Health Business Specifiers Index 2010/11

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SPECIFIERS INDEX 2010/11

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Equity and excellenceThe government’s new White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS, sets out the long-term vision for the future of the NHS. In line with other government plans for decentralisation, power will be devolved from Whitehall to patients and professionals. This will mean more choices for patients, more freedom for healthcare service providers, and a streamlined NHS with fewer layers of bureaucracy.

Similar shake-ups have been tried before although not on the same scale. GPs will start piloting the plans this year, before full roll out is completed by April 2013. Primary care trusts and strategic health authorities are likely to be abolished within three years.

In the meantime, Health Business takes a look at some if the issues healthcare providers face today. For instance, the South London Health Innovation and Education Cluster, which has been established to improve patient care across the area, discusses how to succeed in the prevention and control of HCAIs on page 15; and NHS Employers highlights the importance of recruiting and retaining a talented workforce on page 39.

Enjoy the issue.


SPECIFIERS INDEX 2010/11

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03THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT

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NEWS

INFECTION CONTROLHealthcare organisations must work together if they are to succeed in preventing and controlling HCAIs, says the South London Health Innovation and Education Cluster

The National Patient Safety Agency gives us an update on the cleanyourhands campaign

LEGIONELLA PREVENTIONThe health sector must be familiar with and take action against the risks of legionella, says the Health and Safety Executive

The Water Management Society looks at Legionnaires’ disease and how it should be prevented

PATIENT SAFETYThe Association for Perioperative Practice discusses the Safer Surgery List and the Patient Safety First campaign

TRAININGInteractive blended-learning solutions can help the NHS in an era of more for less, says John Baxter, LSN

RECRUITMENTKaren Charman from NHS Employers discusses how to recruit and retain a talented and motivated workforce

OBESITY MANAGEMENTNeville Rigby and David Haslam of the National Obesity Forum discuss future approaches to obesity management in a changing NHS

HEALTH & SAFETYThe Institution of Occupational Safety and Health discusses working long hours and how to ensure healthcare professionals don’t overdo it

FINANCEThe Institute of Credit Management’s Philip King looks at the issues facing the healthcare sector when it comes to collecting cash

SECURITYWith a high volume of people on-site at any time, hospitals need to adopt the strictest access control measures, writes the British Security Industry Association

DESIGN & BUILDA series of ongoing initiatives has helped to improve the traditionally poor health of the construction workforce, writes Neil Edwards from The Builders’ Conference

The new-build Malvern Community Hospital will use advanced renewable and energy efficient technologies to make it one of the greenest hospitals in the country

The Built Environment Solutions & Technologies show will bring together construction buyers and sellers from all over the country

ENERGYThe Energy Services and Technology Association explains the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

FACILITIES MANAGEMENTThe Healthcare Facilities Consortium’s Keith Sammonds considers the impact that facilities professionals have on the drive towards savings in the NHS

CLEANINGThe British Institute of Cleaning Science’s new accreditation scheme measures and demonstrates the quality of cleaning products and services

We review the Association of Healthcare Cleaning Professionals’ 35th Annual Conference, which took place in Bristol in June

SIGNSThe new ISO 7010 standard helps ensure that safety signs communicate the safety message effectively

FIRE SAFETYThe Fire Industry Association discusses a new survey that highlights the importance of fire extinguishers

AMBULANCE SERVICESThe Ambulance Services Network discusses what needs to be done to reform the emergency care system now we have a new government in place

FLEET MANAGEMENTWe find out how Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is planning to cut its CO2 emissions by 30 per cent

CATERINGChanging the recipes of much-loved British brands is a complex task, says the Food and Drink Federation

AUDIO VISUALDan Goldstein of InfoComm International explains why AV technology is so important in modern medical facilities

ICTThe Mobile Data Association’s Nick Hunn demonstrates the potential savings the NHS can achieve by using mobile health solutions

Is the healthcare industry prepared for the explosive growth in data volumes it is experiencing?

What are the challenges and benefits of open data?

CONFERENCES & EVENTSA look at what makes Scotland the perfect destination for medical conferences and events

An excellent choice of leisure facilities and plenty of conference and events venues make Liverpool a great business destination

We take a look at what the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire have to offer the event organiser

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he Paediatric and Neonatal Units at Wexham Park

Hospital are the first in the country to install and use an innovative visual management system, which gives staff more time to spend with patients. The new technology uses specially designed software with interactive whiteboards and touch enabled displays to allow staff to create and maintain patient status information. The boards support enhanced ways of working, cutting down on interruptions and the time nurses need to spend updating patient status information.

The boards were installed in the Paediatric and Neonatal Units of the hospital, funded by donations from parents of past patients.



£800,000 project to treat emergency patients fasterNottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has given the go-ahead to an £800,000 project to treat emergency patients more quickly. The project – aimed at patients with minor injuries and illnesses arriving at the Queen’s Medical Centre Emergency Department – includes the creation of larger and improved assessment area for patients, with ten dedicated cubicles for adults; a new assessment area for children, including three new assessment and treatment cubicles; and improvements to the reception area and separate entrances for adults and children. The changes will allow multidisciplinary teams to work more closely together to make better use of their skills, for the benefit of patients. Building work will start mid-August, and is expected to be completed by early December.

The department, which was last re-designed more than 10 years ago, will stay open throughout. The project in the Emergency Department is the first phase in a wider re-organisation of the hospital’s Emergency processes.

Senior managers concerned over maintaining staff morale Nearly a quarter of senior managers from across the NHS are losing sleep over maintaining staff morale, while significant percentages have major concerns over GP commissioning, announcements from Andrew Lansley, the rationisation of management structures and the future of patient and public engagement. These were the pivotal issues revealed by a timely poll conducted at the recent NHS Confederation by e-consultation and engagement solutions specialist INOVEM, social communications consultancy Participate and independent consultant Brenda Cook. Given the current backdrop of budget cuts, management restructures, halted projects and general uncertainty pervading the NHS, the biggest issue concerning respondents was perhaps unsurprisingly ‘maintaining staff morale’:

Virtual donation garden launchedKing’s College Hospital Charity has launched a unique online giving facility to generate regular gifts from supporters. www.kingsdonorgarden.org.uk allows friends and supporters of the hospital in south London to plant a virtual plant or flower in honour of someone special, such as a friend or relative who has been treated at King’s, a member of staff or simply someone that they wish to make a tribute to. The aim of this new project is to help raise funds for the hospital’s Giving To King’s campaign, which needs to raise at least £4million over the next two years. Donations made through the virtual garden will help fund the new Major Trauma and Stroke Centres at the Trust.

