Healthcare environments are inevitably exposed to many different microorganisms, which can have negative repercussions for vulnerable patients, as well as causing premature deterioration and odours in frequently touched equipment. Regular cleaning and decontamination are essential to help reduce the bioburden of these microbes, but traditional disinfectants only offer limited residual activity once the surface dries,

Three senior personnel at London-headquartered public service consultants, The PSC, Smriti Singh, David Chappell, and Sesha Nicholson-Lailey, discuss the implications of the New Hospital Programme (NHP)’s announcement that all new hospitals in England must include 100% single patient rooms. They explore such rooms’ history, their potential benefits and challenges, and the importance of involving clinicians

The New Hospital Programme has been tasked with transforming and modernising NHS healthcare facilities in England. It is, the team behind it says, ‘a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink our approach to the NHS – much more than a set of new buildings, it’s a whole new way of working’. Transformation director and Chief Nurse, Josie

The challenges in our changing climate, and rising energy costs, have seen people thinking much more about how to reduce their costs and water consumption. Many consumers underestimate their water use, and don’t understand how much water each appliance or various water fittings use. Saving water, of course, also saves money, as all non-households are

Speaking at the Central Sterilising Club’s Annual Study Day last October, Paul Chivers, who heads up the PPE Innovation and Sustainability Team for NHS Supply Chain, explained some of the key initiatives his team has taken since its establishment in the pandemic’s early days to encourage development of more reusable PPE, and improve the sustainability

Rohit Sharma, Resilient Sales manager at Bona – a family-owned company that provides ‘sustainable, high-performance products and systems for resilient flooring in healthcare settings worldwide’, discusses some of the advantages of floor refurbishment over replacement with new flooring in a hospital or other healthcare facility. These, he explains, include less disruption to clinical activity, and

 As HEJ editor, Jonathan Baillie, discovered from Sales director, Claire Redhead, the business is looking ahead with renewed confidence. BioClad was established in 2008 as a company in its own right by Lindsay McKenzie, the current CEO. At the time its main focus was supplying ‘hygienic’ wall cladding to customers throughout the UK and Ireland.

In 2018, Ryder Architecture published Reinvention for an Exceptional Construction Industry. 1 It called on the whole project team to unite behind a single goal to place the project ahead of each team member’s commercial priorities. At the heart of this is a commitment to integrated design and collaborative project working; breaking down the historic

Mike Dunne, Service and Aftersales Technical manager at Howorth Air Technology, discusses the company’s establishment and running of a dedicated CPD-accredited Ventilation Workshop, designed ‘to address the knowledge gaps’ among contractors and engineers, in both public and private healthcare organisations, ‘to help them fully understand the specific and detailed requirements of air ventilation systems’. In

Last summer the UK truly felt the effects of climate change. While global warming has already caused extreme weather events around the world, some perhaps thought that the UK’s milder climate would mean we would be shielded from the effects. Our cooler weather and status as a developed economy does mean we are somewhat less

Jonathan Dobing, an Electrical Design engineer at Mott MacDonald, discusses his research as part of a Master’s degree in Building Services Engineering to understand the challenges the NHS faces to improve its electrical resilience, and propose solutions to address loss of supply and ensure continuity of service, as well as reduced disruption. His main focus

Karina Jones, an IHEEM-registered Authorising Engineer (Water) at Eta Projects, and a member of the Institute’s Water Technical Platform, considers some of the most prevalent hazardous waterborne bacteria found in healthcare premises, and the key steps to keep their growth and transmission in check, and thus safeguard patients, staff, and visitors, against infection.  In England

It is the year 2030. Imagine a healthcare system that provides high-quality medical services in specialised hospitals, which are working in close cooperation with a network of primary care facilities located at a moderate distance from people’s homes. Universal digital services are widely available and accepted by all age groups, providing 24/7 guidance and easy

Take one look through LinkedIn and you will more than likely see several articles or posts talking about the environment. It might be some wondrous new ‘Green building’, a state-of-the-art new technology, or a call for action. It appears government is finally waking up and doing something, which is great. Hospitals present a significant challenge

Research shows that the sound and acoustics generated in healthcare settings have a major impact on both patients and nursing staff. Hospitals are now noisy places, and do not always provide an acoustic environment designed for healing. Sound levels are still increasing, but are we listening? Andrea Harman, Concept developer, Healthcare, Saint-Gobain Ecophon, discusses some