RECENT NEWS

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.

Building security systems integrator Santana Solutions has been bought by Red Dot Technologies. The move is part of Red Dot’s strategic worldwide expansion into fire alarm and detection expertise and was completed for an undisclosed amount.

Paul Willetts, formerly assistant director for commissioning, facilities and planning at South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, has joined architects RyderHKS as healthcare group leader.

Torbay Hospital contracted maintenance specialist WYKO to investigate whether there was a viable alternative to an expensive method of removing wastewater from an area around fuel oil storage tanks.

Brian James, chief executive of Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, is the latest senior NHS executive to join the speaker panel at the HEFMA 2007 Annual Conference & Exhibition, taking place 23-24 May at the Hilton Blackpool hotel.

The Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead has purchased the AXIOM Iconos R200 from Siemens Medical Solutions to improve workflow and precision in patient diagnosis.

Rydon Group, the construction, development and property maintenance company, has recruited David Hay as the new managing director of of Ryhurst Limited, the specialist PFI arm of the Group.

Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital is launching an 18-month clinical trial to establish whether copper surfaces can combat MRSA and other hospitalacquired infections.

Kenway Court, a new John Grooms’ residential home for disabled adults in Southendon- Sea, has welcomed its first residents. Designed by Norwich and London-based LSI Architects, the 24-place registered care home with nursing for the John Grooms Charity has been designed to support independence and accessible accommodation to the highest standards for its residents with physical disability.

A fully portable surgical operating theatre powered by solar, pedal, or wind energy has been developed by a team of medical professionals in Kent that will offer life-saving surgical treatment to people living in some of the most remote and hostile parts of the world.

The £62.5 million Brent Emergency Care and Diagnostic Centre (BECaD) at Central Middlesex Hospital, Park Royal, London, has completed. The scheme was designed by HLM Architects in association with Avanti Architects and constructed by Bouygues (UK) through the PFI form of procurement.

Cambridge-based Cound Webber Architects is further expanding its design team with the appointment of architectural technician Alan Baker.