NEWSINBRIEF

orth Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust has launched an

awareness campaign to try to increase the use of the NHS Number, the 10-digit number unique to each patient. The Trust is updating all of its information systems to ensure the NHS Number is used across all patient records to create a fuller, more accurate health history for each patient. Patients at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle are requested to bring their NHS Number with them whenever they attend for treatment. The number should be contained in all letters sent to patients from now on. Sandy Brown, director of Nursing, Quality

and Governance, said: “Patients do not need to know their NHS Number to receive care at our hospitals, but if you do know your NHS Number or can show your medical card or other documentation containing this number when you come for treatment, it can help those treating you to find your records more quickly and share them more safely with other healthcare professionals. “Having an NHS Number helps prevent the creation of multiple records for a patient and reduces misidentification. Multiple records fracture a patient’s history across many files, making it more difficult for a clinician to treat a patient efficiently. The NHS Number also enables patient information to be safely transferred across organisational boundaries.”

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ew bedside information folders for patients and carers have been launched by

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The new layouts feature an updated, significantly improved design, as well as a detailed index, guide to staff uniforms, an introduction in nine languages and Braille version. Promising clearer, more relevant, and easy-to-read information about the hospitals, patients and carers can expect to find exactly what they’re looking for with ease. Developed in consultation with a broad spectrum of staff and patient representatives, the Trust is hoping the new-look folders will make coming into hospital a little less daunting.

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New-look bedside folders give patients a clearer picture

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Innovative visual management system at Wrexham Park

Use your NHS number

he Health Protection Agency (HPA) has published its annual

figures on MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bloodstream infections and C. difficile (Clostridium difficile) infections for England and Wales. There were a total of 1,898 cases of MRSA reported between April 2009 and March 2010, representing a 35 per cent reduction in cases from the previous year when 2,935 cases were reported. In the same period, 25,604 cases of

C. difficile were reported, representing a 29 per cent reduction from the previous year when 36,095 cases were reported. Dr Christine McCartney, executive lead for the HPA Healthcare Associated and Antimicrobial Resistance programme, said: “This year we have again observed an impressive reduction in the total number of both MRSA and C. difficile infections and this is a credit to the hard work of our colleagues in the NHS which continues to strengthen good practice in infection control measures.”



Apprentice first to receive permanent roleAn apprentice at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has become the first in recent years to secure a permanent position with the Trust. Katy Thorogood from St Agnes was the first apprentice recruited in November 2009 under a scheme funded by the Strategic Health Authority, which enabled the Trust to recruit 50 apprentices. The funding was predominantly used to offer a number of apprenticeships for existing staff in areas such as accountancy, business administration, team leading and supervisory management. At the same time the Trust also started looking at ways it could recruit young people aged 16-24 years old under the scheme. So successful has the scheme proved that the Trust now has 74 staff signed up on apprenticeships. Helen Lynch, vocational training manager at RCHT, said: “Katy is an excellent example of how successful the apprenticeship scheme can be and we are hoping she will be the first of many. The Trust has worked in partnership with Unison and Cornwall College to achieve this and it is something we feel should be celebrated.”

Bath introduces new way to communicateThe Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust is launching a new way of creating a wide range of patient information. It’s called the Health Information Group (HIG) and the Trust would like the members to be patients, visitors and the wider community, as well as members of staff.The aim of the HIG is to become the main source of comment, suggestion and debate for the hospital about its patient and health information.

Public toilets receive 5-star makeoverPublic toilets at the main entrance of the University Hospital of Hartlepool have received a makeover bringing them up to the same sort of standards as those found in many top hotels. The brand new, thoughtfully designed toilets not only meet the highest hygiene standards and are easy to clean, but they also incorporate hotel-style details. The two ladies’, one gents’ and one disabled toilets have seen good design and creativity with the use of environmentally friendly features such as sensor taps and driers – to reduce the amount of electricity that is used. Design and development manager Glen Newby, responsible for the design said: “We are working to improve every part of the patients’ experience. The standard of the public toilets reflects our commitment to high standards of care and cleanliness at the trust.”

NEWSINBRIEF

he Board of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation

Trust has confirmed plans for a new £15 million Cromer and District Hospital. Construction work will start in September. The new hospital will replace the original Mill Road hospital, which first opened in 1932, and will provide day treatment, out-patient care, minor injuries, renal dialysis

and extended diagnostic services. The construction work will be phased to ensure that clinical services can continue to run on a near normal basis during the building work. The new hospital will see around 11,000 more patients a year than are currently seen at Cromer. The first phase of construction work is due to start in September this year, and with completion in autumn 2012.

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Work on new £15 million hospital to start

ponsored electronic information screens that were installed in

three locations around the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in March this year have been a hit with patients. The large plasma screens – located in Children’s Outpatients, the Antenatal Clinic and next to the M-PALS office – aim to improve the quality of information available to patients, visitors and staff. They also benefit the

Trust financially because it receives a percentage of the sponsorship revenue. The installation of the first three screens is a pilot scheme and the Trust is now actively exploring the possibility of placing more screens in other areas. There is no cost to the Trust as it’s working with a commercial partner, the Healthcare Messaging Group, who pays for the screens, secures sponsorship and designs the messages that appear on the screens – with input from Trust staff.

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Patients praise electronic information screens

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MRSA and C. difficile infections fall by a third

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s part of its ongoing commitment to improving the patient experience,

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust has started to phone up to 100 patients each week to ask them what they thought about the care they received whilst in hospital. The survey will cover in-patients, outpatients and maternity. “This is part of our wider initiative to improve the patient experience at NGH,” said Sue Hardy, director of patient, nursing and midwifery services. “We have the patient experience trackers on our wards but we want to find out more about what people think about their stay in hospital. We want to know if there were any unresolved issues that would

make people think twice about being treated here again, or recommending someone to be treated here.” Instead of waiting months for the results of the national patient survey, the hospital wants to get more immediate feedback. This will allow staff to address patients’ and carers’ concerns more quickly and take on board their suggestions on how services could be improved. Results from the patient experience trackers have climbed steadily since they were introduced across the hospital. More than 96 per cent of patients now say that they would be happy to be treated again at the hospital, or to recommend NGH as a place to be treated.


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East London partnership aims for care excellenceLeading east London health partners have joined forces with the aim of creating England’s first Centre of Excellence for Compassionate Care. The partnership is made up of Barts and The London NHS Trust, NHS Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets Community Health Services, City University, London, Queen Mary University of London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Barts and The London Charity and East London NHS Foundation Trust. They have all signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to fundamentally embed compassionate care in the local community in all healthcare areas. The partnership aims to work together to establish the key elements of support and learning to maximise the right environment for staff to deliver care with compassion. Through this learning the partnership will ensure that this translates into the re-design of patient pathways and education programmes for staff

Ice cream to aid patient recoveryA soft ice-cream machine has been installed at Luton and Dunstable Hospital especially for the benefit of patients being treated for cancers of the head and neck. The installation will help patients by providing a high calorie high protein food that is cooling, soothing and of a safe consistency, and which will not disrupt any recent surgery. Head and neck oncology dietician Katrina Martinelli (pictured) has driven the project to get the new machine: “Ice cream is an acceptable food for most people so our patients will have available at all times a food which will not only help them achieve their nutritional requirements but that is easy to eat and will not cause embarrassment in the process. Confidence in eating and swallowing safely will be restored much quicker.”

