With massive changes affecting the NHS landscape, IHEEM could either sink as other institutions encroach on its ground, or swim on a tide of expansion.
He stated: “We always say how important the branches are, and then do nothing about it,” adding that it was essential that the views of branches on the direction the institute should be taking were now rapidly captured and plans implemented.
The institute faced many exciting opportunities, and seizing them would entail much hard work, Phil Nedin said. It was essential that activities were fully resourced, and that the attractiveness, visibility and credibility of IHEEM was measurably increased.
Of huge importance was the establishing of an IHEEM technology platform, which, it was envisaged, would cover at least four areas: engineering, architecture, estate management and procurement. Medical engineering could also be added to the list. With such a platform in place, the institute could have an authoritative voice, and be ready to respond, when required, with well-developed views. Linked to the platform would be universities, the Department of Health, and industry.
Output from the platform would be concerned with, in addition to IHEEM opinion, post-occupancy surveys, sustainability, the therapeutic environment, infection control, design best practice, training/seminars, journal articles, publications, and design validation. Phil Nedin said he looked to Council, with the assistance of branches, to create the IHEEM technology platform. As a first step to establishing the platform, heads for the different segments needed to be found.
Publishing opportunities would be investigated by the institute’s chief executive officer (CEO) and business development manager (BDM). The CEO would also investigate alliances with other organisations and would foster links with a select number of universities. The BDM would develop new training courses through independent training providers and would conduct a membership survey. A significant membership drive in the private healthcare sector would be conducted by the BDM and the membership manager.
Phil Nedin said it was necessary for IHEEM to safeguard itself against the activities of other, larger, institutes which saw the healthcare sector as an opportunity for expansion.
IHEEM had a niche engineering market which did not produce a large income stream and this put it in a vulnerable position. IHEEM clearly needed to be differentiated from other organisations and to be the only deliverer of design and asset management best practice in the healthcare arena.
Representatives of the branches put forward a number of important points. The importance of elevating IHEEM’s role in training was highlighted, along with the way in which the institute could contribute to ensuring that essential competencies and skill levels were maintained. Within new HTMs were specific requirements regarding competencies. The need for validation in areas ranging from procurement to the technical content of courses was mentioned, and roles for the institute to play outlined.
IHEEM was not constituted to conduct training and enabling it to do this would entail an lengthy and arduous process – it was far better to link, in partnering arrangements, with training providers. The provision of high standard technical and managerial training was considered extremely important, and if the institute entered into partnerships with external course providers, additional real IHEEM membership value could be offered. There was a significant opportunity for IHEEM to adopt a role as independent accreditor for training course technical content. Such accreditation, applied widely, would help to achieve consistency with training outcomes. Concerted efforts to increase the profile of the institute should be made, it was considered. If potential members being approached to join were already aware of IHEEM, the recruitment process would be eased.
With the estates area becoming better represented on Trust boards, it was felt it might become easier to project the aims of IHEEM at high level in the NHS. Direct approaches to Trust chief executives were not necessarily effective.
Noted was how a large proportion of members were at an advanced stage in their careers, and that therefore it was essential to foster recruitment in all grade categories. More efforts might be made to secure a position in the huge facilities management market.
The meeting acknowledged that the institute was not good at replicating success. Why particular IHEEM activities succeeded needed to be profiled in order to improve the way future meetings and other events were staged. Better ways to encourage non-members to attend events needed to be devised.
The Northern Ireland Branch represented a model of how to secure local involvement and enthusiasm for the institute. This branch organised go-ahead member-only events. Those concerned with healthcare estate tended to feel left out if they did not belong to IHEEM, facilitating much easier recruitment. The branch focused on individuals early in their careers, and a process on mentoring was in place.
The meeting considered that Trusts, when advertising for staff in estates, engineering and allied areas should specify that candidates must belong to the institute. It was felt such advertisements in Health Estate Journal should always carry this stipulation.
It was suggested that modifying the IHEEM branch structure might be necessary to optimise member involvement in local actitivies, with benefits accruing to both individuals and the institute itself.
As the meeting drew to a close, Phil Nedin said that considerable thought should continue to be given to broadening the institute’s influence within the healthcare field and that this would mean embracing architecture as a core discipline within the institute. This, he added, might lead to the institute changing its name to reflect its “holistic nature”.
Bill Pym, IHEEM chief executive, stressed the importance of securing feedback from branches on all aspects of the strategy discussed at the meeting. He added that it was proposed that the composition of council would change and that the membership grading structure would be simplified, with a reduction in the number of grades to four.
It is hoped that the institute’s Council and representatives of branches will meet regularly – possibly twice a year – to help drive IHEEM forward strategically.
