A one-day IHEEM online event on 9 June sought to underline the important role that Authorising Engineers (AEs) play in the safe, efficient, and compliant running of healthcare facilities.

With almost 500 construction workers taking their own lives annually in the UK and Ireland, a wordless, emotive video has been released as a free resource to highlight the issue, ahead of Friday 10 September, which is World Suicide Prevention Day.

Plans to deliver 48 new hospitals across England by the end of the decade were discussed by senior figures working on the programme and a Trust CEO at a webinar in July.

Meeting ‘virtually’ on 23 November, members of the recently re-formed All-Party Parliamentary Group for Healthcare Infrastructure discussed how to ensure the UK’s healthcare infrastructure is fit for purpose for the future.

IHEEM’s 2021 AGM saw President, Paul Fenton, report on a difficult year, while CEO, Pete Sellars, looked to plans for 2022. The winner of the 2021 IHEEM Lifetime Achievement Award was announced.

Matthew Gilmore, Contracts manager at Guardian Electrical Compliance, discusses some of the complexities and challenges of completing an electrical installation condition report in healthcare and medical environments.

Professor John Sandham CEng, FIHEEM, discusses the potential positive impact of the new role of IHEEM Authorising Engineer (Medical Devices) – which ‘became official’ on 2 June – drawing on the insights gained from a case study conducted within an NHS Trust, which explored what he dubs ‘the transformative potential of a collaborative, expert-led, intervention in medical device management policy’.

Following a successful handover by healthcare construction partner Darwin Group, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has opened the doors to its new Orthopaedic Outpatient Centre at James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth.

The new NHS National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), due to open later this year near Loughborough, Leicestershire, is to deploy ‘intelligent’ bedside terminals to help patients maintain their independence while recovering from life-changing conditions, such as brain injuries, and illnesses.

MTX Contracts has handed over a new Urology Outpatients Department at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

Sharon Cook, Healthcare lead at P+HS Architects, reflects on how the 10 WELL Concept areas were embedded into the design of the Northumbria Health and Care Academy, the UK’s first healthcare building to achieve WELL Gold certification, creating a workplace that the practice says ‘champions wellbeing, connection, and clinical excellence’.

At the IHEEM Wales Regional Conference, Anthony Pitcher, Senior Fire Safety Adviser, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Specialist Estates Services, discussed key fire safety challenges when decarbonising buildings

T-safe is inviting visitors to Healthcare Estates 2023 in Manchester in October to visit its stand, G60, to learn about its new water filtration solutions, designed to overcome tap and filter incompatibility and patient safety challenges faced by NHS estates and IPC teams.

UK fit-out specialist, Deanestor, has announced a strong financial performance, with a 35 per cent increase in turnover to £19 m, and a return to pre-pandemic profit levels.

At Delabie, we believe that patient safety and wellbeing are the top priorities in healthcare establishments.

Following the recent ban on the production of fluorescent tube lamps, global lighting manufacturer, Megaman, has launched a new T8 LED tube lamp range, which it says ‘provides an ideal option for a low-energy retrofit replacement – without the need for any rewiring’.

Demand for engineers is predicted to grow faster than any other occupation, according to a report, Engineering skills needs – now and into the future, published recently by EngineeringUK.

Northumberland-headquartered Merit, which claims to be ‘the UK’s leading industrialised construction and digital manufacturing specialist’, has been appointed by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust Foundation to design and deliver its new Elective Hub (Operating Theatre Block).

Imperial College Healthcare NHS has initiated a range of activities to gather the views of patients and local communities as it seeks to accelerate plans to build a new St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.

Aermec CEO, Alessandro Riello, and Vice-President, Raffaella Riello, have cut the ribbon (see photo) on the new purpose-built Southend headquarters for HVAC equipment supplier, Aermec UK, which will also be a hub for northern Europe.