RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES

Business management consultancy, The PSC’s recent development of a so-called ‘Blueprint’ approach to designing estates reportedly both meets population needs, and enables integration of care.

Sean Woodhead, associate architect at BDP, looks at how the design of Heatherwood Hospital in Berkshire has helped support positive outcomes at this specialist, planned care facility.

Chris Brown, Public Sector lead at IES, discusses the need for NHS Trusts to be able to provide comprehensive data on current performance, and good evidence of the need for funding, to secure monies for heat decarbonisation schemes.

With the issue of addressing the risks from RAAC planking in public buildings such as hospitals and schools very much in the spotlight in recent months, Alister Broadberry, Area director for the Eastern Counties at Morgan Sindall Construction, describes the business’s recent work for a Norfolk acute hospital Trust to help keep their structural RAAC planks safely, swiftly, and securely propped ‘for years to come’.

Schneider Electric’s David Williams argues that achieving Net Zero is ‘a whole company / organisation initiative’, and warns against procrastination, saying ‘the time to act is now’.

The New Hospital Programme’s Senior Responsible Owner, Natalie Forrest, updated Healthcare Estates 2023 delegates on progress with the Programme, and discussed the Hospital 2.0 model.

Hospitals have unique ventilation requirements. Lee Jenkins-Skinner, CIAT’s AHU specialist, highlights updated guidance on the subject.

Alongside IHEEM’s 80th anniversary, the Hong Kong Branch marked 25 years with a symposium in the city. Representing IHEEM from the UK were President, Alison Ryan, and Past-President, Paul Fenton.

HEJ’s Editor recently caught up with Director and Head of Profession, NHS Estates, at NHS England, Simon Corben, to discuss some of the highlights and challenges of his six and a half years in post to date, and his thoughts on the future.

At Healthcare Estates 2023, experienced healthcare planner, Suzanne MacCormick, explained how getting the sensory aspects of healthcare facilities right plays a critical part in providing the optimal care environment and speeding recovery.

Scott Tacchi, Head of MMC at Sir Robert McAlpine, argues that for the true benefits of MMC approaches to be understood, a comprehensive breakdown of the cost-benefits to provide the data and information necessary to effectively implement MMC practices from a cost reduction perspective is required.

Mark Hitchman, MD of Canon Medical Systems UK, discusses the creation of what is reportedly the UK’s first carbon-neutral built community sports and event arena with an integrated Medical Diagnostic Centre, and ‘why this unique fusion of sport and wellbeing will be a catalyst for positive regional health’.

With the NHS celebrating its 75th anniversary earlier this year, two senior Arcadis personnel look back at some of the major changes in healthcare provision and buildings, and forward to the key steps – including increasing digitalisation, and ‘embedding healthcare deeper into the fabric of communities’ – they believe will help ensure a resilient service.

Many healthcare estates are ageing, and in some cases lagging behind those in other sectors on sustainability. Does support go far enough for these estates to upgrade and adopt low carbon energy solutions considering the UK’s ambitious 2050 carbon targets?

A gala dinner on 10 October at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, attended by some 630 guests, saw the presentation of 12 Healthcare Estates IHEEM Awards celebrating excellence and innovation, and this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Maria Julia Souto of AFS Arquitectos in Buenos Aires, Argentina, discusses the challenges of integrating sophisticated information management technology in prefabricated modular operating theatres at the city’s Hospital Alemán.

Josiah Padget, Lead consultant and Healthcare manager of CETEC Pty in Australia, highlights some of the key ventilation, building fabric, and airflow requirements to minimise the risk of infection in hospitals and other healthcare environments, while maximising energy efficiency and thus reducing energy costs.

In an era where quality healthcare and integrated health and care services are of paramount importance, Willmott Dixon’s latest healthcare hub, Grove View in Dunstable, delivered with Central Bedfordshire Council and the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Partnership (ICP), emerges as a shining example of innovation and excellence, says Anastasia Chyrsafi, Strategic Framework manager (Health). Here she explains how the new facility harnesses Cura – a suite of pre-designed modules which can be assembled into healthcare buildings ‘to suit the unique needs of each community’.

Head of Estates Risk and Environment at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, George McCracken, Susanne Lee of public microbiology consultancy, Leegionella, Consultant Medical Microbiologist, Dr Michael Weinbren, former Public Health England microbiologist, Dr Jimmy Walker, Consultant Clinical Microbiologist at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Manjula Meda, and Consultant Medical Microbiologist at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Dr Teresa Inkster, discuss the role of derogations, and how guidance should be perceived and used to ensure healthcare facilities’ safe design, construction, and commissioning.

Karina Jones of Eta Projects, an IHEEM-registered Authorising Engineer (Water), takes a look at some of the health risks from growth and proliferation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria – which she explains are ‘ubiquitous in the environment’ – and some of the key steps to lower them, and thus reduce the chances of infection.