RECENT NEWS

Members are asked to continue to assist the IFHE Secretariat with up to date contact information.

The 19th Congress of the International Federation of Hospital Engineering (IFHE) was held in Cape Town, South Africa, last May.

IFHE president Steve Drinkrow took part in a symposium on the Role of Healthcare Engineering in Providing Safe and Sustainable Health Service Environment in Nairobi, and in a subsequent workshop on Advanced Healthcare Technology Management in Mombasa.

IFHE submitted a report to WHO on 10 September 2006 reviewing its collaboration over the past three years.

Members of the executive committee have been involved with various projects to further the aims and objectives of IFHE, writes president Steve Drinkrow.

Sodexho has contracted DDC Dolphin to confirm HTM 2030 compliance for bedpan washer-disinfectors installed at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The NHS Fife Operating Division is aiming to streamline its surveillance and case management of hospital-acquired infections by developing an interface between its Oasis EPR and ICNet. This will create the opportunity to track patients as they are transferred between wards as well as after discharge in the community

Drax (UK) installed a PEATplus unit into West Suffolk District General Hospital, which is being used as part of an evaluation of public surveys conducted within NHS premises. The PEATplus system is a console that, once patients or visitors have entered data, will collect and process this information to create reports.

Plans are underway to extend the cleanyour hands campaign from acute NHS hospitals to other care settings, such as primary care organisations, GP practices, community hospitals, nursing homes, care homes, ambulances, hospices, and dental surgeries.

The one-day course for operators of Lancer automated endoscope reprocessors was so successful in its first year that for 2007 Lancer’s training division has tripled the number of course dates available.

The Swanswell Point Mental Health Resource on the site of the former Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital has been nominated for a Coventry Design Award and shortlisted for national architectural awards.

The British Computer Society (BCS) says in a new report that current problems within the NHS’s IT Programme demonstrate the need to realign the system as a key enabler of business transformation.

Getinge Extended Care UK Limited has acquired, or received valid acceptances for, 95.8% of Huntleigh Technology PLC, and Huntleigh was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange on 1 February.

Varian Medical Systems has announced it has signed an agreement to acquire ACCEL Instruments, a privately-held supplier of proton therapy systems for cancer treatment and scientific research instruments.

The new Rowans Medical Records Centre at the Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford has been completed. The project required the construction of new access roads and the demolition of the old medical records storage building.

Cathedral Healthcare, the healthcare property developer, has announced the sale of nine primary facilities to Primary Health Properties PLC (PHP) for a total cash consideration of £39.225 million.

The acquisition of Bayer Healthcare’s diagnostic division by Siemens Medical Solutions has been completed. Bayer Diagnostics and Diagnostic Products Corporation (DPC), acquired in July 2006, were merged into a single business unit on 1 January 2007.

Solent Community Solutions has announced financial close of its third NHS LIFT development.

Leeds-based Oakapple Group has announced the formation of the First Oakapple Primary Care Partnership, which will receive financial backing from the MedicX Fund.

The new £70 million PFI extension wing at University Hospital Lewisham in London has been completed by builders Carillion and handed over to the hospital. The wing, called Riverside, is a distinctive ‘S’ shaped building adjacent to the existing hospital and the Ravensbourne River and was designed by international architect RTKL.