BSEE


Ma Whing, service manager at commercial water controls specialist Rada, says there’s never been a beer me for healthcare facilies and manufacturers to work together for improved paent outcomes


is a key aim that unites them all. Collaboration. Getting people to work together to achieve better outcomes for the NHS, for patients and for the dedicated staff It is true of all disciplines. Whether that’s improving clinical practice, creating better links between primary and secondary care or improving the fabric of buildings themselves. Getting people to share best practice and learn from one another sits at the very heart of creating a more successful and modern NHS.


W


We’ve seen this particularly in Rada’s own sector of water controls. When the Health Technical Memorandum (the series of documents that give advice and guidance on the design, installation and operation of healthcare environments) were updated back in 2016, group working was a key aim. The guidance introduced Water Safety Groups – multidisciplinary teams of people from across the healthcare estate whose role it is to develop and deliver a plan that identifies potential water-related hazards, considers practical aspects and details control measures.


Digital innovations


uInvolving manufacturers in the water safety dialogue means they can connue to help in solving problems


More recently, working in partnership was a hallmark at this year’s spring launch of NHSX – the Department for Health’s new unit tasked with adapting the National Health Service to a digital world. Among the first steps the new unit took was the creation of new design principles, providing a view for how digital innovations should be delivered in the NHS. Two of these principles particularly struck me when thinking about collaborative working. “Design for context: Don't just design your part of a service. Consider people's entire experience, and the infrastructure and processes involved. Think about how people begin and end their time with what you are designing.” And “Test your assumptions - Design and test your work with real people. Observe behaviour and gather evidence. Work with subject experts and existing research. Do not rely on hunches.”


These principles are holistic, of course, but particularly resonate when thinking about building controls. Why?


hen you look at the most significant


announcements in healthcare in recent years, there


FOCUS: MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE Culture of collaboration


Because if we’re to improve patient welfare and staff productivity with digital technology across the NHS, healthcare facilities themselves have a key role to play.


It is our view that providing excellent healthcare spaces is best achieved through continuing to embrace collaborative working and that this culture of inclusion should also be extended to include the supply chain.


Developing best practice


It will perhaps come as no surprise that the service manager from a water controls manufacturer is advocating more manufacturer inclusion in developing best practice, but I firmly believe this will be to the advantage of healthcare premises.


This approach goes beyond providing, repairing and replacing products. Manufacturers should instead work in partnership with customers to develop a plan unique to their premises. For me, that is what the design principles and particularly the two I have mentioned, are really all about.


When you think of it more closely, there are clear benefits of taking a partnership approach. A manufacturer has the technical knowledge of their own products and can ensure they are commissioned correctly to the exacting requirements of industry- specific guidelines.


Involving manufacturers in the water safety dialogue also means they can continue to help in solving problems and keeping abreast of new trends and emerging innovations. This could be particularly key given the moves to embrace digital technologies. Digitally connected water controls, for example. Digital technologies and specifically those connected to the ‘Internet of Things’ have moved on significantly in recent years. A new generation of digital taps offer significant benefits and can help reduce staff workloads, particularly when it comes to proving compliance guidelines are being met. These products offer improved functionality such as automated duty flushing and improved monitoring and data logging. They are increasingly linked to artificial intelligence and cloud technology and can now send operating data to an online service centre. This offers useful intelligence on the water system’s performance. Digital products are increasingly smart and require careful configuration to perform at their best. Support from the manufacturer that comes with digital products will include training on safe operation and any supporting software of these products. The Internet of Things (IoT) is going to have a huge impact and I think when estates teams get under the skin of what it has to offer, the speed of change is going to be fast. Our parent company Kohler is innovating in the residential sector with IoT enabled baths, taps, WCs and other devices. We’re seeing adoption of those technologies very quickly in the residential markets and that will follow in commercial markets where it has even more potential because of the size and scale of premises. I think IoT could result in greater sharing and collaboration across different sectors too – transferring learnings from other commercial sectors into healthcare and vice versa.


12 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER NOVEMBER 2019


Planned and preventative maintenance


The approach to service is also moving at a pace. Planned and preventative maintenance plans have become established as good practice, but at Rada we have been looking at how we can take that further.


We are now working with growing numbers of customers on a combined service and product basis. A new way of working in which facilities teams work in partnership with us, paying only for a service arrangement with all products included within that. It gives them peace of mind, while improving maintenance planning to achieve cost and time efficiencies.


These are just some highlights that we could think could be achieved through extending the model of collaborative working. Whether that is formally or through another arrangement, when it comes to continuously delivering cleaner, healthier facilities and better water safety, there’s never been a better time to work together.


www.radacontrols.com Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk ‘


Don't just design your part of a service.


Consider people's enre experience, and the infrastructure and processes involved


’


uA new generaon of digital taps oer significant benefits and can help reduce sta workloads


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