sponsored by HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Tributes paid to Rob Lambert’s ‘immense’ contribution
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has paid tribute to Skanska UK Technical Operations lead, Rob Lambert, who died recently, describing his contribution to the industry as ‘immense’ – ‘thanks to his generosity of spirit and willingness to share his experience and technical knowledge’.
BESA said: “A popular and respected figure, Rob had a long and distinguished career in the building services sector – graduating from Northumbria University with a BSc in Building Services Engineering before starting work with Kyle Stewart in 1983. He moved on to Roberts & Partners, before joining Skanska in 1996, and in 2014 was appointed head of Engineering and Compliance of its mechanical and electrical arm, SRW. The following year he became Engineering
director, and many of the projects he oversaw were noted for their technical excellence and focus on reducing
energy consumption and carbon emissions.”
A Chartered Engineer, member of CIBSE, and the American technical society, ASHRAE, he was a long-time servant of BESA, most notably as a leading contributor to its Technical Committee. The Association had been planning to mark his retirement later this year by offering him the rare accolade of lifetime associate membership in recognition of his ‘outstanding contribution to its technical standards and publications’.
A founding member of BESA’s Building Safety Act Advisory Group, he had already made a notable contribution to the guidance prepared by the group to help the building engineering sector adapt to this significant legislative change. CEO, David Frise, said: “Rob was the consummate engineer whose input was invaluable, and opinion always respected. He will be deeply missed.”
22 Health Estate Journal April 2024
Framework will help NHS organisations procure solutions ‘at pace’
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has unveiled a new online portal to make it quicker and easier to access its portfolio of framework agreements when contracting authorities want to buy goods or services. Free to access, NHS SBS’s Customer Framework Agreement Portal reportedly provides a simple way for NHS and other public sector organisations to ‘procure solutions at pace’, while being ‘efficient, compliant and cost-effective’. It hosts all of NHS SBS’s framework agreements – over 40 – under one ‘virtual roof’, enabling users to browse, search, compare and find goods, services, or suppliers they may require, in one place. Users can also review and download
buying guides and contract information – including price lists, specifications and lead times. Additionally, they can ask questions and make service requests directly with NHS SBS’s team of experts for support with contracting and running further competitions, bypassing the need to email, and saving time. Lydia Sullivan, director
of Procurement, Sustainability & Social Impact at NHS SBS (pictured), said: “We wanted to make it as simple as possible for the buying community to access goods and services, while maintaining cost and compliance benefits. We are excited to announce our new Customer Framework Agreement Portal, and proud of its successful launch.”
Bath Trust cuts carbon footprint with anaesthetic gas switch
The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust has cut 2% of its carbon emissions by switching to using portable gas canisters, reducing its N2O usage from two million to 13,500 litres a year.
A staff-led project has seen the Trust decommission its entire nitrous oxide manifold which delivers the gas to the pipelines around the hospital. Nitrous oxide has been used in hospitals for over 175 years as part of anaesthesia, but it is a potent greenhouse gas. The Trust said: “A significant proportion of nitrous oxide emissions at older NHS hospitals is due to waste from manifolds and associated old pipework.” The RUH Nitrous Oxide Working Party, comprising medics, estates staff, porters, and sustainability experts, started surveying the N2O use in 2022, and discovered that routine N2O orders far exceeded what was needed. The group led the Trust in decommissioning three cylinder manifolds and replacing them with portable N2O cylinders for use in all theatres. They trained 75% of staff
to use the portable cylinders in three weeks in time for all three manifolds to be decommissioned. This simple switch has cut emissions by 2%, and will save the Trust £7,000 a year.
For mothers in labour Entonox is still readily available for those that need it. Abigail Mann, Clinical Fellow in Anaesthesia at RUH said: “Anaesthetic gases currently make up 2% of the NHS’s carbon footprint, and N2O is responsible for a 80% of this, so it has been brilliant working alongside so many different colleagues at the RUH whose expertise and energy has helped make this switch to a more environmentally-friendly way of working so seamless.”
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