NEWSINBRIEF

he pharmacy department at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals

NHS Trust has embarked on an ambitious project to reduce the number of phone calls nursing staff have to make. New prescription software will mean that nurses, doctors and other medical staff at St Helier Hospital will no longer have to pick up the phone and call the pharmacy department to find out when patients’ prescriptions are ready. It is hoped that the new initiative will free up nurses’ time as well as reduce the number of interruptions in the dispensary. Anne Davies, the Trust’s Chief Pharmacist, explained: “We calculated that the pharmacy department was getting about 900 phone calls a week, many of them from ward staff asking whether medicines that patients take home with them were ready for collection. “The new software means those staff can simply click an icon on their computer, and view – in real-time – whether the prescription is ready and

waiting, in progress, or not yet started.” The system is currently being rolled-out across the wards and departments at St Helier Hospital, and will be phased in at Epsom Hospital from September.

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Trust saves time with new prescription software

Quicker feedback from Northampton patients

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Medicine users change drug usage according to internet informationOver 50 per cent of people search the internet for information about their medicines and more than half of these actually change their treatment or management as a result, according to a survey by online medicines information company Datapharm. The survey of 630 UK medicine users and carers, contacted via voluntary health organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Support, Diabetes UK and Parkinson’s UK, found that 55 per cent of them wanted more information about the medicines they were currently taking – mainly about side effects, interactions and suitability. For two thirds of them (65 per cent) the medicines information they found on the internet resulted in discussions with healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

Lone workers issued with safety deviceLone workers at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals have been issued with safety devices to enable any threatening situation they may encounter during their work to be monitored. The devices include a red alert, which can be used if the member of staff feels at risk. In certain scenarios, the police can also be called. Using GPS technology the whereabouts of staff can be monitored at all times. Furthermore the devices can record audio, which can be used in criminal and civil proceedings if necessary. Over 150 community midwives and nurses have been issued with the devices.

Working time cap has “failed spectacularly”, says surveyResults of a survey by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, show that since the restrictions of the European Working Time Regulations (EWTR) limiting doctors 48 hours a week, patients in NHS hospitals are much less safe than they were a year ago, and the situation is getting worse. The survey of 980 surgeons and surgical trainees covered all nine surgical specialties and all Strategic Health Authorities in England as well as surgeons based in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and compared responses to a similar survey undertaken last year. It reveals that 80 per cent of consultant surgeons and two thirds of surgical trainees (66 per cent) say that patient care has deteriorated under the directive. This compares with 72 per cent of consultants and 59 per cent of trainees consulted in October 2009. Two thirds of trainees reported a decline in training time in the operating theatre and 61 per cent of consultants report that they are operating without trainee assistance more frequently since the EWTR was introduced. John Black, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “To say the European Working Time Regulations has failed spectacularly would be a massive understatement. The new government has indicated its shares our concerns, but there is not a moment to lose in implementing a better system which would enable surgeons to work in teams, with fewer handovers and with the backup of senior colleagues.”

he number of patients missing appointments has fallen by nearly

10 per cent since the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust introduced a text reminder service. More than 8,000 patients a month are now receiving reminders about their outpatient appointments by text – up from 2,000 when the service first started in March. Outpatient appointments general manager Katharine Fletcher, said: “It is important that all our clinics are fully attended as

far as possible so we can deliver the best service for our patients. The texts issue a reminder and also ask if a patient can’t make it they should let us know.” Figures to the end of June also show patient cancellations are up by 21 per cent, which means they are informing the Trust so their time can be re-allocated to another patient.Missed appointments cost the Trust around £3.3m a year. In 2009, 43,735 patients failed to attend their hospital appointment.

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Text appeal in Calderdale and Huddersfield

scheme that puts NHS staff in the driving seat of innovative projects

to transform patient care has been given a boost by Care Services Minister Paul Burstow. 15 projects will form the second wave of NHS organisations that want to set up social enterprises, a scheme that gives public sector workers the ability to take over the services they deliver. The NHS arm of the scheme, known as ‘Right to Request’, gives all Primary Care Trust staff the right to request setting up social enterprises. The new projects span two thirds of Strategic Health Authorities and include cities like London, Bristol, Leeds and Birmingham.

Projects include a wide range of services like increasing access to psychological therapies, improving end of life care and a wider range of children services. Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: “NHS staff have the local know-how on how resources can best be used and I want to put them in the driving seat – and Right to Request combines NHS values with business principles in an effective way. “Already we are seeing projects that are making a real difference. In Leicester, a GP and nurse led project has helped tailor services for the homeless and those with substance misuse problems.”

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Big society boost for NHS enterprises

wo new employees have joined the 3,300 staff at

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Wall-E and Eve, the pharmacy robots. The new robots are part of the completion of a £350,000 programme to enhance pharmacy services at the hospital – the aim of which is to reduce the time patients wait to receive their prescriptions. The two robots use a sophisticated infrared scanning system linked to pharmacy IT software, similar to a bar code system, to log and store the pharmacy drugs. When a patient or member of staff brings a prescription to the pharmacy the staff request the item from the robot via the IT system. The robot scans the code and is able to immediately locate where on its shelves it has stored the drugs. A robotic arm then moves to pick up the drug before it is placed on a conveyor belt and sent across to the dispensary ready for checking by a

member of staff before being dispensed. Sarah Davis, pharmacy operations manager, explains: “The pharmacy robot is helping reduce waste by improving stock control and reducing the costs of expired drugs, and also helps us minimise any prescription errors. As with any process in a hospital there is small risk of human error. The robot reduces this by sorting and retrieving the drugs using the bar code technology, followed by dispensing and checking by trained staff, so it helps makes the whole process even safer.”

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New pharmacy robots get to work

NEWSINBRIEF

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PREVENTING AVOIDABLE INFECTION

DESPITE RECENT headline improvements, healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) remain an important problem for the NHS. Healthcare organisations in all settings must work together and share best practice if the NHS is to succeed in the prevention and control of HCAIs. This collaborative ethos is the basis of the newly formed South London Health Innovation and Education Cluster’s (HIEC) proposal to tackle HCAIs. The South London Health Innovation and Education Cluster is a £1m-a-year government-funded network, comprising around 30 organisations, which has been established to improve patient care across the area. The South London HIEC includes all of the region’s major health and education providers, and one of its goals is to enhance patient care through better infection prevention and control. The group is also focused on improving care in diabetes, mental health and stroke, by establishing excellent joint working across south London. By working closer together, these organisations can share knowledge and best practice, and develop new initiatives that bring real benefits to healthcare provision in south London and beyond.

