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IHEEM AE REGISTERS


applicant be a Chartered Engineer only. Academic qualifications-wise, they


should:  Have attended an accredited Authorising Engineer (MGPS) training course. (During the publication of the HTM 02, no such accredited training course was available);


 Have attended an accredited Authorised Person (MGPS) training course.


They should also have specialist knowledge of design of an MGPS, validation, and an understanding of other healthcare engineering disciplines which may be related to MGPS; be familiar with operational issues related to the day to day management of the MGPS, and be ‘independent’, and not employed by the estates or facilities management organisation within which they may be required to assess the AP (MGPS).


Meaning of ‘independent’ The term ‘independent’ should also be clarified. The (S) HTM 00 states: ‘The AE should remain independent of the operational structure of the healthcare organisation.’ This has unfortunately created some confusion. For example, private FM companies employ their own AEs and use them to assess, audit, and advise APs within their own company; this is not what is meant by ‘independent’. Equally, the AE could potentially be pressurised by his / her employer to approve a non-compliance within their organisation. Consider the following scenarios:


Scenario 1


The AE is employed by a medical gas supplier who delivers AE services on a site where the supplier’s plant and equipment is provided. Will the AE, when performing and audit, compliance survey etc. where a non-compliance has been observed on the plant and equipment that the supplier has installed or maintained, report it to the AP? In principle, the AE should, but, what repercussions might the AE’s employer then impose? In this instance, is the AE to simply overlook the non-compliance and hope that no one notices?


Scenario 2


A medical gas installation/maintenance company provides AE services to a healthcare facility. The AE attends site where a rival such company provides installation and maintenance services. The AE from the rival company identifies a non-compliance, and recommends to the AP that the other contractor is incompetent, and should not be used again. Neither scenario properly allows independent, unbiased advice. (S) HTM 00 makes reference only to


20 Health Estate Journal March 2017


Figure 2: An example of poor installation technique – an issue the AE should be able to provide advice on for appropriate action.


registered AE may still have the relevant experience and knowledge to be able to deliver good advice to their client. If so, the individual should consider applying to the register, assuming they meet the necessary application criteria. HTM 02-01 recommends that the AE be IHEEM registered. In my opinion, one cannot ‘pick and choose’ which parts of the guidance to follow. Both NHS and private healthcare providers should thus consider the implications of not complying with the guidance. Given that HTM 02-01 is the recognised guidance document for best practice in ‘the design, installation validation, and management of medical gases’, not following best practice during an incident investigation might well be sufficient to prove negligence. It is thus logical to assume that if we all follow the guidance set out, we should be able to prove that best practice has been followed.


AE (MGPS) training


Figure 3: A NIST connector for a theatre pendant obstructed by the ceiling structure. Coordination of services and associated structure are crucial.


the requirement for AEs to ‘remain independent of the operational structure of the healthcare organisation’, while (S) HTM 02-01 states: ‘He/she acts, and is employed, independently of the organisations submitting potential Authorised Persons (MGPS) for assessment.’ Any potential for such conflict should be seriously considered by the healthcare facility’s management team before appointing an AE.


Disadvantages of non-registered AEs The IHEEM AE registers were established to ensure that those who intend to carry out AE duties do so professionally and consistently, and are governed by a code of conduct. The register enables prospective healthcare clients to select registered AEs with the confidence that they have been ‘vetted’ by a qualified panel of peer specialists selected by IHEEM. One wonders why a prospective client would employ a non-registered AE, who may potentially not meet the DH-set criteria. That having been said, a non-


It is recognised that the AE role, regardless of discipline, is fundamentally the same. To explain, the AE is an independent specialist (expert) advisor to the executive manager (EM) of the healthcare provider. The AE will advise the EM and other management groups on compliance of the relevant discipline guidance. Therefore, the general role of the AE is similar for each discipline, e.g. AP assessments, advice on operational policy and procedures, auditing, etc. However, once the AE is required to provide specific advice relating to a particular discipline, such as the design of a medical gas pipeline system, the AE (MGPS) should be able to provide a high level of technically complex related advice.


We must, of course, consider the future of the AE role, and how to encourage younger engineers to gain experience and become AEs. For this reason, I set up two AE training courses, one for an overseas hospital engineer requiring specific AE (MGPS) training, and the other an in- house training course for a work colleague, Graham Carracher. The AE (MGPS) training for the overseas engineer combined work at my Glasgow office, and attendance at several local hospital sites. As the engineer’s employer required evidence that the course would be accepted by the IHEEM AE (MGPS) register, I prepared and submitted a course synopsis with additional support documentation to the AE register panel for review and approval. The course content was accepted and successfully delivered.


Training ‘in house’


The in-house training, meanwhile, has been set up to allow my colleague, Graham Carracher, to gain specific


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