Airedale to North Manchester: A look at how digital twins are transforming estates management

For many NHS estates teams, the biggest barrier to effective decision-making is not a lack of data but the fact that critical information sits across disconnected legacy systems, spreadsheets, drawings and paper-based workflows.

Trailblazing trusts are starting to bring their fragmented data together in one digital system, allowing them to see how everything is connected, making it easier to understand buildings and assets and make better decisions.

This location-based view helps answer the questions that matter most: where is poor asset condition creating the highest risk? And where are the largest maintenance backlog challenges? 

Turning risk into action

At Airedale General Hospital, in a UK first, geospatial technology replaced a manual, paper-based survey process, improving RAAC management and helping maintain the hospital’s safe operation.

Using iPads and indoor mapping, inspections are now 50% more efficient, saving time and money while improving safety. The digital approach gives the trust a single, joined-up view of risk, instantly showing on a map where maintenance and repairs will have the greatest impact.

Using iPads and indoor mapping, inspections are now 50% more efficient

But RAAC is just the first step. Almost any type of asset can be monitored and managed using a similar approach, from fire doors to asbestos, electrical systems to plumbing.

A bird’s eye view

Airedale has now extended the approach by adding high-resolution drone imagery to its geospatial system. With the largest flat roof in the NHS, covering 30,000 square metres, the aerial images add a vital layer of intelligence by giving teams a clear, current view of hard-to-access areas so they can assess condition faster, identify potential issues and prioritise maintenance work.

Drone imagery also reduces the need for scaffolding and routine physical surveys, making inspections safer, faster and more cost-effective, reserving on-site inspections for more complex situations.

But the full potential of drone imagery is realised when