Alongside an expanded depth and breadth of content, this year’s Healthcare Estates IHEEM conference and exhibition (1-2 November at Manchester Central) will incorporate more conference sessions with what the organisers dub “a visionary element”, looking ahead at what estates and facilities personnel might expect in the future.
The organisers said: “While currently, the future for the healthcare estate is anything but clear, what is certain is that estates and facilities teams will be challenged to improve efficiency, create multi-use buildings, and improve the quality of the patient experience, infection control, and sustainability of healthcare facilities. Simultaneously, they will need to rationalise their current estate, and meet Government targets, all while managing a budget at best the same as last year.” Issues to be addressed will include: r Shared service agreements – are they a business opportunity? What models are people employing to deliver these? r Sustainability – Can evidence-based design actually deliver savings? What strategies have been successful for others? r What might the impact be should the Care Quality Commission become the body overseeing the delivery of health and care environments? According to the event’s organisers: “While, in the short-to-medium term, it seems inevitable that more expenditure will be channelled towards refitting and refurbishing than at new build projects, it is estimated that spending on estates and facilities will exceed £4.9 billion next year. As the most complete conference and exhibition of its type, Healthcare Estates is a unique opportunity for estates and facilities teams to come together, see the latest technologies, and source the solutions they will require to meet the challenges ahead. “Last year’s Healthcare Estates, the first in Manchester, saw attendees drawn from all over the country, with over 27% from London and the south-east, making it a truly national event. Visitor and delegate surveys confirmed that Manchester as a location, and Manchester Central as a venue, were preferred to Harrogate, as the ease of access and speed of rail communications improved visitors’ experience. On the exhibition front, meanwhile, more than 75 companies and organisations have already booked stands this year.” Peter Ball, associate director, strategic research at BRE, one of several major organisations supporting Healthcare Estates 2011 (and which will be providing for publication in HEJ in the conference run-up a series of technical articles with CPD value on evidence-based design), adds: “BRE is delighted to be working with IHEEM in 2011 following a successful conference in 2010. Despite this year’s NHS reconfiguration, the drive for a more sustainable health sector is paramount, as is the collection and dissemination of evidence-based design, and a strategic relationship with IHEEM is essential for delivering these goals. The 2011 IHEEM conference will be an important event for all concerned in the health sector, and BRE and IHEEM, along with our key partners, will be delivering several key messages and themes throughout the two days.” For more information, contact Jeff Pickering (T: 023 9282 3186, or visit: www.iheem.org.uk). Those wishing to submit a paper, idea for a discussion workshop, symposium, or roundtable, in response to this year’s Call for proposals (HEJ – January 2011) can do so online at: www.iheem.org.uk/ conference
