RECENT NEWS

IHEEM can reflect that much has been achieved this year, writes Tammy Simmons, the Institute’s recruitment manager. Not only have membership numbers increased, as has been reported in HEJ, but also the membership retention rate is at an all time high.

IHEEM’s Membership Committee has extensive duties and responsibilities. The committee: · Reviews membership assessment criteria as necessary and advise the Institute’s Council on all matters regarding membership of IHEEM. · Receives and review all new applications and upgrades for membership. · Promotes Engineering Council registration to members. · Provides guidance to members on all aspects of membership and registration with the Engineering Council UK, as well as encouraging upgrades and transfers to appropriate grades of membership. · Develops and maintain professional review panels within each branch area and provide training for panel members. · Gives advice to members on Professional Development and undertake monitoring on a sample basis.

The latest status report on the working programme of CEN TC 204 (concerning the sterilisation of medical devices) can be found by IHEEM members in their section on the Institute’s website.

The Welsh Branch of IHEEM in association with Welsh Health Estates has announced advance details of a twoday conference and accompanying exhibition to be held at the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff, on 30 and 31 March 2006.

IHEEM’s next series of seminars will be on the New Medical Equipment Installation Guidance Notes (MEIGan). The MHRA (the former Medical Devices Agency) has updated its guidance for the pre-installation of imaging equipment and it includes related issues concerning associated circuits in the patient area. The MEIGan document, now launched, includes preinstallation electrical guidance for imaging equipment and associated lighting and power circuits.

The Process Steam Guide has been produced by Gary Sowerby Eur.Ing CEng MEI as a result of 38 years of process steam plant experience.

An entertainment and communication terminal developed by Trident will allow hospital patients to keep in touch with friends and family, watch television or film channels and browse the web from their beds. The unit is designed for deployment under the NHS patient power project, whose aim is to provide a personal bedside TV and telephone service to every major hospital in the UK. Trident has partnered with Patient Power licence holder Premier Telesolutions to deliver a custom solution specifically for hospitals.

The Solo T3 thermostatic basin mixer from Sirrus fuses safety and style in a product that is approved to the NHS’ stringent TMV3 standards under the BuildCert scheme. This single level basin mixer will automatically control water outlet temperatures at the chosen level even when supply pressures and temperatures fluctuate.

Sourcing high quality heavy duty WC units has been simplified by stainless steel sanitaryware manufacturer W&G Sissons, with the launch of a product brochure featuring the company’s new Guardian and Centinel ranges.

Members of IHEEM’s London Branch were given recently a “double tour” of the Royal Albert Hall, London.

The Royal Society for the Promotion of Health has announced that Darryn Kerr, chief engineer at NHS Estates, has been awarded the 2005 John Edward Worth Silver Medal.

LAW Express has been providing telephone legal advice to members of IHEEM since September 2002. When members have had a problem, or something has caused stress or anxiety, the organisation has been at hand.

The European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI) this year held its meeting in Rome, hosted by the Istituto Superiore di Sanita. There were representatives from many countries of the world and presentations detailing where outbreaks occurred, the epidemiology and actions taken. Presentations included treatment therapies and insights into the way LD bacteria are hosted in biofilm found within water systems.

IHEEM is staging seminars on medical gas safety in conjunction with the Medical Gas Association. These will be held on the 14 September in London, on 20 September in Newcastle, and 8 October in Birmingham.

The latest Help-Point telephones from Gai-Tronics are hands-free autodialler units, with vandal resistant DDA friendly features. These telephones are designed for general public use, including users with impaired sight, hearing, speech or physical disabilities, providing a centralised access point for help or information. They can be located in general public areas and service provider premises such as hospitals. They are also ideally suited as a telephone entry panel for locked, gated or otherwise inaccessible premises, so helping to ensure compliance with the latest DDA legislation. This can include public buildings.

Toprail Systems has supplied its popular Toprail wall furnishing system for use in new operating theatres at the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital (AHCH), Liverpool. The supporting rail itself was installed into several buildings, which were built off-site and supplied by PKL Healthcare. Once the pre-manufactured buildings had arrived on site, hospital staff were quickly able to install the various elements of the Toprail system – cupboards, shelves, worktops and storage bins.

Portakabin subsidiary Yorkon has launched a new DVD to illustrate how off-site construction can be used in the healthcare sector. The product is designed to assist professionals in health authorities and Trusts, who are considering off-site construction for new hospital buildings, treatment centres and extensions. It looks in-depth at one challenging project, from the factory to site and with interviews with senior nursing and estates staff following handover.

Proven reliability and efficiency, ultra low emissions, low noise and high quality digital burner controls are the reasons Dunphy Burners have again been selected by the Surrey & Sussex NHS Trust for use at the East Surrey Hospital. 25 years after the company first installed burners at the hospital, it has again beaten off competition to supply new burners for two of the steam boilers.

Luxo has added to its extensive medical lighting product range with the introduction of Patientlite – a wall mounted bed head luminaire. Designed by award winning designer Aleksander Borgenhov, its slim modern design virtually eliminates dust traps and makes cleaning effortless.

Leicestershire-based Hill-Rom has agreed a contract with University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) NHS Trust to fully equip its hospitals with new AvantGuard hospital beds, specialist mattresses and furniture, over a phased five year period with a comprehensive contract for services over the next 15 years.