RECENT NEWS

The IFHE-EU Executive Committee was due to meet in Bern in Switzerland last month to discuss plans, and the programme for, the 2013 (5th) IFHE Europe European Conference for Hospital Engineering, writes David Whiteley, the IFHE’s European Council representative.

The IFHE has confirmed that its 2013 Executive Committee and Council Meetings will be held on 9 and 10 September respectively next year at the Kuala Lumpur Conference Centre, Malaysia, just before the BEAM (Biomedical Engineering Association Malaysia) 2013 conference, which is being staged in conjunction with number of ASEAN countries.

A recent article written by Dipl-Ing Oliver P Christ, CEO of Prosystems in Hamburg, for the 2012/2013 issue of the Fahrvereinigung Krankenhaustechnik (FKT – German Federation of Hospital Engineering)’s ‘Yearbook for Healthcare Engineering’, examines the impact for medical device manufacturers, and the hospitals that use medical devices, of the German version of the IEC 80001-1: 2010 standard, published in November 2012, as VDE 756 Part 1.

IHEEM’s IFHE representative, Andy Wavell, reports that the 2013 edition of the IFHE Digest is ‘progressing well’. Most articles have been received and are in the process of being edited and formatted for the final publication.

IFHE general secretary, Gunnar Baekken, was among the speakers at the 32nd Annual Conference of the Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (CHES), themed ‘Towards World Class Healthcare’, and held at Montreal’s Palais des congrès from 25-26 September this year, writes IFHE President, Ole Rist, who accompanied his fellow Norwegian on the trip

The IHEEM-supported ‘1st Dementia Design Conference’, titled ‘Dementia Design – Making a positive difference to those living with dementia’ (HEJ – September 2012), held on 14 September at the University of Salford’s Mary Seacole Building, examined ‘the adequacy and inadequacy of healthcare environments for people with dementia and their carers’.

The Institute’s Council has agreed the following membership subscription rates for 2013:

On the evening of 9 October at Healthcare Estates 2012, the Institute held its Annual Conference Dinner – this year staged at Manchester’s magnificent Midland Hotel, built in 1903 by the Midland Railway to serve the adjacent Manchester Central railway station.

As part of his closing speech at Healthcare Estates 2012, (see above), IHEEM’s new President, Greg Markham, introduced several new initiatives designed to raise the Institute’s profile, increase membership numbers, and ‘support members’.

IHEEM’s 2012 (45th) AGM, held on 9 November at this year’s Healthcare Estates event, saw the Institute’s President for the past two years, Paul Kingsmore, officially hand over the Presidency to his successor, Greg Markham.

This year’s Healthcare Estates conference and exhibition was attended by 2,758 visitors, delegates, and exhibitor personnel, continuing the increases in attendance seen since the move to Manchester.

Healthcare technology and IP communications specialist, The Wandsworth Group, and critical voice and data communications company, Airwave Healthcare, showed for the first time at Healthcare Estates 2012 a system they say seamlessly integrates the former’s IPiN nurse call system and the latter’s patient entertainment hospital televisions to enable patients to quickly send medical or other staff anywhere within a healthcare facility non-urgent messages via portable handsets.

BPR Medical, a specialist medical gas design engineering company that claims to be the UK’s fastest-growing independent medical gas product manufacturer, has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – Innovation 2012 for its ‘revolutionary’ Firesafe product range, which prevents the spread of oxygen-related fires.

Howorth Air Technology has supplied 16 of its new Screenless Exflow Evolution ultra clean canopies for operating theatres at Bristol’s Southmead Hospital (HEJ – August 2012).

Clinical and non-clinical staff at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (TRFT) have come together to deliver a 23 per cent saving, equivalent to over £800,000 per annum, via a large-scale review of how products are sourced, bought, and managed, within the orthopaedic department.

A free-to-participate in online webinar taking place at 6 pm on 14 November, and aimed at healthcare engineers and healthcare estates personnel, will examine the topic of ‘Health threats from ventilation and air conditioning’. Entitled ‘Unclean, unclean!’, the webinar will be led by Dr Ghasson Shabha, of Birmingham School of the Built Environment, a regular contributor to Health Estate Journal, who will identify particular threats in healthcare facilities from dirty ductwork.

The installation of windows that allow maximum natural ventilation, while, in the manufacturer’s words, ‘offering unprecedented security’, has enabled the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology in Liverpool to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ post-completion rating.

The University of Manchester is investing £3 m in fully refurbishing the cadaveric anatomy facility within its Stopford Building, to create what it says will be the UK’s most modern anatomy teaching laboratory.

Dorma, the ‘premium access solutions and services’ specialist, has extended its presence in the Gulf region by opening its own office in the State of Kuwait.

AECOM has been appointed project manager on Phase 1a of Bio Istanbul, the $2.2 billion development that will become Turkey’s first dedicated biomedical science park, advanced children’s hospital, and sustainable residential community.