INFECTION CONTROL CHALLENGESHealthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are infections that occur in healthcare settings. These may be transmitted to patients and healthcare workers as a result of healthcare procedures in hospital and other related settings. HCAIs may also result from infections of vulnerable patients by the bacteria they normally carry themselves. These infections have always existed, but have never been subjected to the scrutiny they receive today. About one in eleven inpatients has an HCAI at any one time, which is equivalent to at least 100,000 infections a year. These potentially fatal infections often result in several additional days’ hospital admission and cost the NHS up to a billion pounds each year.

SUPERBUGSOver recent years there has been a huge increase in press interest, public awareness and concern over HCAIs, in particular those caused by antibiotic-resistant superbugs such as Clostridium difficile and MRSA. There has been success in reducing the number of MRSA blood stream infections and C. difficile infections. The number of MRSA bacteraemias fell by 75 per cent between 2003 and 2010, and the quarterly number of C. difficile infections has fallen by 54 per cent between 2007 and 2010. However, as pointed out in a recent report by

the national audit office, although up to nine per cent of patients in hospitals may have a healthcare-associated infection, MRSA and C. difficile only account for a very small proportion of these. It is also unclear to what extent these impressive reductions in C. difficile and MRSA infection rates are mirrored by falls in other HCAIs.

CARE QUALITY COMMISSIONThere is increased regulation and oversight of the management and control of HCAIs. All acute NHS Trusts are now required to register with the new regulatory body responsible for ensuring hygiene standards in healthcare settings, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A 2009 study conducted by the CQC found that a quarter of UK health trusts failed to fully meet hospital infection standards. 21 NHS trusts, including one ambulance trust, have been given registration “with restriction”; if they do not improve to the required standard they could be forced to close their doors as, in effect, it becomes a criminal offence to offer healthcare without the approval of the CQC. There are a number of high-profile initiatives to improve the prevention and control of HCAIs. These include the Department of Health’s HCAI Technology Innovation Programme, its Design Bugs Out project, and the Show Case Hospital programme. Hospitals and community healthcare organisations continually face new and emerging infectious threats such as community MRSA, multi-resistant gram negative bacterial infections, and viral infections including pandemic influenza. The multi-resistant gram-negatives, particularly, are recognised to be a growing but largely unquantified burden in both the community and hospitals, threatening treatment of common community infections such as urinary tract infections as well as critically ill patients in hospitals. A dynamic, integrated and flexible approach is needed to improve the prevention and care of HCAIs, and to meet future challenges.

COLLABORATIVE WORKINGInfection prevention and control has traditionally been focused on acute hospitals, but many infectious diseases can spread in other care settings within the wider community as well. There are few data available to estimate the amount of HCAI outside the acute hospital settings. There are indications, however, that there may be transmission of C. difficile, norovirus and MRSA in long term care facilities and care homes. There is also increasing recognition of the presence in the

community of organisms usually associated with HCAI, such as MRSA, which is an increasing problem in the United States of America. Consequently, avoidable spread of infection will not be achieved if healthcare organisations are working in isolation. The potential of an infection-reducing initiative in, for example, a hospital would always be limited by referred patients who may bring in infection from the community setting that referred them. Without improving communication between these settings and adopting a unified approach to infection prevention, successful initiatives in one healthcare setting will be limited by the actions of another. The HIEC is broadening the perspective in south London to look at the prevention and control of HCAIs, not just in hospitals, but in care homes and primary medical care across the region. The complication of infection spread between healthcare environments aside, better collaboration between care settings can have a real impact on driving down infection in itself.

SHARING BEST PRACTICEBy sharing experiences – good or bad – knowledge and best practice efficiencies can be improved, and patient care can be improved because of this. Good projects can expand and spread through communities, whilst ineffective initiatives will not be repeated. Organisations will also benefit from a wider pool of resources and expertise that are needed to launch new care initiatives. Before the HIEC was established in December 2009, individual member organisations had already implemented some of the most effective infection control programmes in the country. For example, St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have achieved some of the greatest reductions in MRSA and C. difficile infection across England over the past few years.

Healthcare organisations must work together if they are to succeed in preventing and controlling HCAIs. This ethos is the basis of the South London Health Innovation and Education Cluster’s proposal to tackle HCAIs

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Laurence Benson is director of the South West London Academic, Health and Social Care Network, a member of the South London Health Innovation Education Centre Dr Tim Planche is consultant microbiologist at St George’s Hospital and honorary senior lecturer at St George’s, University of London – both organisations are members of the South London Health Innovation Education Centre.

INFECTION CONTROL

We are one of the leading suppliers of medical equipment and wholesale pharmaceuticals to the UK occupational health and primary care sectors. At D M Wood Medical we have more than 30 years experience of working with the NHS and health care professionals. We are capable of dealing with high value contracts but have also built up the knowledge to help with routine spare parts and consumables. Distributors for: • Laerdal Medical• Welch Alllyn• Ferno UK• Seca• Vitalograph• Evac+Chair• Keeler • Heine Freephone: 0800 61 42 35E-mail: [email protected]

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purification systems for Endoscopy suits, CSSD/HSDU departments, Renal wards and Pathology Labs, we understand the need for high quality water within healthcare. We not only specialise in the design, manufacture, installation and service of HTM2030, EN15883 compliant water systems for a range of uses within hospitals, but we also have over 200 HTM 2030 compliant installations throughout the UK and Ireland. We are also sole distributors of Herco renal dialysis water purification systems across the UK, sell a range of High Efficiency Water Softeners, which use 80 per cent less water and 50

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our education programmes would be wise to involve educating members of the local community as well as healthcare workers. Already, HIEC members are involved in community programmes aimed at teaching young people in schools and other institutions about health and wellbeing. The HIEC will explore the possibility of expanding these to include the importance of infection control and antibiotic use. By using relevant and interesting methods of explaining these issues to young people, we hope their knowledge and understanding will help reduce the risk of HCAIs in the future. Educating healthcare workers and members of the community, combined with collaborative working, are activities healthcare and education-related organisations have the ability to establish on a local level. They will complement existing government projects to tackle HCAIs, such as investment in new technologies. But by sharing and reporting on best practice and innovation, and conducting pilot projects, healthcare organisations can add to the evidence that can inform policy and practice across the NHS, ultimately helping to prevent avoidable infection and improve patient care.

help manage these infections. This system has been very effective until now for surveillance and management of these patients. The HIEC intends to innovate a new secure web-based record system to improve the security, patient safety and completeness of the existing system. The new system should also be able to greatly improve current surveillance of these important HCAIs.

