comprehensive suite of more than 100 technical guidance documents, including Health Building Notes (HBNs) and Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs). These publications set the benchmark for safe, efficient and sustainable healthcare environments and are recognised as best practice both within the UK and internationally.
Archus provides an end-to-end service covering technical authoring, programme management and stakeholder engagement. Working closely with NHS England, clinical experts, estate professionals and industry partners, we coordinate the review, development and publication of guidance that reflects evolving healthcare models, regulatory requirements and advancements in technology and sustainability.
Through robust programme management and collaborative engagement, Archus helps ensure NHS technical guidance remains current, accessible and aligned with changing healthcare needs. The programme supports healthcare organisations across primary, secondary and tertiary care settings to deliver environments that improve patient outcomes, support staff wellbeing and maximise value from healthcare investment.
Outcomes
- Successfully leading the ongoing delivery of NHS England’s Estates Technical Standards and Guidance Programme through to 2027.
- Supporting the maintenance and publication of more than 100 nationally recognised healthcare technical standards and guidance documents.
- Enabling healthcare providers to access up-to-date best practice guidance that supports safe, sustainable and compliant healthcare environments.
The challenge
Healthcare estates guidance must continually evolve to reflect changing clinical practices, technological developments, sustainability requirements and regulatory expectations. NHS England needed a delivery partner capable of managing a complex programme of guidance reviews and updates while coordinating input from a wide range of technical specialists, stakeholders and industry experts.
The challenge was to ensure that critical guidance remained current, relevant and accessible, while maintaining consistency and quality across a large portfolio of highly technical publications.
The solution
As Lead Supplier, Archus provides programme leadership, technical coordination and stakeholder management across the entire guidance lifecycle. We work with NHS England and an extensive network of specialist consultants to manage the review, authoring, consultation and publication of technical standards and guidance.
Our role includes coordinating expert working groups, managing programme delivery, facilitating stakeholder engagement and ensuring documents are produced efficiently and to a consistently high standard. This end-to-end approach enables NHS England to maintain a trusted body of guidance that supports healthcare estate planning, design, construction and operation across the NHS.
The impact
The programme continues to provide NHS organisations with access to authoritative guidance that shapes the delivery of healthcare environments nationwide. By ensuring standards remain current and aligned with healthcare best practice, Archus supports the creation of facilities that are safer, more sustainable and better suited to the needs of patients and staff.
The work also contributes to greater consistency across healthcare capital programmes, helping organisations meet regulatory requirements, improve operational performance and deliver long-term value from investment in healthcare infrastructure. Through effective programme management and stakeholder collaboration, Archus is helping to define the future of healthcare estate design both nationally and internationally.
