NHS England’s NETB 2024/3 has strengthened expectations around the way water and wastewater systems are considered in high-risk healthcare environments. For NHS organisations, the challenge is often not simply understanding the guidance, but implementing what it requires across governance, project planning, design review, filtration strategy, commissioning and long-term assurance.
Marlowe works with healthcare organisations to support that transition from guidance to delivery – helping teams identify practical gaps, assess risk and strengthen the controls needed to protect vulnerable patients.
How does Marlowe support NHS organisations in implementing NETB 2024/3?
Marlowe helps NHS organisations turn NETB 2024/3 into practical action across high-risk healthcare environments. Support includes Water Safety Plan review and implementation, Water Safety Group support, NTM and wider microbiological sampling strategies, remote monitoring, filtration programmes, compliance reviews and practical delivery works where improvements are needed. The focus is on helping Trusts apply the guidance consistently, evidence that controls are working and maintain a clear audit trail. Marlowe works alongside Responsible Persons, estates teams and project stakeholders to support implementation, monitoring and ongoing control.
What common compliance gaps does Marlowe identify during reviews?
Common gaps include Water Safety Plans that do not yet reflect NETB 2024/3, unclear governance for high-risk projects and weak ownership of actions linked to Water Safety Groups. Reviews also highlight gaps in sampling strategies, especially where NTM has not yet been considered, limited visibility of outlet use and stagnation risk, and poor documentation around filtration, filter changes and failures. Practical issues often include splash and spray risks around outlets, wastewater and drainage concerns, incomplete commissioning evidence and maintenance arrangements that do not fully reflect the patient risk profile of the area.
How can independent assurance help reduce risk and improve patient safety?
Independent assurance tests whether controls are working in practice, not just documented on paper. It helps NHS organisations identify weaknesses in governance, monitoring, filtration, treatment, commissioning and escalation before they become patient safety issues. It also strengthens visibility, accountability and decision-making by giving estates teams and Water Safety Groups a clearer picture of current risk, control performance and outstanding actions. The result is a stronger audit trail, earlier intervention where standards are slipping and greater confidence that high-risk patient areas are being managed safely.
What support is available for design reviews, risk assessments, filtration programmes and commissioning validation?
Support can include practical design review input, multidisciplinary risk assessment support, Water Safety Plan development and implementation, filtration programme planning, remote monitoring, microbiological sampling strategies and commissioning validation. For filtration, this includes helping determine where point-of-use or wider filtration measures are needed and what maintenance, cleaning, compatibility and replacement controls must be in place. For commissioning, support can include sampling plans, verification testing, review of records, temperature and biocide checks, microbiological assurance and help closing actions before handover or occupation.
What does a typical healthcare water compliance review involve?
A typical review starts by understanding the clinical risk profile of the area, the vulnerable patient group and the systems, outlets and wastewater arrangements that could present a risk. It then looks at governance, Water Safety Plans, Water Safety Group oversight, monitoring data, sampling strategies, maintenance records, outlet and filtration controls, wastewater risks, commissioning evidence and escalation arrangements. The outcome is a practical set of findings that identifies compliance gaps, highlights priority risks and sets out clear next steps to improve control, evidence and patient safety.
Meet Paul Tolley – Healthcare Solutions Manager
If your team is reviewing high-risk patient areas or healthcare water safety arrangements ahead of IHEEM, speak to Paul via Paul.Tolley@marlowe-es.com or 07899 791521 about practical support with risk-led implementation and assurance.
