COMMENT
Different perspectives on key engineering roles
In the October 2024 HEJ, Dr Scott Brown put the case for bringing ‘in house’ the annual verification of Critical Healthcare Ventilation systems, arguing that, ‘with increasing pressures on overburdened NHS budgets’, the Competent Person (CP (V)) can generally confidently be tasked with this important task. Not only, he argued, should such individuals already have been trained in the necessary audit and measurement techniques, and gained the underpinning knowledge to competently perform the task, but in most cases, they will also enjoy the support of an on- site Appointed Person (AP (V)). Going down this route can, he stressed, offer considerable cost-saving opportunities. One of HEJ’s roles is to reflect differing perspectives, and on pages 22-24, Dr Louise Webb, AE (Ventilation), of DRLC, and Gareth Twynam, MD at AirisQ, put a contrasting view – that using external verifiers of healthcare ventilation systems is ‘the most appropriate way to ensure compliance’. They point out that such personnel can offer a level of independence when undertaking such work that, say, a Band 5 in-house CP (V) cannot. As Gareth Twynam explains: ‘The CP (V) verifier could be unearthing issues with the critical ventilation that could involve significant amounts of capital spend. They might also discover areas of poor maintenance. Both these scenarios could present stressful issues for the CP (V) in that they could be unsure how their feedback would be received.’
Cover Story
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March 2025 | Volume 79 | Issue 03 A focus on the
AP’s key role see page 27
The benefits of
embedding social value see page 53
Getting the best
out of PPP assets see page 63
FC HEJ
Mar25.indd 1
healthcare, sustainability must go hand in hand with reliability and compliance. Our solutions not only reduce carbon footprints, but also ensure that steam systems remain safe, resilient, and cost- effective – supporting the NHS in delivering high-quality patient care without disruption. Achieving sustainability is not a one-time initiative
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www.spiraxsarco.com
18/02/2025 15:51 March 2025 Health Estate Journal 5
Readers will have their own standpoints on this important topic, but hopefully this latest article, written in response to the one in last October’s magazine – will stimulate some further useful debate. In a separate piece on pages 27-30, Andrew Poplett, an IHEEM-registered AE for both ventilation and water, discusses the role of the Authorised Person, making clear that such an individual’s role – regardless of engineering discipline – ‘carries complex, technical, and time-consuming responsibilities’. It is thus essential, he says, that the AP’s employing healthcare organisation can demonstrate that such individuals have been given sufficient time, resources, and authority to fulfil the role. In most cases, for the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of the healthcare facility and its vital engineering services, this means there should be a maximum number of AP roles that any one individual can reasonably be expected to maintain.
Jonathan Baillie, Editor
jonathanbaillie@
stepcomms.com
It is essential that the AP’s employing healthcare organisation can demonstrate that such individuals have been given sufficient time, resources, and authority to fulfil the role
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