In continuing efforts to efficiently manage hospital car-parking facilities, a number of NHS Trusts have adopted the Fast Park system supplied by Italian company Fast Park Sistema.

The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management must move forward determinedly if the latest opportunities are to be seized. Phil Nedin, IHEEM’s new president, answers questions posed by Health Estate Journal about the way ahead.

Problems of cross-infection and drug-resistance have been highlighted in the health sector for many years. For this Health Estate Journal ‘Then and now’ feature, Mike Arrowsmith BSc (Hons) CEng FIMechE FIHEEM, technical editor, provides commentary on an article which was published in The Hospital Engineer, the journal of the Institution of Hospital Engineers, in April 1960. The text of this article follows that of the commentary.

Designed for aspiring directors and senior managers, the Development Centre Programme supports the FM Workforce Strategy published by NHS Estates. The Programme is also approved, and supported, by the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) and the Health Facilities Management Association (HeFMA).

Stephen Butt MIHEA, manager, Asset Management, Greater Southern Area Health Service, NSW, Australia, examines the obtaining of significantly more from plant improvements than energy efficiency and an improved ‘green’ profile. This article is formed from a paper presented at the 56th National Conference of the Institute of Hospital Engineering Australia, and similar text has been published in The Australian Hospital Engineer, the magazine of the IHEA.

Health Estate Journal outlines highlights from the forthcoming Health Facilities Management Association (HEFMA) conference, and previews a selection of products and services from the accompanying exhibition.

Marion Warburton reviews the infrastructure requirements of hospital security technology integration. This article originally appeared in the Quarterly Journal of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society and is published in HEJ through IHEEM’s links with the International Federation of Hospital Engineering.

Less than ten years ago, a baby could be abducted from the average hospital in Canada without a single alarm going off.

Over the past year the estates and facilities team at London’s UCLH NHS Foundation Trust and Interserve Consulting have jointly analysed energy consumption at University College Hospital to identify saving opportunities and potential carbon footprint reduction measures.

Development of the IHEEM 2010 seminar programme is well under way. Seminars currently “in the pipeline” include:

IHEEM members who hold Authorised Person (AP) qualifications, and who act in AP capacity in a variety of disciplines within their Trust or company, now have a standard route to registration as Engineering Technician (Eng Tech).

Construction of the new Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital is now complete.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, international training provider for hospital support services Eastwood Park last year ran well over 200 different courses, plus a range of NVQs, with over 1,500 delegates participating in its residential and occupationally-based training.

Nigel Sharp, national engineering and estates manager at Spire Healthcare, says engineering has never enjoyed a stronger focus at the UK private healthcare provider and its predecessor BUPA Hospitals than it does today.

A far-reaching strategy which aims to modernise an estate comprising around 150 properties spread over a 2,000 square mile radius over the next 5 to 6 years and, simultaneously, deliver 100% “safe, sound and supportive” single-patient care to people suffering from a wide range of mental health illnesses, won the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Foundation Trust the Best Estates Strategy Award at the 2008 Building Better Healthcare (BBH) Awards.

Specialist in the design and construction of modular healthcare buildings MTX Contracts has recently completed, on time and on budget, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s impressive new four-storey orthopaedic and surgical facility at Stepping Hill Hospital.

The potentially fatal consequences of specifying uncertified fire doors are highlighted in a hard-hitting new film developed to highlight the benefits of only specifying doors certified under the BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme.

The potentially fatal consequences of specifying uncertified fire doors are highlighted in a hard-hitting new film developed to highlight the benefits of only specifying doors certified under the BWF-CERTIFIRE scheme.

The AGM of IHEEM’s North Western branch this month will see career X-ray technology engineer and branch member Keith Feay discuss during a special presentation how, having repaired his first X-ray machine in 1965, he has recently begun helping charityrun hospitals in Malawi keep such equipment in good running order (pictured right).

Arrangements for a new Voluntary Register for Authorising Engineers (AE), the goal of which is to help healthcare organisations identify persons suitable to undertake the AE (MGPS) role within their management structure, have been approved by IHEEM, and the Register is now open for applications.

Julia Kemp and Chad Coombes from Topscan will be available on Stand 12 at the 2009 HEFMA event where delegates will be able to view examples of Topscan’s CAD, Surveying and Digitising Services to NHS Estates & Facilities Departments throughout the UK.