RECENT NEWS

Matrix Cleaning Systems has made a major addition to its client portfolio with the award of a contract from NHS Supply Chain, under which it will supply steam cleaning systems for use in NHS healthcare facilities.

Sheffield City Council chief executive John Mothersole and Master Cutler Gordon Bridge (pictured left and right respectively with David Oates, Hans Hux and Liam Grottick of B. Braun) have helped start construction of a £2 million state-of-the-art medical facility in Sheffield.

An online advertising service designed to “hook up” NHS providers with healthcare suppliers has been announced by Health Minister Ben Bradshaw.

With health estate managers under pressure to reduce emissions, energy consumption and maintenance bills, Eaton-Williams Service (EWS) is offering an HVAC optimisation service to help maximise plant efficiency which it says can bring “a very quick return on investment”.

The Northern Ireland Health Group (NIHG), a private sector consortium working with international property and construction consultancy Cyril Sweett, has been appointed to deliver a new 315-bed acute hospital outside Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, with a capital value of £267 million.

An important step in the proposed redevelopment of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital has taken place with the demolition of Linden House, the tower block in the site’s centre, by demolition experts from J Freeley.

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.