RECENT NEWS

Two of the first five polyclinics for London are expected to be up and running by next spring.

Eastwood Park will promote its extended decontamination portfolio at this month’s IDSc conference Blackpool, including the latest course – the Decontamination Lead Training course.

One of the largest construction companies operating in the UK, HBG Construction, has been re-named BAM Construction, after its European parent company, Royal BAM Group.

Brighton’s Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, known locally as the “Alex”, has won this year’s Prime Minister’s Better Building Award, beating 20 other projects to the top spot (for details visit www.betterpublicbuildings.gov.uk).

Health Secretary Alan Johnson has praised NHS staff for going beyond the Government’s target of halving MRSA bloodstream infections across England, simultaneously launching an initiative whereby “infection-beating” products will be trialled by seven English “showcase hospital” Trusts.

Three representatives from the Engineering Council UK attended IHEEM’s Portsmouth offices in October for an interim review of the Institute’s license to register engineers.

Clair Sandford (pictured) has recently joined IHEEM as the Institute’s membership officer.

IHEEM is staging three seminars on decontamination on 12 November at London South Bank University, 20 November at the University of Birmingham, and on 3 December at St James’s Hospital, Leeds.

Joining IHEEM recently as an associate member is Terry Cook M.BIFM, AMIHEEM, (pictured), the “hospital engineer” at the Nuffield Health Hospital in Ipswich, whose official job title is senior maintenance technician, Norland Managed Services, Nuffield Health.

IHEEM’s Welsh branch and Welsh Health Estates have announced that the 2009 Welsh Health Estates conference and exhibition will be held at Cardiff’s Hilton Hotel from 22-23 April next year, and promise that a number of high profile speakers will share their views on the latest issues affecting the NHS in Wales and the healthcare estate in particular.

An article examining the guidance set out on pathology laboratory gas systems in a new Department of Health healthcare technical memorandum, HTM08-06, won MGPS services consultant and the HTM’s main author, Geoff Dillow, IHEEM’s 2007 Northcroft Silver Medal.

IHEEM’s 2008 Healthcare Estates Conference and Exhibition in Harrogate last month attracted the biggest attendance in the event’s history, with nearly 1,600 attendees across the twoday show, a 26% year-on-year increase.

Dunphy reports achieving a new in-house record for NHS contracts signings.

Work has started on a £11 million specialist inpatient care facility for elderly people suffering from mental ill health at Walton Hospital, Chesterfield.

David Ford (pictured) who, prior to joining the Group, was sales & marketing director at leading healthcare product manufacturer and supplier Vernon-Carus, and before this, Cardinal Health UK managing director, has been appointed md and member of the BSI Group Executive by testing and certification organisation and Kitemark “owner” BSI Product Services.

The Health Estates & Facilities Management Association’s (HefmA) annual conference and exhibition returns to London next year, promising an international estates and facilities perspective on the future of healthcare delivery.

Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed the appointment of Arup, in partnership with London-based architects Penoyre and Prasad, to undertake a feasibility study for the external refurbishment of the 34-storey Guy’s Tower at Guy’s Hospital in south London.

Vanguard Healthcare, which provides mobile surgery services to the NHS, is changing its name, and has called in a 25-tonne advertisement to help make the announcement.

Medipex, the NHS Innovation Hub for Yorkshire and Humber, is seeking a company to help commercialise a clinical fluid disposal system designed by the medical physics team and clinical staff at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (STH) which the inventors say will reduce infection risk and potentially save the NHS millions of pounds annually.

Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis has announced a £1 million grant to help build what it is claimed will be the world’s first purpose-built institute for research into end-of-life care, at King’s College Hospital, south-east London.