This year’s Healthcare Estates Exhibition & Conference is set to be the biggest yet, with more exhibiting companies, more delegates, and a growth in visitors expected.
Show director, Steve Webb, said: “The flagship 2013 IHEEM annual event will take place (from October 8-9 at Manchester Central) in a year that will have already seen significant changes in the healthcare landscape. With the new NHS Property Services Company having, for instance, been in operation for just a few months when the doors open, and the findings of the latest Francis Report still likely to be fresh in many minds, interest in healthcare, and consequently in this year’s Healthcare Estates event, should be at an all-time high.” Added to the mix, and to the challenging backdrop against which healthcare estates and facilities personnel across the UK must continue to ensure that healthcare settings of all kinds are kept ‘clean, suitable, and safe’, is the current difficult economic backdrop. Steve Webb elaborated: “Although healthcare was protected from the swingeing cuts announced under the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010, a recent report from Barclays Corporate, UK Healthcare, Sector outlook, Third quarter 2012, claims that NHS funding ‘will remain broadly flat in real terms over the review period’. As a result, the report makes clear, the NHS faces ‘the most austere funding period in its history’, and will need to make efficiency savings of up to £20 billion by 2015.”
Ongoing austerity programme
The Barclays Corporate report goes on to add that ‘weak growth will see the Government extend its austerity programme until 2016-17’, and points out that while the NHS, as a whole, remains in surplus, ‘one NHS Trust is currently in administration, and others remain under acute pressure’. Those with PFI deals in place ‘appear to be under particular strain’, says the healthcare sector snapshot, as they ‘typically have less flexible cost structures’. Barclays Corporate does, however, concede that ‘recent NHS surpluses, tight regulations in the sector, the ability to re-model and /or merge services, and underlying political support, offer some protection’. “Amid such a challenging, but undoubtedly interesting, economic and political backdrop,” Steve Webb explained, “we are developing a compelling conference programme that will look at many of the key issues impacting on the estates departments responsible for maintaining and running hospitals efficiently. Streams devoted to Engineering, Design & Construction, Estates & Facilities, and Energy, will give delegates a fitting programme that will address many of the major issues facing the sector.”
Focus on the NHS PAM
Other subjects set to be covered within the conference will include reducing running costs for hospitals, carbon reduction in the NHS, offsite construction, and fire safety (in conjunction with the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers), while, following the findings of the Francis Inquiry, and calls for ‘information and transparency’, the conference will also examine how NHS Trusts can utilise the recently re-launched NHS Premises Assurance Model (PAM) (HEJ – March 2013) to provide evidencebased assurance to management and Board personnel that their estates and premises are being properly maintained. The organisers are proposing a series of interactive sessions, with a ‘Question Time’ approach, to allow delegates to interact with the panels of key speakers. “Our aim is to liven up the conference by giving delegates the opportunity to question some of the main players in healthcare,” said Steve Webb. Step Exhibitions and IHEEM are also approaching a number of key names ‘to set out the strategic agenda for healthcare’. Steve Webb said: “We see this as important for the morning of day one before we start to cover the ‘how to do it...”
International speakers
Another of Step’s goals is to target speakers from outside healthcare to give their viewpoint on the sector, and to invite a number of international speakers to talk about their experiences and plans. Already confirmed in the latter category, as a keynote speaker, is Dr R Chandrashekhar, the Chief Architect at the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the individual with the onerous task of managing the delivery of the healthcare element of the Indian Government’s latest ‘five-year plan’ – which proposes the construction of a sizeable network of new healthcare facilities, colleges, and medical training institutes, across India, in tandem with the phased upgrading and renovation of well over 600 existing district hospitals the length and breadth of the country. Steve Webb added: “In terms of remit and responsibilities, Dr Chandrashekhar could probably be described as the Indian counterpart to Peter Sellars at the Department of Health’s NHS Estates and Facilities Policy Division. He will explain to the audience the key elements of the current ‘five-year plan’ for the Indian health service.”
Reduced delegate rates
In the run-up to October’s event, and to make attending an even more attractive proposition, Step Exhibitions has announced a significant reduction in delegate rates for the conference, with further benefits on offer for IHEEM members, and those working directly within the NHS and private hospitals. Steve Webb explained: “The two-day ‘super early bird’ rate for IHEEM members has been reduced by 33%, while even non- IHEEM members will save more than £130 on the 2012 two-day rate.” Registration opens early this month, and delegates will be able to book the ‘super early bird rate’ until 22 June. For more information on the conference, and delegate rates, email: michellemichelucci@stepex.com or visit www.healthcare-estates.com – a new website launched this month to reflect the expected growth at Healthcare Estates 2013.
New website ‘easier to navigate’
Steve Webb said: “Visitors to the ‘new look’, easier-to-navigate Healthcare Estates website will find it easier to register, find out which companies are exhibiting, access information on the conference, including details of the latest speakers, and get information and prices for the dinner. The site will also provide regularly updated information on offers for ‘VIP’ delegates. “Exhibitors, meanwhile, will each be able to upload a full profile on their organisation, and highlight what they will be showing, while visitors can see who is booked into the show, plan their visit, and see what products are on display.”
This year’s exhibition
Visitors to the exhibition at Healthcare Estates 2013 will be able to attend a series of ‘theatre’ presentations throughout the two days, with over 20 hours of free content complementing the conference programme. The four theatres this year are:
• The Health Estate Journal Product Showcase Theatre.
• The Sustainability Showcase Theatre.
• The Contractor & Architects Showcase Theatre.
• The Energy Showcase Theatre.
There will also be four ‘workshop sessions’ across both days, taking place in a theatre adjacent to the exhibition for associations and member groups wishing to hold sessions for members also visiting the exhibition. Among the latest companies to confirm as exhibitors and sponsors are: Binleys, BOC Healthcare, Boulting Environmental Services, The Capita Group, Hilditch Group, Loxos, Meiko UK, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioning Europe, Sentinel Performance Solutions, Starkstrom, Swisslog (UK), Tarkett Flooring, Taurus Fitted Bedrooms, and Winsted. For the current exhibition programme, and exhibitor list, visit www.healthcareestates. com, while to discuss exhibiting, telephone: 01892 518877.
Event open day
Step Exhibitions will host an open day at Manchester Central on 9 May. The aim of the day is to help exhibitors and visitors make the most of their experience, as well as to plan their trip, with travel details, and information on hotels and the venue, set to be provided. Steve Webb said: “Taking place at the same time as Greenbuild Expo, the open day will be a good opportunity to ask questions and hear about the latest news on the conference and exhibition. Numbers are limited, and attendance is complimentary.” To register your interest, contact event manager, Michelle Michelucci, on 01892 518877, or email her at: michellemichelucci@stepex.com