EDUCATIONEducating healthcare professionals and sharing knowledge and best practice across organisations will play an important role in tackling HCAIs, particularly in areas such as south London where healthcare relies heavily on local delivery such as polyclinics. HCAI education amongst healthcare staff is not a new concept and there is much experience of this teaching in the acute hospitals in the HIEC. The sharing of this best practice between acute trusts and other healthcare providers will be a natural part of the collaborative working at the centre of this HIEC. But, because infections often spread between members of communities before they are brought into the healthcare environment,

The HIEC members are working to translate these successes with C. difficile and MRSA into driving down other HCAIs. By combining the experiences of the individual organisations, the group can share and roll out best practice in service delivery, training, and research and development that is unified across the south London community and its healthcare institutions. The HIEC will explore collaborative research opportunities for new infection control measures and diagnostic strategies. Surveillance in hospital and other healthcare settings, early identification of infection, heightened infection control measures and the control of antimicrobials – those substances that kill or inhibit the growth of the microorganisms that cause infections – will embed a more proactive culture that sees emerging infections identified, tracked and addressed earlier.

RECORD SYSTEMThe HIEC is setting up a system to improve the care of bloodstream infections. Bloodstream infections are amongst the most severe HCAIs. Although important, MRSA is only a small cause of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections. There is currently a paper-based record system for microbiology specialists to

INFECTION CONTROL

Ironmonger Allgood gets a handle on HAIs

LLGOOD PLC is the UK’s leading

architectural ironmonger in the supply of products to the construction industry. Specialising in high performance products that are designed to last, Allgood services the industry with a level of service second to none. With door handles being one of the parts of a healthcare building that are most frequently touched, it is vitally important to have an effective strategy to minimise cross contamination of bacteria. With BioCote® protected ironmongery from Allgood, you can be sure that the risk of cross contamination of bacteria is kept to a minimum. BioCote® has been proven to reduce bacteria levels by 95.8 per cent on an NHS trial at the Heartlands Hospital, ensuring the client has total peace of

mind. Allgood is also the only architectral ironmonger to offer BioCote® as part of its product offering and as an integrated design solution. It is available in three finishes to suit a range of aesthetic requirements.


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Effective endoscope decontamination

ERE ARE JUST FOUR possible reasons why

the hospital Decontamination Lead may need ‘no strings’ advice from the specialists. Want to see best practice at work in endoscope decontamination? We can show you reference sites throughout UK using Lancer AERs where the whole process runs safely and smoothly with minimal delays in patient lists. Want to save time and costs? The latest FD8E drying and storage cabinet aseptically dries and stores scopes for seven days without need for the expense and inefficiency of repeat disinfection before use. Staff need endoscope decontamination training?Whether managing, operating an AER, daily/weekly testing, Lancer Academy offers a range of independent affordable courses that are City & Guilds accredited and approved by JAG and IDSc. Worried about JAG audits or compliance? Lancer can review your decontamination facilities and

give advice on latest equipment, procedures, connectors, validation, training requirements – free without commitment.


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HOW CLEAN ARE YOUR HANDS?

THE NATIONAL PATIENT SAFETY AGENCY (NPSA) is home to cleanyourhands, the national hand hygiene campaign of England and Wales. cleanyourhands was the first national hand hygiene campaign in the world and has received attention globally through its continued involvement with WHO Patient Safety. The NPSA initially highlighted healthcare associated infection (HCAI) as a patient safety issue in 2002, soon after the agency came into existence. Since then the agency has continued to work on programmes aimed at increasing patient safety by reducing the burden of HCAI. These programmes in turn have changed over time to meet the needs of a changing NHS, the move towards the quality and productivity agenda being key. At present the agency has a number of infection prevention and control (IPC) related programs including:• Matching Michigan, a programme of work aimed at reducing catheter related blood stream infections in critical care.• The NHS cleaning manual, a resource for all NHS staff and contractors describing detailed minimum cleaning standards.• Design for patient safety, a programme of working which aims to design risk out of medical devices and the wider healthcare environment. • Root cause analysis, a vital tool in learning from IPC incidents to prevent their recurrence.• The cleanyourhands campaign.

IMPROVING HAND HYGIENEThe aim of cleanyourhands is to contribute to a reduction of HCAI by facilitating sustained improvement in hand hygiene practice by healthcare staff. The methodology of the campaign is multimodal social marketing underpinned by clinical expertise in patient safety. The campaign utilises several methods to encourage hand hygiene awareness and compliance among staff. This multimodal approach facilitates, educates, prompts and enables healthcare workers to clean their hands at the right time, and every time during patient care. The campaigns membership now includes 100 per cent of acute trusts and 97 per cent of all other NHS trusts. Now in the final year of its originally planned lifespan cleanyourhands reflects on its successes to date and plans for the future.

FIVE YEARS OF CLEANYOURHANDSThe cleanyourhands campaign was initiated with the issue of the NPSA patient safety alert ‘Clean hands help to save lives’ on 2 September 2004. At this time one of the main

problems contributing to staff compliance with best practice in hand hygiene was its poor facilitation. The realities of the built environment and how, ergonomically, this was linked to care provision meant that compliance was suboptimal. The campaign focused on facilitating hand hygiene at the point of care. This was where, based on transmission dynamics, it was understood hand hygiene could be most impactful from a patient safety perspective, as opposed to public health or social hygiene. The main service innovation to achieve facilitation of hand hygiene at the point of care was the introduction of alcohol based handrub. Since the beginning of the campaign the procurement levels of alcohol hand rub have continued to increase, as have the levels of soap purchased by the service. It was important for the NPSA that

the increasing prevalence of alcohol based handrubs was not at the expense of a decrease in hand washing with soap and water.

