FEATURE ARTICLES

An ongoing upgrading of clinical handwashing facilities at its hospitals by NHS Lanarkshire is seeing the Scottish Health Board replace, in many cases, ageing basins and taps subject to Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) criticism, with standardised modules comprising a clinical basin, Horne Engineering’s Optitherm thermostatic tap, and soap and towel dispensers, all mounted on a single integrated panel structure.

Sue Frith, deputy head of the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS), explains the organisation’s important role in advising, and supporting, security staff at NHS hospitals in dealing with incidents ranging from verbal abuse to serious violence and aggression.

A close-knit team of eight senior personnel with backgrounds in mental healthcare have collaborated to develop a new High Secure Building Design Guide for England’s three high secure mental health hospitals – Ashworth, Broadmoor, and Rampton.

Medical turnkey pre-installation specialist Canute International Medical Services (CIMS) recently supported provider of managed equipment services Asteral in a project to re-model the Rowan Bentall wing of Surrey’s Kingston Hospital.

Paul Courson, UK managing director of cable management specialist, Cablofil, discusses some of the health and safety challenges facing hospitals during refurbishment, and the considerations for specification of a cable management system, both during the works, and beyond.

Graeme Dunn, an Authorising Engineer (MGPS) who is based at WS Atkins’ Glasgow office, explains the key safety and other practical considerations when supplying medical gas pipeline systems into training facilities.

The Department of Health (DH), Defra, and the Department for Transport, have recently announced the publication of the second edition of the Safe management of healthcare waste manual (known as Health Technical Memorandum 07-01).

This summer will see the publication of the first amendment to the British Standard 7671:2008, Requirements for Electrical Installations.

Last Autumn’s Comprehensive Spending Review included what international environmental consultancy Environ describes as “an unexpected update” on the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), with a change in its structure and timelines.

The options open to NHS Trusts and other large healthcare providers to ensure electrical resilience for their estate, with a particular focus on generator selection, installation, and maintenance, were examined by Geoff Halliday, head of sales at “total generator solutions provider” Power Electrics, at a recent IHEEM “electrical installation” seminar in London.

Floors are one of the biggest capital assets of the healthcare estate and, under a continual stampede of feet, suffer the most wear and abuse of all, making it unsurprising that flooring – of whatever type – is regularly replaced, despite the considerable potential expense.

The importance of properly identifying, assessing, and managing risk in all areas of engineering practice, the fact that genuine innovation is almost impossible without a certain element of risktaking, and the need to acknowledge and respond to public concerns, however much some may be ill-founded, over the risks inherent in technological and engineering advances, are highlighted in a new risk guidance document, Guidance on Risk for the Engineering Profession,

A detailed look at the latest regulations, legislation, and guidance governing electrical services and installations in healthcare was given by Richard Knight, director of professional estates and facilities business consultancy, CPA Solutions, at a recent IHEEM seminar, “Electrical installation guidance for healthcare premises”, in London. HEJ editor Jonathan Baillie reports.

Georgina James of Arup Australia reports on the design of a new cancer centre in Sydney, Australia, which brings together cutting edge treatment and translational research facilities, a highly sustainable design, and the flexibility to adapt to cater for new “research directions and technologies” in the future.

Harry Waugh, the Scottish branch member of IHEEM’s Council, and a former Health Facilities Scotland energy manager, who now runs his own energy/carbon consultancy, “Call Harry”, argues that growing reliance on technology will continue to strengthen the need for effective energy management in the healthcare sphere.

IHEEM’s AE (D) Panel plays an important role in managing and administering the UK’s only official register of such specialist personnel, and indeed it is the Panel that selects qualified candidates for registration, interviews those considered “the right material”, and confers registered AE (D) status on those that Panel members feel have the right combination of professional experience and expertise, academic qualifications, and knowledge, to fulfil the role.

Clive Nattrass, programme director for the Carbon and Energy Fund (CEF), describes how the Fund can potentially help NHS Trusts seeking to upgrade and improve their infrastructure to reduce their carbon footprint, and thus make useful energy savings, to secure the necessary finance.

London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust has installed a complete barrier laundry system from Electrolux Professional at its St Thomas’ Hospital location for specialist washing of an estimated 7,000 microfibre cloths and 5,000 microfibre mops each day from both the St Thomas’ and Guy’s Hospital sites.

Many medicines can be destroyed by storage and transportation at the wrong temperature. Joe Fudge, service manager at ABB Measurement Products, examines how proper monitoring supports best practice.

Creating a 21st Century mental healthcare facility which would soon be world-renowned both for its quality of care, and for the high standard of its buildings, was the overriding goal of the project team behind the new £75 million, 312-bed Roseberry Park mental healthcare facility in Middlesbrough.