NHS Estate optimisation & workplace strategy
Make better Estate decisions
Improve utilisation. Release clinical capacity. Plan with confidence.
We help NHS organisations make better estate and workplace decisions using real utilisation data, scenario modelling and proven methodologies developed through more than a decade of workplace transformation projects.
NHS estates are under increasing pressure
The NHS estate faces unprecedented demands.
Growing patient numbers, constrained capital budgets, ageing buildings and changing ways of working mean estate teams are expected to achieve more with the space they already have.
At the same time:
£13.8bn+ maintenance backlog across the NHS estate
Increasing pressure to release space for clinical services
Rising expectations around sustainability and operational efficiency
Hybrid working changing demand for administrative space
Every investment decision competing for limited capital
The challenge is no longer simply understanding utilisation.
It’s deciding where to invest, what to change and how to maximise the value of every square metre.
Typical NHS challenges
Which of these are you trying to solve?
Optimise administrative office space
Improve meeting room availability
Consolidate buildings
Plan workplaces for hybrid working
Improve utilisation across multiple sites
Prioritise capital investment
Release estate for clinical services
Co-locate teams more effectively
Executive Resource centre
Practical guidance for today’s estate and workplace challenges
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Designing future workplaces
Designing future ready workplaces requires behavioural evidence and scenario modelling to create adaptable spaces, optimise investment and confidently respond to changing attendance, headcount and business priorities. Learn More
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Hybrid workplace planning
Hybrid working has changed not only where employees work, but how workplace demand is distributed throughout the week. Many organisations face a familiar paradox: overcrowded offices during peak days alongside significant unused capacity at other times. Learn More
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Optimising meeting room strategy
Meeting room shortages are often less about the number of rooms and more about how well room supply matches actual demand. By combining booking data, occupancy behaviour and scenario modelling, organisations can optimise room mix, recover unused capacity and make better informed workplace investments. Learn More
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Reducing real estate footprint
Reducing real estate footprint can unlock significant financial and environmental value, but cutting space without understanding peak demand can create new operational risks. Workplace data and scenario modelling help organisations identify genuine opportunities while protecting employee experience and future capacity. Learn More
Decision Playbooks
Practical guidance for common workplace decisions
Designed for busy estate leaders who need practical answers rather than theory.
Available playbooks include:
Should we consolidate administrative offices?
Do we actually need more meeting rooms?
Is our person-to-desk ratio still appropriate?
Which workplace investments should we prioritise first?
How should we phase workplace transformation?
Which teams should be co-located?
How can we release space for clinical use?
What should we measure before making estate decisions?
NHS Benchmark reports
Compare your organisation against similar workplaces
Available benchmarks include:
Office utilisation
Meeting room utilisation
Workplace density
Hybrid attendance
Person to desk ratios
Peak occupancy
Collaboration space
Portfolio utilisation
The Workplace decision methodology
Every workplace decision follows the same challenge.
Understand today’s workplace.
Evaluate multiple options.
Implement with confidence.
Our Measure • Model • Transform methodology has been refined over more than a decade of helping organisations make better workplace decisions.
Measure
Gather the evidence needed to understand how the workplace performs.
Model
Test workplace options before committing to change.
Transform
Turn the selected option into a practical course of action.
Lessons from a decade of workplace transformations
Join this webinar to explore how utilisation data can support your estate and workplace planning.
We’ll cover:
- What hybrid working has taught us about workplace demand
- Why workplace insight alone doesn’t drive change
- How scenario modelling helps test decisions before they become commitments
- What the next decade of workplace transformation may look like
Upcoming Webinar
SEP
30
Wednesday
03:00 pm – 03:30 pm BST
Why OpenSensors?
For more than 10 years we’ve helped organisations understand how workplaces are used.
Today, we combine workplace evidence, structured methodologies and decision support to help organisations move beyond reporting and make better estate decisions.
Whether you’re optimising office space, planning future investment or releasing estate for patient care, we provide the evidence and guidance needed to move forward with confidence.
Ready to discuss your estate strategy?
Book a 30 min NHS estate review with one of our workplace specialists.
Together we’ll discuss:
Your current challenges, opportunities for improvement, similar projects we’ve supported, recommended next steps