Healthcare construction in 2026
Plan earlier. Use existing assets. Build for change.
Helen Pickering
Senior Director, Global Head of Healthcare
In 2026, I expect healthcare construction costs to rise. The drivers are familiar: labour shortages and general market pressure. But healthcare also faces added cost from new technology and sustainability measures (and these vary by country).
At the same time, demand for care keeps growing. Ageing populations, more chronic conditions, and rising behavioural and mental health needs are all pushing systems to change how and where care is delivered.
What will shape healthcare construction in 2026?
1. Demand is rising, and care is moving
Growing demand (ageing populations and more chronic conditions, including behavioural and mental health needs) will continue to drive change in how buildings are used. Many systems are trying to shift more care into primary and community settings and move activity out of hospitals to free up acute space. That change needs to be part of wider service transformation, bringing different workflows and new ways of working.
2. Technology will change what is built, and how it performs
Integrating technology is a challenge, but also an opportunity. It is key to adapting to increasing and changing healthcare demand. It affects design, MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) requirements, commissioning and handover planning.
In 2026, I expect more focus on:
— AI to improve how hospitals run, help construction delivery, and support earlier diagnosis and prevention
— The “digital hospital”: tools that support continuous monitoring without adding staff burden, virtual care and hospital-at-home models. These will reduce demand on existing infrastructure. Beyond that we’ll see more technology being built in for asset tracking and predictive maintenance for equipment.
3. Funding pressure will shape what gets built
Financing is a constant constraint. Public funding is not always available. Private systems face more pressure to show ROI (return on investment).
This is one reason why refurbishing and reusing buildings matters and why we’ll continue to see that trend grow in 2026. Many healthcare estates are ageing, and live refurb can be the only realistic route when a new hospital is not funded. Adaptive reuse can also be more sustainable.
A strategic approach to sustainable estate
The most sustainable strategy to approach healthcare buildings comes from thinking differently and planning earlier. I suggest following these simple three-steps:
- Start with real need. Use data to understand where demand is and what space is needed. That often points to more primary and community care, supported by digital care (such as virtual wards), rather than more expensive complex assets.
- Reuse first. Ask “can we adapt, repurpose, or reuse?”. This can cut cost and carbon.
- Build only when it’s essential—and design for the long term. When new build is needed, make it flexible and efficient from day one, so it can adapt as care and technology evolve.
Construction Certainty Index: what it tells us about healthcare
The Construction Certainty Index scores delivery confidence from 0–100 across five areas. A higher score means stronger confidence and lower exposure to risk.
Healthcare scores 54 overall. The scores are Time and budget 63, Risk 43 , Sustainability 45, Technology adoption 46, and AI impact 62.
For 2026, that mix matters. It suggests healthcare construction leaders have lower confidence in managing and adapting to risk and technological change. Both of which are becoming more important in healthcare project delivery amid rapidly changing care needs, growing demand and volatile market. However, the higher AI impact score points to growing attention on AI, even if confidence is not yet universal.
Top global risk factors that impacted project delivery in 2025 (% indicating ‘high impact’ on ability to meet project goals) ²⁵
Top global risk factors expected to worsen in 2026-2027 (% expecting situation to deteriorate) ²⁵
25 Findings taken from research undertaken among 1,060 senior decision-makers involved in construction and infrastructure planning. Construction Certainty Index | Currie & Brown.
What I’d do now to be ready
1
Do the upfront planning thoroughly. Make sure you are building the right thing, for the right model of care, with a business case that stands up.
2
Set the project up to succeed once it’s defined. Don’t jump to design too fast. Take the time to consider scheduling, comprehensive risk management, governance, understand the local construction market and resourcing.
3
Look at workforce and tech together. Plan training and change management early, so new digital tools reduce burden instead of adding to it.
Case study
University Hospital Monklands: keeping cost, net zero and digital moving together
We’re helping NHS Lanarkshire build a greener, smarter hospital. The new University Hospital Monklands will be the most advanced in Scotland. It’s also the first to meet the country’s new net zero carbon standards for public buildings. We’re making sure this complex project is delivered with certainty. How? Through cost and project management, BIM, sustainability, and digital delivery. We’re also managing a team of expert design consultants.
We’re shaping the digital strategy to support faster, safer care. Think real-time updates for staff and patients. Simple tools to help people find their way. And systems that link with national platforms.
And we’ve kept design and cost in sync at every stage. That means better value and fewer surprises.