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IHEEM 75TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER


Cardiff bay dinner marked two notable anniversaries


With the Institute having been founded at an inaugural meeting at Nottingham City Hospital on 28 August 1943, a celebratory dinner marking both its 75th anniversary, and the 70th ‘birthday’ of the NHS – which was launched by the then Health Minister, Welsh MP, Aneurin Bevan in July of the same year – was held at the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay on 30 August this year. The dinner took place as part of a successful two-day IHEEM 2018 Regional Conference & Exhibition held in the Welsh capital (pages 21-26). Among the speakers was Nygaire Bevan, great niece of Aneurin Bevan. HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, reports.


The black-tie dinner was held in the Dylan Thomas Suite on the ground floor of the luxurious Principal St David’s Hotel, with its impressive views out into Cardiff Bay. Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, and music from a string quartet, The Narmé Quartet of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and heard a number of speeches – including a joint presentation from Nygaire Bevan, with her recollections of her famous great uncle, and Helen Howson, director of the Bevan Commission and Bevan Academy. The latter played a lead role in the establishment of both the Commission and its Academy. Other speakers included IHEEM’s President, Pete Sellars, and David Perrett PhD, CChem, FRSC, Emeritus Professor of Bioanalytical Science at the Barts & The London School of Medicine at Queen Mary University of London. Recently retired from his medical role, Professor Perrett ran an intercalated science degree for medical students for 20 years, and taught Masters degrees in Analytical Toxicology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Forensic Science. He researched the decontamination of surgical instruments in relation to vCJD for the Department of Health, and provided considerable data for the writing


The dinner venue, the Principal St David’s Hotel on Cardiff Bay.


of the Health Technical Memorandum 01-01, Decontamination of surgical instruments, first published in March 2016. As soon became clear from his speech on the night, however – in which he sought to answer the question, ‘Who has done more for health – doctors, scientists or engineers?’, with a look back at the achievements of some famous figures from each discipline – his ‘all-consuming interest’ is industrial archaeology and the history of technology.


IHEEM’s President, Pete Sellars, welcomed dinner guests, and reflected on IHEEM’s own ‘legacy’.


10 Health Estate Journal October 2018


Chance to hear from Aneurin Bevan’s great niece Once guests were seated, Pete Sellars welcomed them, and said he was delighted that, later in the evening, they would hear from Nygaire Bevan on ‘what it had been like to be part of the famous Bevan family’. Reflecting first, however, on IHEEM’s own ‘legacy’, he told guests: “On 28th August 1943, 75 years and two days ago, someone had the vision and wisdom to set up a professional body to provide research, development, training, and education, for engineers working in the healthcare environment. I think we must take off our hats to those who did this when the country was facing the turmoil of World War II.” After a short


address in which he briefly discussed his ‘Five Themes’ as President, with particular reference to addressing ‘the membership balance,’ and IHEEM’s recent drive to attract apprentices and more women, tradesmen, and technicians, as members, he thanked guests for attending, and for supporting the Institute, and wished them an enjoyable evening.


He then introduced Emeritus Professor David Perrett, who put the topic of his presentation into context by explaining that, growing up in a coal-mining area in Yorkshire, he had been keen to pursue a career as a historian. “However,” he told guests, “my grammar school wouldn’t let me study History in the sixth form, and on being asked what my ‘next best’ subject was, I said ‘Chemistry’. I thus ended up studying sciences, and, rather than being a historian, eventually became a Professor of Chemistry at the Barts Hospital Medical School in London. My interest in history, however, never went away, which explains why I am going to present to you on ‘Who has done more for health – doctors, scientists, or engineers?’”


After a light-heated but informative look back at some of the milestones of the pioneers in each field, the speaker said he


©The St David’s Hotel


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