Angela Vessey, director of the Copper Development Association, describes how the natural properties of copper and copper alloys can play a significant role in cross-infection avoidance.

The role of robotic sample processing in the modernisation of pathology services at Manchester Royal Infirmary is described by Peter Jones, centralised in vitro diagnostics market manager at Roche Diagnostics. Stemming from the modernisation are valuable pointers for managers of facilities and designers of healthcare premises.

Jason Rayfield reports from the Seventh Annual Infection Control Nurses Association Conference, where education, surveillance and the threat posed by emerging bacterial strains were high on the discussion agenda.

Hospitals and healthcare estates have special energy needs and most of their power provisions are critical. At the same time there is the need to conserve energy – not just as part of the broader quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also as part of overall NHS targets and, of course, to save money. Kevin Jones of Schneider Electric’s Projects and Services team outlines some of the facets of power management that NHS Trusts and care providers face.

This Health Estate Journal ‘Then and now’ feature focuses on issues concerning prevention of outbreaks of Legionnaire’s disease. The first part of the article is by Mike Arrowsmith BSc (Hons) CEng FIMechE FIHEEM, and the second section consists of a slightly edited version of an article by David Harper Eng Tech MASEE MIHospE MIWSoc that was published in the March 1984 edition of Hospital Engineering, the journal of The Institute of Hospital Engineers (now IHEEM).

The battle against healthcare-acquired infections continues with a need for high level leadership and support, the Infection Control Nurses Association Conference, held recently in Brighton, was told. Nicholas Marshall reports.

Paul Lakra of Planer explains his personal experience of using the company's Assure24seven monitoring system to cut the firm's heating bills.

Providing wireless communication solutions at one of the country’s largest mental health facilities is a partnership between South London & Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) and Ascom which has been in place for more than 10 years. James Verrinder visited the Bethlem Royal Hospital to see the site’s communication system at work.

Medical speech recognition systems have advanced significantly, and healthcare facility managers need up-to-date knowledge of the latest features and benefits in order to be able to assist with system choice. Health Estate Journal reports on how a company has moved the technology forward.

`John Long, settling into his new role as IHEEM chief executive, tells James Verrinder about significant challenges ahead.

Rubbermaid Commercial Products describes how Initial Hospital Services’ implementation of a revised cleaning regime at Croydon’s Mayday University Hospital using its recently developed, chlorine-resistant Microfibre Cleaning system has reduced cross-contamination risks, improved safety, reduced worker tiredness, enhanced efficiency, and cut the amount of water and chemicals used.

Prototypes of new designs of 11 items of hospital furniture and equipment, ranging from a “21st Century” commode to an “intelligent mattress” that changes colour on becoming “compromised by body fluids”,

The President, Mr Rob Smith, presided. There were 21 members present. The meeting opened with the President welcoming the members to the meeting and calling on the CEO to read the Notice of the AGM.

Health Estate Journal reports on three of the key addresses at the first Healthcare Ireland conference.

Heating, ventilating and air conditioning specialist Andrews Sykes’ expertise has seen comfortable ward temperatures maintained for patients and a good working environment ensured for clinical staff at part of an ageing, yet characterful 19th Century Bristol hospital where structural constraints made installing fixed air conditioning impractical. Health Estate Journal reports.

Energy saving The installation of what is believed to be the largest array of solar thermal panels currently in use at a UK NHS hospital has taken place at an ideal time for the facility in question, Harlow’s Princess Alexandra Hospital, with the hospital’s gas bill alone having risen by 153% over the past nine months thanks to soaring energy prices, and the estates department keen to mitigate the effects in any way possible. Jonathan Baillie reports.

Tracy Cook, the NHS European Office’s European policy manager (pictured), examines the European Emissions Trading Scheme (the ETS) and its implications for the NHS, and focuses on some of the key concerns expressed by NHS estates and facilities managers during recent consultations as proposed revisions to the scheme are discussed at a national ministerial and European Parliament level.

In a follow-up to a paper published in Health Estate Journal in February, Capitalising in the long term, Bernd Rechel*, Stephen Wright†, Barrie Dowdeswell‡, Nigel Edwards§, and Martin McKee# report on the findings of a research project into the financing, design and building of innovative European hospitals.

MTX Contracts, a specialist contractor with a growing healthcare portfolio, has helped the Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Berkshire meet growing demand for orthopaedic surgery with the ultra-fast conversion of a former X-ray department to a new ultra-clean theatre.

With the new ISO 9001:2008 quality management system (QMS) superseding ISO 9001:2000, Charles Bright, BSc, MBA, principal quality consultant and medical devices lead auditor at specialist medical devices and healthcare sector consultancy Plasmed, discusses implementation of the latest standard, touching on the experience of a large English NHS acute hospital which achieved certification this March – one of only a handful of UK hospitals to have achieved the distinction to date.