RECENT NEWS

London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has awarded a five-year cleaning contract to MITIE’s Health a nd Hygiene division. A 300 strong team will provide 24 hour cleaning services, 365 days a year to all hospital areas, including wards, consulting rooms and public areas.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has appointed Martin Fletcher as its new chief executive. Martin Fletcher joins the NPSA from the World Health Organisation (WHO) where he was based in Geneva.

Darent Valley Hospital, part of the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, has installed a new Siemens AXIOM Artis dTA and AXIOM Artis dFC, purchased with funds provided by the Strategic Health Authority and Trust, to replace outdated equipment.

North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust is safeguarding the welfare of its community midwives with lone worker support systems from Argyll Telecom.

Work has finished on the first phase of a new cutting edge care unit in Sheffield.

St Andrew’s Healthcare, the independent mental health care charity, has opened a new unit at its Northampton site.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt opened the first Independent Sector Treatment Centre in London recently. The centre, it is claimed, will reduce waiting times and create more choice within the NHS.

Skanska has appointed Yorkon to manufacture and fit out a new 136-bed ward building at Walsall Manor Hospital. The £5m contract forms part of the advance works package for the £170m redevelopment of the hospital to be completed under the Private Finance Initiative, replacing outdated buildings with state-of-the-art facilities for patient care.

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UK’s leading centre for ophthalmic treatment, teaching and research, is supporting the major upgrade of its Patient Administration System (PAS) by deploying knowledge transfer software and consultancy from Knowledge Solutions.

Health Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled a £50 million wave of new NHS community hospitals and supersurgeries. Six new health centres, two new community hospitals, and eight refurbished community hospitals will open in towns and cities across the country as part of a major drive to provide NHS patients with more minor operations, medical tests and follow-up care outside of large hospitals.

CIRIA has announced a number of courses for 2007 aimed at enabling a better trained construction industry.

The first ever “acquisition” involving a Foundation Trust and an NHS Trust has been confirmed, following approval from Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt for Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust to take over responsibility for the financially troubled Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham.

The Healthcare Estates Conference and Exhibition is now just five months away. This year’s event will break new ground in providing essential information for both private and public healthcare facilities professionals.

The International Committee was set up to act as the focus for international affairs, advising Council on the significant issues, and managing the Institute’s international activities.

IHEEM is pleased to welcome two new members of staff.

The publication of two articles featured in this issue of Health Estate Journal has been facilitated through the International Federation of Hospital Engineering (IFHE).

All IHEEM members are invited to join president Phil Nedin at the IHEEM Annual AGM, 15 May 2007, Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place, London. The AGM will be preceded by a free seminar and close with lunch. This is an exclusive IHEEM members’ event and is free to attend.

The pressure on chief executives and financial directors of NHS Trusts to make their businesses work has never been so important in the new world of the NHS, writes Phil Nedin, IHEEM president.

Leeds General Infirmary, one of Europe’s leading Cardiac MRI Centres, has gone live with two Siemens MAGNETOM Avanto 1.5 Tesla MRI scanners.

Healthcare companies from the UK had their outstanding achievements recognised at the Medilink UK National Technology Awards in Birmingham recently.