FEATURE ARTICLES

“Cluttered, dirty and overcrowded” wards, “sloppy hygiene” practices among nurses and clinicians, including use of commodes and bedpans that had already been “condemned”, and board and management-level failure to respond to repeated requests for more nursing staff, were among the major contributors to the 90 elderly patient Clostridium difficile deaths at three large West Kent NHS hospitals between April 2004 and September 2006, a recent BBC 1 Panorama programme suggested. Health Estate Journal reports.

Glimpses of micro-engineering excellence needed for new generations of operating theatre and diagnostic department robotics were provided at a London conference. Nicholas Marshall reports.

How the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 has shifted responsibility for hospital fire safety from local fire authorities to so-called “responsible persons”, and the implications for senior management / board-level personnel, as well as for hospital fire officers, fire wardens and department managers charged with implementation, was expertly examined by a leading expert in fire law at May’s National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers (NAHFO) 2008 conference in Nottingham. Jonathan Baillie reports.

The use of disposable curtains is one of the key infection prevention measures adopted by a major Trust in London, reports Health Estate Journal.

Phil Wade, sales and marketing director, and Mathew Wakelam, VoIP product manager, at alarm and communication specialist Static Systems Group, discuss wireless VoIP’s potential in healthcare establishments and examine how, in particular, the technology can be successfully integrated with nurse call systems.

Following recent, high profile cases of public bodies “mislaying” sensitive information, Health Estate Journal considers the data security implications of increasing migration of patient and staff records to a central electronic NHS database, and examines the key issues for those responsible for maintaining such data safely and securely in hospitals and other care environments.

Bill Millar, project director, United Lincolnshire Hospitals, and chairman of IHEEM’s Authorising Engineer (AE) Medical Gas Pipeline Systems (MGPS) panel, describes the latest developments in the setting up of the Authorising Engineer MGPS Register.

This month’s 11th national Health Estates & Facilities Management Association (HEFMA) conference and exhibition, being staged with a strongly “green” approach, will focus on the evolving face of UK healthcare and its impact on estates and facilities services, examining how estates and facilities managers can respond to changing patient and business expectations. Health Estate Journal reports.

Ian Hinitt, deputy director of estates, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Department of Built Environment, University of Central Lancashire, and Dr Catherine Noakes, AMIMechE, Pathogen Control Engineering Research Group, University of Leeds School of Civil Engineering, discuss whether infection control can be improved by applying physical barriers and mixed mode ventilation, with particular reference to a proposed pilot project at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Jörg Höhne, country manager, Germany, at integrated clinical engineering, medical IT and telemedicine services specialist TBS DE Telematic and Biomedical Services, examines the benefits and potential pitfalls of outsourcing the maintenance and repair of key medical equipment.

Glen Hadfield, MIHEA, area assets and energy manager, Sydney West Area Health Service, reports on how the sizeable Australian Government health agency embarked on a ground-breaking energy abatement scheme, and the significant challenges overcome and lessons learned in the process.

The importance of suppliers of medical equipment and modular-constructed operating theatre environments working ever more closely with clinicians on technological advances is stressed by Bill Al-Khatib, managing director of Maquet UK. Nicholas Marshall reports.

Cabling specialist Connectix examines the growing potential for healthcare sector use of VoIP technology and highlights the importance of correct cabling infrastructure as a carrier of both voice and high-speed data traffic.

Having started operations in March 2002 with just three mobile theatres and 12 staff, Vanguard Healthcare claims today not only to be the UK’s largest supplier of mobile operating theatres, outpatient units and day surgery units, but also the only such operator of its kind. Jonathan Baillie reports.

Health estates managers, facilities managers and senior maintenance personnel from healthcare facilities throughout England received, at a recent IHEEM seminar, a comprehensive briefing on how to safely and legally collect and dispose of clinical, anatomical, domestic and electrical waste in line with UK and EU regulations. Jonathan Baillie reports.

A veteran Himalayan climber, who in 2006 led an assault on Everest’s challenging West Ridge, will give a motivational address at a new Irish conference and exhibition designed to meet the needs of all those responsible for healthcare facility design, building, management and operation. Jonathan Baillie reports.

The need for, and benefits of, health and safety audits within hospital estates and facilities departments, and the link with the Health Technical Memorandum 00: Best practice guidance for healthcare engineering1, are examined by Alan Hambidge, director of risk management consultancy Empathy Environmental Consultants Ltd.

Through developing close working relationships and always ensuring lines of communication are open, a Trust and a facilities management company have achieved much in optimising many aspects of healthcare delivery. Nicholas Marshall reports.

Health Estate Journal considers the key legislative requirements on health estates managers and health and safety personnel when it comes to ensuring flooring is safe for both patients and staff amid growing Health and Safety Executive concerns about the number of slips and trips in hospitals, medical centres and care homes.

Imperial Civil Enforcement Solutions describes how proactive parking management schemes at two large NHS Trusts have improved relations with the public, helped enforcement and fine collection, and enhanced parking availability for patients and staff.