INCLUDING THE INDIVIDUALIn year two the focus continued to be placed heavily on the point of care but also the role of the individual was examined. Individual and local ownership are both vital for sustained change. During the course of the campaign the centrally supported element from NPSA became less prescriptive and more facilitative, encouraging greater degrees of local engagement along the journey. Importantly, the campaign had still not been extended at this point beyond acute trusts, which perhaps reflected the perception of risk and ownership of HCAI at the time. In November 2007 the campaign launched a bolder and more serious range of collateral. These materials reflected the seriousness of

JP Nolan, infection control adviser and acting head of cleanyourhands, National Patient Safety Agency, gives us a campaign update

INFECTION CONTROL


The campaign utilises several methods to encourage hand hygiene awareness and compliance among staff. This multimodal approach facilitates, educates, prompts and enables healthcare workers to clean their hands at the right time, every time during patient care


time a strategic review is underway to examine how we can continue to add value using a new operating model. Our website will be updated with details as this work progresses. The current climate across the health sector has encouraged the cleanyourhands team to critically analyse its outputs based on returns from a patient outcome and economic perspective. There is a clear cost saving and quality improving potential in reducing HCAI we must however focus more tightly on what is actually achieving this reduction. It is our feeling at this early point in our strategic review that a move away from promotional collateral towards more impactful targeted intervention will yield better results from both a quality and productivity angle. We continue to supply a wide range of resources and support to the NHS in England and Wales. These resources are available to registered cleanyourhands coordinators to order online, free of charge. In partnership with local Infection Control Teams we will hold a number of events across England and Wales this year to address a number of important issues including barriers to implementing IPC services and identifying what really adds value by improving patient care. For more details on this or other cleanyourhands events see our contact details below.


E-mail: [email protected]

hygiene were both developed specifically for the hospital environment. A series of research events were held which aimed to ask healthcare professionals what they needed in a hand hygiene programme. Focus groups, site visits, online surveys, qualitative research, feedback forms and case studies were used. Gaining feedback from mental health, social care, general practice, PCTs, learning disabilities, dental, offender health and other settings was invaluable. What resulted was a suite of resources that had been reduced to core transferable principles and then re-built with specific settings and needs in mind. Even so a dynamic shift was required to ensure success beyond the hospital setting. Because the NHS is so diverse it would no longer be possible for cleanyourhands to prescribe how materials should be used in each setting. Even within organisations with the same broad remit, for example mental health, the services offered and ways of working can vary enormously. For this reason cleanyourhands changed its approach to allow members to use whichever resources, as many or as few, as they felt were appropriate to where and how their staff work. This approach has been very successful to date as demonstrated in a number of online case studies. The cleanyourhands team continued to support local adaptation of resources and implementation during this time.

NOW AND NEXTAs with many other campaigns, road safety for example, messages evolve as do methods of communicating them. cleanyourhands has moved from the “how” and “why” of hand hygiene to the “when”. We have also moved from a “do this” to a “this is what you could do, we’ll help” approach. The campaigning aspect of cleanyourhands will end in March 2011. The four year independent evaluation of the campaigning phase of cleanyourhands has ended and will be published later this year. At the present

HCAI and the strength of feeling amongst the public and healthcare professionals. At this time the media and politicians had become heavily involved in the HCAI agenda. It was during this year that calls to extend beyond the acute trusts increased. The development work for an extension beyond acute hospitals had begun in 2005. A review of existing infection control strategies in community based care settings was undertaken. By 2008 with the research complete the campaign was launched in the community based care settings. During 2008 the initial patient safety alert was re-issued underlining the fact that there was work yet to do. Specifically the alert prompted trusts to examine the locations where they had placed hand hygiene consumables. The campaign has been successful in promoting an awareness of the importance of hand hygiene but message evolution was required as the challenges presented by the diversity of the community based care settings were significant. OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLESDuring 2008/9 the cleanyourhands message evolved to focus on the when of hand hygiene. Having seen alcohol hand rub proliferate beyond the point of care it was time to re-focus the service on when hand hygiene is most likely to impact patient safety. To do this cleanyourhands adopted and launched the WHO developed Five Moments for hand hygiene. This allowed cleanyourhands to differentiate itself from public health hand hygiene initiatives by linking to the prevention of negative patient outcomes. Also the Five Moments fit with the journey towards local ownership as it allows individuals, wherever they work, to decide when they need to perform hand hygiene. It became clear to the small core team at cleanyourhands that catering for the needs of the diverse community based care and service providers would be a challenge. The campaign and the Five Moments for hand


YOUR FIVE MOMENTS FOR HAND HYGIENE AT THE POINT OF CARE

1. Before patient contact

WHEN? Clean your hands before touching a patient when approaching him/her

WHY? To protect the patient against harmful germs carried on your hands

2. Before a clean/aseptic procedure

WHEN? Clean your hands immediately before any clean/aseptic procedure

WHY? To protect the patient against harmful germs, including the patients own, from entering his/her body

3. After body fluid exposure

WHEN? Clean your hands immediately after an exposure risk to body fluids (and after glove removal)

WHY? To protect yourself and the healthcare environment from harmful patient germs.

4. After patient contact

WHEN? Clean your hands after touching a patient and his/her immediate surroundings when leaving the patient’s side


5. After contact with patient surroundings

WHEN? Clean your hands after touching any object or furniture in the patient’s immediate surroundings when leaving - even if the patient has not been touched


INFECTION CONTROL

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ARE YOUR WATER SYSTEMS CONTAMINATED?

LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE is one of those illnesses that most people will have heard of. But what exactly is it? A potentially fatal type of pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria, people can become infected by breathing in small droplets of water contaminated by the bacteria. Anyone can be infected but some people are at higher risk, particularly those over 45, smokers and heavy drinkers, those suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease, and people whose immune system is impaired. It cannot be passed from one person to another. The legionella bacteria are common in rivers and ponds. Prevalent in the natural environment, they may contaminate and grow in other water systems such as cooling towers and hot and cold water services. The bacteria can survive low temperatures and actually thrives at temperatures between 20-45°C if a supply of nutrients such as rust, scale and algae is present.

DEALING WITH THE RISKSThe most widely used method for controlling legionella growth in hot and cold water systems is to expose the bacteria to high temperatures. A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said: “Under general health and safety law, employers must consider the risks from legionella that may affect their staff or members of the public and take suitable precautions. “It is up to employers or those responsible for a workplace – such as a landlord – to identify and assess sources of risk.” Managing legionella involves creating and

implementing a system for dealing with the risks, identifying a responsible manager, keeping records and checking that what has been done is effective. Employers with an evaporative cooling system such as a cooling tower on site may also have to notify the local authority if this has not been done already. A series of simple questions give a rough indicator of whether more rigorous action is necessary: Are conditions present which will encourage bacteria to multiply? For example, is the water temperature between 20-45°C? Is it possible that water droplets will be produced and, if so, could they be dispersed over a wide area? For example, consider showers and aerosols from cooling towers. Is it likely that anyone particularly susceptible will come into contact with the contaminated water droplets? Cooling towers, evaporative condensers and hot and cold water systems fulfil the criteria in the above questions and have all been associated with outbreaks. Other potential sources where precautions might be needed include humidifiers and spa baths. If employers decide that the risks are insignificant, no further assessment is necessary although the assessment will need to be reviewed periodically to ensure that it reflects changes in the business.

