‘Enabling infection-resilient healthcare environments’

In an interesting session opening the second day of Healthcare Estates 2022, four scientists and academics discussed hospital ventilation – including some of the key learnings for hospital engineers in the wake of COVID-19. They focused especially on improving infection resilience in the hospital environment, and tackling poorly ventilated spaces. HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, reports on an address by one of the four – Professor Cath Noakes of the University of Leeds – one of the UK’s leading experts on healthcare ventilation.

The ‘Engineering’-themed session began with Pete Sellars welcoming IHEEM’s new President, Alison Ryan, who had only taken over the Presidency from Paul Fenton at the previous day’s IHEEM AGM, to the stage. The first female President in IHEEM’s 79-year history, Alison Ryan briefly (see also separate report, pages 35- 38) shared some of her thoughts on her key priorities and goals in the role over the next two years, before chairing a thoughtprovoking conference session

She explained: “This session is focused on how we can improve infection resilience in the hospital environment, and tackle poorly ventilated spaces. It links well with current NHSE / NHSI plans to produce new guidance for the sector on healthcare refurbishment schemes.” She continued: “We have four key speakers in all – two professors and two doctors – here, with us, Professor Cath Noakes from the University of Leeds, two online speakers – Professor Peter Guthrie and Dr Sean Fitzgerald, both from the University of Cambridge, and, again in person here, Dr. Elaine CloutmanGreen, from Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.”