SPONSORED BY HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Technologies and ideas utilised on Mars set for use in hospitals
The UK Space Agency is offering up to £5 m for organisations with ‘space-inspired ideas’ that could be deployed in hospitals to help treat patients, and ‘make life easier for hard-working NHS staff’. The money is available to support a joint initiative with the Hampshire Together: Modernising our Hospitals and Health Services programme, ‘a partnership between a wide range of bodies responsible for the health and wellbeing of the people of north and mid-Hampshire’. It has the opportunity to deliver a new hospital to serve north and mid-Hampshire, ‘plus many other healthcare benefits’, as part of the government’s New Hospital Programme. The ‘space-enabled services’ proposed
for use in an NHS hospital could – the UK Space Agency says – ‘be inspired by a whole range of activities and technologies pioneered by the UK’s growing space sector’. The ideas might include new diagnostic tools, improved logistics through enhanced goods traceability or
drone use, improved hospital parking, or better patient ‘reach’ using tele- rehabilitation. The Agency says space ‘is already playing an important role in supporting healthcare’, having already helped fund projects to help the NHS tackle the coronavirus pandemic – including electric drones that navigate via satellite-enabled GPS, carrying COVID-19 samples, test-kits, and PPE, to improve delivery times, and free up transport infrastructure.
The ‘space-inspired’ ideas submitted considered the best would be deployed as part of the Hampshire Together programme, but could then be more widely deployed. A panel of experts, including UK Space Agency, Hampshire Together, and ESA personnel, will assess the proposals, with the successful projects then incorporated in any new facility, as well as the wider health system. ‘Where appropriate’, they will also be used to improve services across the area before the construction of any new buildings.
New ward completed in just 14 weeks
When George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton required a new 30-bed ward for orthopaedic elective and general elective patients as part of the George Eliot Hospital Trust’s five-year estate strategy, Wernick Buildings was appointed under a pre-contract services agreement to design a high quality, HTM and DDA-compliant building through to RIBA Stage 3. Wernick had demonstrated that it could provide an economically viable, single-storey solution, and was formally appointed principal contractor. By engaging with a modular provider before producing a design, the hospital was able to take full advantage of modular construction’s benefits – which included maximising the amount of fit-out undertaken in the factory to reduce time on site. This also facilitated closer collaboration to address the building’s specialist requirements, for example using the hospital’s preferred contractor to provide medical gases. Manufacturing the building in a factory environment enabled it to be constructed while the foundations were being prepared, ‘drastically reducing programme length’, with manufacture also unaffected by site conditions such as the weather.
12 Health Estate Journal May 2021
Technicians first to gain ventilation hygiene SVQ units
Working throughout the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Overclean says it has ‘continued to strive to raise the bar in training standards for ventilation cleaning’, with a group of its technicians completing their National Occupational Standards (NOS) training, and being awarded their Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) units.
The 33 modules were produced at Wernick’s Port Talbot factory, transported to site by lorry, craned into position, and then bolted together. With the coronavirus outbreak imposing additional clinical urgency, Wernick’s team implemented longer hours and worked weekends, condensing the original 20-week programme to just 14 weeks. It worked with its sub-contractors and the hospital to devise working methods that would allow its team to continue working on site, including strict social distancing measures.
The completed single-storey building, delivered on budget, comprises 1000 m2 of gross internal floor space, with the fit-out including bedhead trunking incorporating medical gases, nurse call systems, access control and CCTV, fire escape ramps, and nurse stations.
Overclean is the first member company of the National Association of Air Duct Specialists (NAADUK) to have its technicians achieve the SVQ Units in Ventilation Hygiene. The company said: “Our ventilation technicians have recently attended an upskilling and assessment programme which has seen them awarded several National Occupational Standards within the ventilation sector, including the BSEBSE 01 (Health & Safety), SUMMES25 (Inspect and Test Systems), and the BSEHV11, the National Occupational Standards for Cleaning Industrial and Commercial Ventilation Systems. We’d like to thank Paddeco for its support and guidance in attaining these National Occupational Standards.” Ben Ledger, Overclean’s Sales director, said: “This is the first time in our industry that we have an independent third-party assessment centre (Paddeco) delivering an accredited training programme. This gives our clients confidence they can select a ventilation company with competent, trained staff, cleaning to a set high standard.” Jonathan Brennan BSc (Hons) ARSPH, chairman of NAADUK, added: “I am delighted that one of our members has achieved the National Occupational Standard for the first group of air duct technicians.” The National Occupational Standards are developed by Standard Setting Organisations in consultation with employers and other stakeholders across each of the UK nations. Specific requirements are considered by each, resulting in a set of standards suitable for use UK-wide. The standard is set out in a common format, and approved on a four-nation basis.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
