FEATURE ARTICLES

IHEEM president Phil Nedin looks forward to Healthcare Estates to be held in Harrogate (16-17 October).

Hospital-acquired infection is the cause of about 5,000 deaths a year in the UK. In New Zealand, there are more than three times as many such deaths as from the annual road toll. The costs in loss of income, in pain and suffering and in direct costs to hospitals are staggering, writes Clive Broadbent.

This Department of Health report explains the implications and benefits of an integrated approach to hospital cleaning which utilises a combination of microfibre cleaning materials and periodic steam cleaning.

Group Health Co-operative (GHC) in Seattle has sold its last hospital. In future, GHC will provide healthcare to over 600,000 people by using hospitals belonging to other organisations. Nigel Edwards and Richard Darch explore whether hospital buildings should be owned by NHS Trusts.

The Code of Practice in the Health Act 2006 will assist NHS organisations plan and implement how they can prevent and control healthcare associated infections. Estates and facilities managers need to closely adhere to the Code, which has the potential of yielding significant benefits. Report by KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS.

A sustainable approach to the design of healthcare premises is essential if the business effectiveness of facilities is to be maximised through their whole life. This report, by Phil Nedin, president of IHEEM and Arup global healthcare business leader, is based on a paper he presented at this year’s annual general meeting of the Institute.

A huge amount of interest is now centred on making further improvements to the energy efficiency of healthcare facilities – reduction of carbon footprints is to the fore. However, there is nothing new in ensuring the best is obtained from healthcare power systems – the Health Estate Journal ‘Then and now’ feature below shows the specific focus on generating plant six decades ago. The feature offers advice on maximising returns from power systems and was originally published in the October 1948 edition of The Hospital Engineer – the journal of the Institution of Hospital Engineers (now IHEEM).

The Engineering Council UK (ECUK) is pressing for greater Government action to protect the status of UK integrated Masters Degrees from threats posed by the “Bologna process” under which 45 European countries have agreed to align their higher education systems.

Among the many e-petitions currently found on the 10 Downing Street website, there are two concerning the status of UK engineers. Both of these call for the epithet “engineer” to become a title protected in law.

NHS Trust boards face challenging targets for cutting carbon emissions from new and existing facilities. Spirax Sarco’s Murdo Macdonald looks at the help available and some of the latest examples of good practice in steam systems for hospital heating and hot water.

A £29 billion investment in hospitals, health centres and equipment has played a major role in driving forward improvements in patient care, a comprehensive assessment of the NHS estate affirms.

In some circumstances staff must work near live electrical conductors, and, as the HSE’s Wayne Vernon writes, there are detailed regulations that must be adhered to.

Mick Compton, Authorised Person (Sterilizers), gives an insight into the history and role of an AP(S) and reports on a two day discussion forum at W&H Sterilization in Pedrengo, Italy.

Dalkia’s new CarbonCare service has been designed to help businesses in the battle to reduce carbon emissions. James Verrinder reports from its London launch.

Following the recent ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces, it is in hospitals where the sick, bereaved or emotionally unstable are most likely to find it difficult to abstain, according to the company that provides security services at many NHS hospitals.

The long-awaited guidance document from the Department of Health is colourful in more ways then one. Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 07-01: Safe Management of Healthcare Waste was published in December 2006 and replaced the old “purple book” (The Safe Management of Clinical Waste). Was it a sign of things to come that the old guidance had a purple cover, a colour which is now used to indicate cytotoxic and cytostatic wastes? Catalyst Waste Solutions’ managing director Nigel Turner explains the new legislation.

Hospital security must always focus on the need to protect essential healthcare facilities and provide a safe environment for staff and visitors. This can seem like a tall order for organisations struggling to maintain essential public services with finite resources and it is understandable that decisions about security spending can present difficult choices, reports Alex Carmichael, British Security Industry Association technical and membership services director.

The potentially illegal photographing of patients is highlighted in new Department of Health guidance on the use of mobile phones in NHS hospitals. Health Estate Journal reports.

ITIL process adoption may be a prerequisite for the National Programme for IT (NPfIT), but implementation is far from straightforward. IT services company Plan-Net has been assisting Barts and The London NHS Trust with implementing its ambitious ITIL processes deployment.

Healthcare Estates is now only two months away, and potential delegates to the IHEEM Conference who would like to take advantage of the early booking discount need to act promptly. Delegates booking before 7 September 2007 will receive a significant saving on places at the IHEEM Conference, which, with its associated exhibition, forms Healthcare Estates (16-17 October 2007 at the Harrogate International Centre).