Patients often judge a hospital long before they meet a clinician. Cleanliness, reliability and well-managed facilities have become critical indicators of safety, trust and operational resilience.
The role of facilities management in healthcare has changed dramatically. Once viewed as a support function, it is now recognised as a core contributor to patient safety, infection prevention and service continuity. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced that operational teams are as essential to healthcare resilience as clinical staff.
For hospitals, poor cleaning, delayed maintenance or unreliable technical services can quickly affect patient confidence and place additional pressure on frontline teams. Operational reliability is no longer simply an efficiency measure — it is a healthcare necessity.
Meeting Growing Operational Challenges
Across Central and Eastern Europe, the challenge is acute. Many hospitals continue to operate from ageing buildings while facing labour shortages, increasing patient demand and stricter hygiene requirements. Facility managers must balance technical maintenance, cleaning, waste management and infection control without compromising service quality.
As outlined by István Vécsei, Chief Operating Officer of LIWO Group for Healthcare Management, the sector is responding by combining standardised processes with smarter technology.
LIWO Group supports healthcare facilities across 21,000 locations in nine countries in Eastern and Central Europe. In Hungary alone, nearly 6,000 of its 30,000 employees support 96 healthcare facilities with hospital cleaning and technical services.
Technology Supporting People
The company is using digital tools, structured training and autonomous cleaning robots to improve consistency while allowing trained staff to focus on higher-risk clinical areas.
LIWO Group’s approach is to support people with technology, not replace them. The company’s ROBIN cleaning robots, in development since 2016, reflect this ambition: more consistency, less physical strain and standardised quality.
As Healthcare Management points out: innovation is not only about robotics. Often, the most powerful improvements are practical and immediate. QR-code reporting can help staff flag a missing soap dispenser, an empty consumable or a service gap quickly. Sensors can target cleaning in high-use areas. Monitoring tools can help maintenance teams detect early signs of equipment failure before serious disruption.
However, healthcare environments demand caution. New technologies must be thoroughly tested before deployment in patient-facing or clinical areas, ensuring they enhance rather than compromise safety.
Resilience Starts Behind the Scenes
Healthcare resilience depends on strong operational discipline as much as clinical expertise. Consistent cleaning and disinfection, well-maintained equipment and rigorous quality control all play a vital role in protecting patients, while strict hygiene protocols ensure healthcare environments remain safe and reliable.
These operational standards also support sustainability. Smarter use of resources, better waste management and data-driven maintenance can reduce environmental impact without compromising hygiene. As expectations continue to rise, the performance of facilities management is becoming an increasingly important measure of a hospital’s resilience, patient safety and overall quality of care.