New President will build on predecessor’s ‘themes’

Giving his inaugural address as IHEEM President in London in November, Ian Hinitt outlined his key areas of focus during his two-year tenure. Two of his key priorities, he explained, would be continuing to champion the Institute’s work on apprenticeships and succession planning, and heading an ongoing drive initiated by his predecessor for greater diversity and inclusion in the healthcare engineering workforce. As HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, reports, he also discussed IHEEM and HefmA’s positive ongoing collaboration, highlighted the opportunity to showcase the profession and ‘UK healthcare plc’ to international visitors at this year’s Healthcare Estates event, and reflected on a busy 75th Anniversary year.

he 2018 IHEEM President’s Address and the presentation of awards to two more of IHEEM’s 10 longest-standing Company Affiliate members – Bender and Beacon Medæs – took place at the Institution of Structural Engineers in London on the evening of 14 November. It followed an afternoon roundtable event, at which participants included Ian Hinitt himself, leading academics, and senior NHS Trust estates and facilities personnel; the discussion (on which HEJ will report soon) focused on improving links and knowledge-sharing between university staff and students in the building engineering field, and healthcare engineering and estate management personnel, for mutual benefit.

Beginning his address, Ian Hinitt said that, given that 2018 had been the Institute’s 75th anniversary year, he felt that before looking forward, he should look back briefly both at IHEEM’s legacy, and its anniversary celebrations. Of the latter, he said: “We commenced our more high profile celebrations in August on board HMS Warrior at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with an evening reception, hosted by the city’s Lord Mayor, Lee Mason. The Mayor entertained us with an interesting look back at Portsmouth’s history, Pete Sellars spoke about IHEEM’s origins and early days, and IHEEM’s 250 plus Company Affiliate Members were saluted, with a number of the 10 longest-serving recognised with awards. This year’s Healthcare Estates conference, meanwhile, was the busiest yet, with over 4,000 attendees.