IMPLEMENTING CONTROLSIn a business where likely risks have been identified, health and safety law requires proper controls to be introduced. Risks from

legionella in water systems can be controlled but careful planning, a successful management policy, competent staff and attention to proper control strategies are all essential. The main advice to employers is to consider whether you can prevent the risk of legionella in the first place by looking at the type of water system being used. For example, it may be possible to replace a wet cooling tower with a dry air cooled system. A written scheme will be needed that sets out how the risk from legionella will be controlled. It should cover:• the system – an up-to-date plan or schematic diagrams are sufficient • who is responsible for carrying out the assessment and managing its implementation • the means of safe and correct operation of the system • what control methods and other precautions will be used • what checks will be carried out on the control scheme and how oftenThe key point is to design, maintain and operate water services under conditions which prevent or control the growth and multiplication of legionella. AN OUTBREAKShould the worst happen and a case of Legionnaires’ disease be diagnosed in an employee who has worked on cooling towers or hot and cold water systems that are likely to be contaminated with legionella, this must be notified under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). If there is an outbreak, local authorities have special plans for dealing with major outbreaks of infectious disease including legionelloses such as Legionnaires’ disease. These are usually investigated by an outbreak control team whose purpose is to protect public health and prevent further infection. “Legionella is a serious illness that needs to be taken seriously by employers and others who have responsibilities,” a HSE spokesman said. “It is important that the health sector is familiar with both the risks and the legal requirements on them. It is unacceptable for employees and members of the public to be put at risk of legionella exposure.”


Web: www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/index.htm

The health sector must be familiar with and take action against the risks of legionella, says the Health and Safety Executive

LEGIONELLA PREVENTION

www.healthbusinessuk.comWritten by Giles Green, chairman of the Water Management Society’s Technical Committee


LURKING LEGIONELLA

CONTRARY TO URBAN MYTH, MAINS water supplied in Britain is of very high quality and reliably so; a cursory inspection of the statistics shows the percentage of failures to meet the standards required by the regulations is tiny and a little research will show that those standards are very high indeed. It is also available in seemingly inexhaustible quantities, just by opening a tap and at an astonishingly low price; compare it to bottled water which has to be carried home and may cost as much per litre as mains water costs per cubic metre, which is a thousand litres. Yet, as this is the real world, there can be no joy without alloy and this idyllic state of affairs is not the whole story by far. Common sense would suggest that the amount of water available is limited and, for those with none, the message comes across loud and clear in the press and on television. In fact, the water taken for the mains supply is a substantial proportion of all that is available, even here in rainy Britain. Not only that, but the wholesome water from the mains is not sterile (it does not need to be either for health reasons or to comply with the regulations) and the few microbes which are present have the potential, if conditions are favourable, to multiply to levels which can be harmful. Probably the most dangerous of these is Legionella, the bacteria which cause Legionnaires’ disease.

LEGIONELLA BACTERIALegionnaires’ disease is frequently fatal and even when it is not, it is a very severe illness which can lead to long term debilitation. It is also completely preventable by simple and fairly inexpensive means and for that reason, it falls within the scope of what is considered under the Health and Safety at Work Act as “reasonably practicable”. This means that several other sets of regulations are applicable, not least the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and Management of Health and Safety at Work (Management) regulations, which place requirements on anyone in control of a premises used in any enterprise to establish the degree of risk of Legionnaires’ disease at those premises and, if it is significant, to prevent or control it. What usually follows a Legionnaires’ disease risk assessment is a report making recommendations to carry out minor repairs or modifications to the water systems and to operate a regime sometimes known as the Kingston Controls, which involves using only suitable materials which do not yield nutrients (which is required by law anyway); maintaining at least moderate cleanliness of

Water management requires the right balance between preventing harmful bacteria from forming with other issues such as wasting water


Professionals in health, safety and riskExtensive training portfolio

Envex can provide you with:-• ACOP L8 compliant legionella risk assessments• Responsible Person and staff awareness training based on L8 & Healthcare technical memorandum HTM04• Managed remedial works and ongoing maintenance of water systems• Auditing of contractors, development of policies and procedures etc• Occupational hygiene and safety services (consultancy and extensive range of IOSH, NEBOSH, CIEH or bespoke training courses)• Asbestos surveys with laboratory back-up and proprietary management software

Why choose Envex? • Our consultants have a wealth of knowledge covering risk, health, safety and occupational hygiene• We are a flexible, client focused company able to provide practical cost-effective solutions from experience • Consultants are trained in project management and are able to manage large projects• National coverage – part of the PHSC plc Group

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the water systems (which seems far more reasonable than not doing so); maintaining control over the temperature of both cold and hot water (the cold arrives cold enough most of the time, and heaters and thermostats keep the hot water hot) and; not allowing water to stagnate (when the occasional Legionella bacterium which may be present in the mains water or from trace contamination within the system can multiply to dangerous levels). This regime is effective and sounds quite simple, but there are, in the real world, complications.

A WASTE OF WATER?To keep cold water cold in warm boilerhouses, plantrooms, service voids and occupied space requires not only good insulation (which only slows and does not prevent heat gain), but also displacement to remove any water which has warmed and replace it with fresh. This is not a problem where systems are well used, but if there are areas which are underoccupied and times between terms when there is little or no demand for water, the classic Kingston solution is to flush water to drain weekly to compensate. Is this wasting water, contrary to the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations which replaced the Water Supply Byelaws in 1999? Keeping hot water hot requires even more insulation than keeping cold water cold and the heat losses help create the warm spaces which heat the cold water. The same issues of underuse arise and the solution of flushing seems to waste energy as well as water. And if that is not enough to undermine faith in the regime, the temperatures required to control Legionella have the potential to scald. So this leaves the person in charge with a set of regulation-backed conflicting requirements with environmental considerations for good measure, all in the context of preventing an especially nasty disease: the resolution is as simple as it is difficult, just as might be expected in the real world. The person in charge is considered to be

responsible, so he or she is expected to be able to make and implement decisions. In fact, this person should be senior enough to hold a budget, to place contracts or make appointments and to ensure any contractors or appointees carry out their duties fully and correctly. Such a person would also be expected to be capable of considering risks in the context of other risks or environmental issues and to strike a suitable balance. Let that person consider the conflicts in turn.

FLUSHING WATER TO DRAINThe regulations make wasting water an offence, but they do not prevent usage and they are not prescriptive about what constitutes usage. Flushing water to drain to preserve its quality could quite reasonably be considered usage, as the water was being used to preserve the quality of the water being consumed by users. If there are no users, for example when an area is mothballed, repeated flushing over a prolonged period (for example more than 60 days) would probably be considered wasteful. So the person in charge has to decide whether to decommission the system or mothball it, secured against unauthorised use and reinstate it when it is needed. If flushing moderate amounts of water to drain is using, not wasting, the water, reason demands that it is using, not wasting, energy. In fact,

flushing with hot water can have a disinfecting effect. The issue of heat loss from hot pipes and raising the temperature of service spaces is easily moderated with more insulation and adequate ventilation, options which are more often not taken either because installation works are not adequately specified and supervised or on cost grounds than for any good reason.

