sponsored by HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Soft plastics recycled into outdoor furniture
Tesco, Veolia, Groundwork, and NHS Property Services, have joined forces to recycle soft plastics into outdoor furniture for upcoming social prescribing green spaces.
Since 2019, NHSPS has delivered 100 hubs and gardens across the country to ‘promote community wellbeing and connectivity through nature-centric environments’.
Over six tonnes of soft plastics were donated by Tesco, and transformed into a sustainable 100% recycled plastic lumber, Smartawood, which has been accredited by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) with a life expectancy of 120 years, requires little maintenance, and is designed not to rot or rust. Overall, this process resulted in approximately 15.5 kg of CO2
savings.
The collaboration’s first beneficiary is the John Scott Health Centre in Woodbury Down, north London, which has seen its green space revitalised to provide areas for community engagement and social prescribing activities. This space is a part of a wider scope; further projects are planned at Maghull Health Centre, Merseyside; Goscote Hospice, Walsall; Shaw House, St Austell, and Whitby Community Hospital.
John Scott Health Centre, Britain’s first purpose-built health centre, was once home to an active gardening group which lost its space to a pop-up vaccination centre during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, NHSPS has reinstated the garden area, making it a welcoming and usable area, with decking and accessible picnic tables.
Dr. Min Rodriguez, head of Social Impact at NHSPS, said: “We are proud to see the continuous development of our Social Prescribing programme. This collaboration highlights the potential of innovative partnerships to not only create vibrant spaces for public benefit, but also to drive positive change in healthcare and environmental sustainability. It’s particularly special that we are repurposing soft plastics instead of increasing waste.”
Clean air technology specialist boosts R&D capability
A clean air technology company is ramping up its focus on innovation with a new department specialising in R&D for products for the healthcare sector. Mike Dunne (pictured) has been promoted to head the new Medical Technical team at Howorth Air Technology, joining its operating board. The department will spearhead the design and implementation of new products for operating theatres at both NHS and private hospitals, and the commissioning and handover of equipment. Mike Dunne’s team will also offer training, education, guidance, and consultancy, to support UK and overseas customers, and work with clients to help them reduce energy consumption and maximise environmental efficiencies. The first recruits to work alongside Mike are Dean Crowder and Torr Salkeld, who have joined as a Medical Commissioning manager and Medical Commissioning engineer respectively.
Howorth, headquartered in Farnworth, Bolton, and with a second facility at Little Hulton, Salford, designs, manufactures, and assembles ultraclean air equipment for operating theatres, and for the pharma, biotechnology, and life science industries. It is currently installing more than 30 ultraclean ventilation systems in operating theatres
across the UK, and its new Medical Technical team is working on barn theatre projects in the UK and overseas. Mike Dunne, 37, joined Howorth in 2009 as a newly qualified electrical engineer, and became a team leader, before promotion to become a Service and Aftersales Technical manager in the Medical Division. He has helped deliver ‘scores’ of medical projects for Howorth across the UK, Ireland, North America, and the Middle East. Last year he was elected a Fellow of
IHEEM.
Heating and air-conditioning specialist opens Bracknell training facility
Carrier, part of Carrier Global Corporation, a ‘global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions’, has officially opened a new training academy at its Bracknell service and rentals depot, offering trainee engineers and technicians hands-on experience with its commercial product portfolio – including heat pumps, chillers, and air- handling units. Trainees can also gain skills in service
repairs and upgrades, such as VFD (Variable Frequency Drives), refrigerant, compressor overhauls and controls, as well as modernisation and preventative and predictive maintenance. During the opening, guests toured the
new facilities and saw ‘learning come to life’ with equipment demonstrations. Attendees also celebrated the achievements of Carrier’s graduating apprentices who have progressed through its Apprenticeship programme, and heard more about how the business is actively growing the programme with the appointment of a dedicated apprenticeship programme leader, Adele
20 Health Estate Journal September 2024
Watson, along with plans to recruit 20 new apprentices. Over coming months, Carrier plans
developing a training programme focused on educating its engineers about the adoption of new refrigerants, including R290, and to invite customers and contract partners to experience exclusive training days at the new facility. The training academy will also be used for Carrier’s CIBSE-approved CPD training courses to support HVAC professionals’ ongoing professional growth.
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