FEATURE ARTICLES

Australia’s West Moreton Health Service District in Queensland was among the first to participate in the Queensland Health Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) programme. Harry Barron, MIHEA, technical services co-ordinator, West Moreton South Burnett Health Service District, Queensland Health, describes the resulting major energy saving benefits experienced by the district’s largest public hospital.

Heralded on their introduction as important lifelines for patients in hospital, patient information / entertainment systems and their manufacturers have faced considerable commercial and practical challenges, leading some suppliers to abandon the UK market altogether and leaving others under massive financial pressure. Jonathan Baillie reports

Healthcare providers increasingly recognise the positive impact art in hospitals can have on patient wellbeing and recovery. Neil Orpwood, an associate at HLM Architects, stresses how this philosophy was successfully applied right from project start-up during the design and construction of a top East Yorkshire cancer care centre.

The importance of air cleaners is highlighted by Graham Wright of Sanyo Air Conditioners.

Careful selection and incorporation of art works in a hospital need not necessarily be an expensive exercise and, as four recent examples from leading arts in healthcare specialist Artinsite show, can dramatically improve environments.

Cabling system company Connectix describes the advantages, and explains the potential pitfalls, of using preterminated cabling with 10 Gb transmission.

Chris Potter of P+HS Architects discusses the growing role of primary healthcare facilities and argues that, as a wider range of services are demanded from such establishments, a considered approach is essential both to their siting, and to their adaptability and ability to meet future needs.

Vernon Barry, UK general manager of tubular safety solutions specialist Kee Klamp, explains how healthcare premises specifiers can improve a building’s hygienic performance and play a key part in infection control measures through the use of new anti-bacterial coating technology.

Tom Cumberlege, public sector manager at the Carbon Trust, describes the organisation’s initiative to reduce NHS carbon dioxide emissions.

Demonstrated in this article is how SKF hybrid bearings can solve hospital fan failure problems and create significant savings in maintenance.

Alistair Cory, principal of architecture and design firm NBBJ Ltd, explains why the challenge of designing sustainable acute hospitals should be accepted.

TSB 155, the first Augmented Category 6 cabling standard, is reviewed by cabling system company Connectix, which also provides a specification guide for cable marking and administration.

Exceptionally high standards achieved in the architecture and design of healthcare buildings were recently recognised at an awards ceremony in London. Nicholas Marshall reports.

Sharon Kuligowski, managing director, Dunphy Combustion, provides an update on issues relating to the use of non-fossil fuels. This article is based on a paper presented at IHEEM’s Healthcare Estates Conference held in Harrogate last October.

To create better healthcare premises, there is a need to produce designer-friendly guidance that is simpler, more visual, more generic and evidence based, say Dr Sue Hignett Ph.D and Jun Lu M.Arch. B.Eng of the Healthcare Ergonomics and Patient Safety research Unit (HEPSU), Department of Human Sciences, Loughborough University.

Dr K.C. Lam, of the Department of Building Services Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, explores the merits of construction process re-engineering (CPR), and takes a special look at ProCure21.

Working in tandem with VAMED-KMB, the Vienna General Hospital in Austria has developed an innovative quality-based development model for the provision of technical services and plant maintenance. Report by Peter Csukovits, technical director of the hospital, and Otto Müller, general manager, VAMED-KMB.

The National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers sets outs its aims and objectives.

The National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers (NAHFO) is a group of fire safety professionals who share ideas and experiences and offer advice to all manner of healthcare organisations and other professional bodies on fire safety matters that are very specific to healthcare premises and organisations.

Adrian Parkin, Howorth Medical contracts director, examines the benefits of using a modular approach to operating theatre construction and recommends putting a box around what is designed rather than designing to fit a box

At a recent presentation at the PCT headquarters in Oldham, Dr Tom Makin, of the Department of Medical Microbiology, Royal Liverpool University Hospitals, described the problems associated with Legionella pneumophila. Health Estate Journal reports.