RECENT NEWS

Four new UCV operating theatre suites at North London’s St John and St Elizabeth Hospital – one of the country’s largest independent charity hospitals – feature Medical Air Technology’s ‘energy-efficient’ ECO-flow ultraclean ventilation (UCV) systems.

Two new elective orthopaedic theatres at Merlin Park University Hospital in Galway have been equipped with Bender’s ‘state-of-the-art’ operating theatre equipment, advanced medical IT power systems, and residual current monitoring devices.

Incorporating sustainability into healthcare buildings, and ways to demonstrate ‘practical sustainability’ in the decontamination of reusable surgical instruments, will be very much on the agenda at the Central Sterilising Club’s Autumn Study Day on 10 October at Manchester Central.

Veolia says it is now increasing energy savings at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading following a 15-year extension to its existing contract.

A group of 18 young women have gained an insight into engineering careers through a workshop exploring the challenges of designing a future-proof hospital.

NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has today (22 June) published its first three-year Green Plan, ‘to transform estates to mitigate the impact of climate change, and drive the NHS to achieve Net Zero carbon status by 2040’.

Healthcare furniture specialist, Deanestor, has delivered a second hospital fit-out project in the Scottish Highlands.

With updates to Approved Document L of the Building Regulations ruling out non-condensing direct-fired water heaters having just come into force, the hot water industry will be instrumental in ensuring ‘a seamless switch’ to higher efficiency condensing water heaters.

Cardiac rhythm management and bradycardia pacemaker implantation services have been enhanced for patients at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester with the installation of a new Alphenix Sky ceiling-mounted C-arm there.

Östra Sjukhuset in Gothenburg, one of four sites that form Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden’s largest university hospital, claims to be ‘setting the global standard in sustainable hospital waste and linen management’ after appointing Envac to install its optical linen sorting technology as part of a major modernisation programme.

Government must ‘seize the post-pandemic opportunity’ to mandate long-term improvements to infection control in commercial, public, and residential buildings ‘to reduce the transmission of future waves of COVID-19, new pandemics, seasonal influenza, and other infectious diseases’.

The first UK-wide national Young Academy – a network of early career researchers and professionals – is being launched today (14 June).

Patient safety, and the NHS’s ability to drive down waiting lists and hit performance targets, are being ‘severely hampered’ because the NHS has been ‘plagued by one of the worst records for capital investment in the OECD over the past decade’.

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust has launched what it dubs ‘a ground-breaking digital platform set to revolutionise the way patient care is delivered to children and young people’.

The Rutherford Health Group, which operates a network of cancer and diagnostic centres in the UK, has announced today (6 June) that an application is to be made to place the Group into liquidation.

The UK’s largest single-site maternity unit is being planned in Leeds as part of the development of two new hospitals on the Leeds General Infirmary site – providing what Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust describes as ‘a revolution in patient-centred care’.

NG Bailey has been appointed to deliver a £5.3m installation of new mechanical and electrical (M&E) services for a new Urgent and Emergency Care Department for Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

A report published on 25 May by the UK’s Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) concludes that the impact of ineffective decontamination of surgical instruments ‘can be far-reaching’, with the potential consequences ranging from the risk of severe infection, to ‘the frustration of cancelled operations due to dirty equipment’.

Leading finance and accounting, digital, procurement, and workforce services provider, NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), has launched its ‘second-generation’ Hard Facilities Management framework agreement.

The construction of a new theatre building at Poole Hospital by Sir Robert McAlpine has reached a significant milestone, with a traditional ‘topping out’ ceremony.