RECENT NEWS

The Engineering Council (see also pages 18-22) has welcomed an announcement made by the Government which sets out its implementation plan for reform of Apprenticeships, building on the recommendations of the Richard Review.

Edwina Hart AM, Welsh Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, has officially opened the £30 million Hadyn Ellis Building in Cardiff, dubbing it ‘one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen’.

Twenty-seven NHS Trusts are participating in a year-long pilot ‘to prove that going to market as a single entity will deliver huge savings to the NHS’. Led by the NHS Trust Development Authority (TDA) and the Department of Health, the pilot has project support provided by procurement collaborative, NHS London Procurement Partnership, and is directed by a steering board comprising representatives of the DH, NHS England, TDA, LPP, and Trusts.

Starkstrom says SATS, its new automatic transfer switch, can ‘build even more resilience’ into the specialist medical electrical power supply systems for high care areas that the company has installed in hospitals for over 20 years.

A new trackless mobile shelving system that ‘promises to transform high density storage’ has been launched by Link 51. .

Electrical manufacturer, Legrand, is to enter the UK assisted living and healthcare sectors following the acquisition of North East-based manufacturer, Tynetec.

A new software upgrade to Vernacare’s Vortex pulp disposal unit, available on all new and existing machines, includes an enhanced fault code update for easier diagnosis, and a new optional auto-start feature.

Howorth Air Technology, which has already successfully completed many projects throughout Spire Healthcare’s UK hospitals, has installed its new Exflow Evolution Screenless ultraclean ventilation canopy at the Spire Washington Hospital, replacing the hospital’s existing UCV canopy, from a different supplier.

Delabie’s seminar on ‘Managing the Risk of Waterborne Infection’ has achieved RIBA approval.

Construction has started of a new £5 million Cancer Care Centre and Pathology Essential Services Laboratory (CCC-ESL) at Wigan’s Royal Albert Edward Infirmary.

McBains Cooper has been appointed interdisciplinary consultant for a £13 million capital works programme launched by Care UK, a leading UK independent health and social care services provider.

The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) says the need for global guidance globally drove it to develop an asset management suite of new standards, due for publication this month, based on the PAS 55 Asset Management specifications sponsored by the Institute of Asset Management.

The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) says the need for global guidance globally drove it to develop an asset management suite of new standards, due for publication this month, based on the PAS 55 Asset Management specifications sponsored by the Institute of Asset Management.

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) says 2014 will see it undertake a series of activities to raise awareness of how successful contracts and relationships can be established within the facilities management sector.

To mark its 70th Anniversary, and following a seminar held nearby which considered the future challenges for the sector to 2020 and beyond (see also pages 25-29), the Institute held a celebratory lunch at the House of Parliament on 12 November, sponsored by Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan.

At its meeting in late October, IHEEM’s Council agreed to the launch of a number of new membership categories, beginning with the Skilled Person Affiliate (HEJ – October 2013).

IHEEM’s new administration officer, who has recently joined the Institute’s head office team, is Jolene Tebbey. With a background of working for the NHS in Wales, she recently took what she said was ‘the major step’ of relocating from South Wales to Portsmouth.

With last October’s Healthcare Estates event having, in the words of the organisers, Step Exhibitions, proved ‘an unqualified success’, with more visitors filling the isles, conference delegate numbers having grown year-on-year, and the IHEEM Awards Dinner a sell-out, stand bookings for this year’s exhibition are already at 55 per cent.

Abloy UK’s supply of high security CLIQ cylinders and keys to upgrade the security of the drug cabinets at Scunthorpe General Hospital has resulted in significant cost and time savings.

Intastop says ‘client feedback’ prompted its engineers to design its ‘unique’ FD30 fire-rated Door Top Alarm, developed to prevent attempted suicide from the tops of doors in mental health establishments.