RECENT NEWS

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, the largest paediatric hospital in Western Europe treating more than 200,000 children per year, has recently cooperated with Philips to create a less intimidating atmosphere for patients undergoing MRI scanning. Working closely with the hospital, Philips Lighting, together with Philips Medical Systems, created a room with a soft emotional environment.

New medical device safety testing technology developed by Rigel Medical, part of the Seaward Group, incorporates significant benefits for test engineers, service firms and contractors involved in the electrical safety testing of electromedical equipment in hospitals.

Firm action and constant vigilance are needed for hospitals and other healthcare sites to ensure safe environments where medical staff can concentrate on delivering quality health services to the public, says Alan Hazell, UK sales manager of electronic security solutions provider Secom plc.

The Engineering and Technology Board has appointed Stephen Timms OBE MBA MSc CEng MIMechE MIMarEST to the post of operations director.

To help ensure the security and safety of its patients and staff, the new Evelina Children’s Hospital in London has installed Bewator’s Entro 5 access control system.

Lone worker safety is being highlighted at a series of nationwide road shows in which Argyll Telecom (www.argylltelecom.com) joins forces with partners Connexion2, Lancashire Ambulance Service, and conflict specialist Maybo to offer advice and guidance to managers on all aspects of lone worker safety including training, policies and technology.

The construction of a new doctors’ surgery and four flats at Old Basing, Hampshire, has begun following a sixyear battle for planning permission and Government funding.

Anshen Dyer, the Anglo-American practice specialising in healthcare and educational architectural work, is in the process of changing its structure.

A design services team at Pick Everard has been commissioned by Interserve Project Services for a new LINAC suite at University Hospitals of Leicester’s Royal Infirmary (LRI) site, the second to be constructed as an extension to the Osborne Building.

Eschmann is launching a new certified training programme in the operation of instrument decontamination equipment.

Kevin Oxley, director of estates and facilities at County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals Trust, has been elected as the new chairman of the Health Estates and Facilities Management Association (Hefma) for a period of two years. He succeeds Andrew Jones, the previous chairman.

One of the UK’s oldest engineering publishing arms dating back to 1847 has taken over a century of historical documents onto the Internet for the first time.

The Leeds office of cost and project management consultants Faithful+Gould has a massive key worker accommodation contract on track with the completion of the first phase of four schemes spanning Lincolnshire.

Bid-Builder Ltd hosted a fact-finding mission to Kings College Hospital PFI by a team from the Barcelona Courts PFI project recently.

Two new operating theatres have been delivered by road to Beneden Hospital, near Cranbrook, Kent.

One of the UK’s most historic hospitals, St Mark’s in Maidenhead, Berkshire is now home to two new state-of-the-art audiology test rooms, using products from IAC, a provider of noise and acoustic control products, structures and test facilities. The facility has been commissioned by St Mark’s in a bid to improve hearing services for patients within the town and surrounding area.

Healthcare development specialist, Ryhurst, part of the Rydon Group, has been selected by Teignbridge Primary Care Trust as the private sector partner on a £27 million PFI project to redevelop Newton Abbot Community Hospital in Devon. The project is the first major PFI health contract for the Rydon Group since the company underwent a management buy out earlier this year.

Health Minister Andy Burnham has given the go-ahead for six new NHS hospital private finance initiative (PFI) developments worth close to £1.5 billion.

CADHAM Consultancy, which provides comprehensive consultancy services tailored to meet individual healthcare facility requirements, has become an IHEEM company affiliate.

Professional engineers will be delighted to hear that the UK financial services industry no longer appears to regard them as untrustworthy, reports the Engineering Council UK (ECUK).