SCALDINGThe hands of a normally fit and healthy person are not very susceptible to scalding in water up to 60°C because the time required to sustain a clinical injury is several seconds and the pain for the first few of those seconds is difficult to bear. Small children, the elderly and infirm may be at considerably greater risk and dedicated mixing devices should be used at washbasins, baths, showers and bidets to protect them. Other parts of the body are also more susceptible to scalding and showers usually have some temperature limiting device. But even when these were less common, real injuries were very rare among the normally fit and healthy. In conclusion, water managementis serious, requiring specialist assessment and a measured regime of controls to strike the right balance between risks and other issues; otherwise this superbly crafted and precious essential of all life will show just a little too much of its real world potential.



Legionnaires’ disease is frequently fatal and even when it is not, it is a very severe illness which can lead to long term debilitation. It is also completely preventable by simple and fairly inexpensive means and for that reason, it falls within the scope of what is considered under the Health and Safety at Work Act as “reasonably practicable”

Versatile experts in water treatmentQUA ENGINEERING SYSTEMS LTD has over 25 years’ experience in the water treatment industry.

As experts in the design and installation of Ultraviolet water disinfection equipment for drinking water and chemical dosing systems for swimming and hydrotherapy pools, they also offer their expertise in a range of services for the control of legionella. As registered service providers with the Legionella Control Association, Aqua Engineering can offer legionella water testing via a UKAS accredited laboratory and can carry out risk assessments and reviews of existing

arrangements. Full back up and support services are provided and Aqua Engineering can carry out cyclic tests and checks to ensure clients continue to comply with their obligations under the L8 regulations. Tank cleaning and disinfection services are also available, on an individual or contractual basis.


For further information and advice on how to comply with the HSE regulations, or to arrange a consultation, please contact Aqua Engineering Systems Ltd. On 01524 66512 or e-mail us via [email protected]

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8578 Health Business FP 7/4/10 10:14 Page 1



SAFETY IN SURGICAL PROCEDURES

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) Safe Surgery Saves Lives initiative began in 2008 and has seen more than 200 national and international medical societies and ministries of health working together to reduce avoidable deaths and complications in surgical care. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) supports the WHO initiative and is working with key organisations representing perioperative professionals – including AfPP – to take forward work in the UK. The scale of the issue is dramatic. 301,368 incidents were reported in England between 1 April and 30 June 2009; representing an increase of 44,626 incidents compared to the previous quarter (256,742 incidents in January to March 2009). 22,180 incidents were reported in Wales between 1 April and 30 June 2009, this is an increase of 8,527 incidents compared to the previous quarter. These incidents vary hugely from incorrect treatment or procedure to misplaced patient notes. Not all of these incidents are serious

but some have led to patient harm or death and many could have been prevented. Diane Gilmour, president of the Association for Perioperative Practice, commented: “We want to make surgical safety everyone’s highest priority and include practical suggestions to achieve just that. Our membership represents all those working in operating theatres and so we particularly welcome the emphasis on encouraging a culture of safety embracing the whole surgical team.” AfPP is strongly supporting the Patient Safety First campaign. This campaign is led by NHS clinicians to help NHS clinicians. Its cause is to ‘make the safety of patients everyone’s highest priority’ aiming for ‘no avoidable death and no avoidable harm’. The campaign has identified a series of interventions in healthcare that can improve patient safety. These areas for improvement are:• Leadership for safety• Reducing harm from deterioration• Reducing harm in critical care

The Association for Perioperative Practice reports on the introduction and benefits of the Safer Surgery Checklist and the Patient Safety First campaign

PATIENT SAFETY

ABOUT AFPP

The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) is a registered charity working to enhance skills and knowledge within operating departments, associated areas and sterile services departments. It aims to enhance the quality of care in the NHS and the independent sector throughout the UK. AfPP also works to encourage the exchange of professional information between members and cooperation with other professional bodies. These include the Departments of Health in the UK, the Perioperative Care Collaborative, the medical royal colleges, Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) of all four member countries, Skills for Health and many of the British Safety Institution Committees and other groups set up to discuss specific issues related to perioperative care.

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• Reducing harm in perioperative care • Reducing harm from high-risk medicines The campaign encourages trusts to sign up to its aims by introducing at least two of the above interventions.

SURGICAL SAFETY CHECKLISTThe perioperative intervention concentrates on two areas – reducing surgical site infection and the introduction of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist. The checklist has three main elements – sign in, time out and sign out. Each of these elements contains a simple set of questions for the whole perioperative team that ensures that the whole team knows

one another, the patient and the procedure that is to be undertaken. The checklist ensures that any complications which might occur are anticipated at the outset. During the sign in part of the checklist the identity of the patient is confirmed as well as the procedure to be undertaken, the body area where the procedure is to be applied and checking that the patient’s consent has been obtained. Other checks are made on areas that might cause a problem such as the patient having airway problems and the potential for blood loss. Before any skin incision, the time out section of the checklist is used. All the team introduce one another by name and role.

The surgeon, the anaesthesia team and the nursing team all report on any critical events they anticipate during the procedure. Finally, before the patient leaves the operating theatre the checklist ensures that all the instruments and swabs have been counted out to ensure they tally with those that were counted in. This reduces the chances of equipment being left in the patient. A review is undertaken of the equipment and the procedure to ensure that any concerns are logged and action taken. Through the reliable implementation of the Surgical Safety Checklist significant improvements in outcomes for patients as well as a better and more efficient working environment for staff can be realised. All over the world, including in the UK, healthcare workers are proving that patient safety can be greatly improved and many complications or harm events that were previously considered unavoidable actually are avoidable. They are in fact, redefining what is acceptable in terms of patient safety. The checklist was designed for international use so there may be some items that are already accepted or essential practice in the UK. Therefore local organisations are adapting the checklist to their local context. It is recognised that there may be some rare emergency situations where stopping to use the checklist may not be appropriate. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) mandated all health trusts in England and Wales to adopt use of the checklist by February 2010.

Diane Gilmour, President of the AfPP

FIVE GOOD REASONS WHY PRACTITIONERS SHOULD USE THE SAFER SURGERY CHECKLIST

1. The WHO Checklist is a tool to improve perioperative safety for patients. From 1 February 2010, as a minimum, the checklist will be used for all surgical interventions in England and Wales.2. All clinical staff groups report major improvements in the ability to perform their role, the reduction of incidents and improved team- working and communication where this has been successfully introduced. 3. Adding briefings before the list starts and de-briefings after the list ends significantly enhances the safety benefits and team performance.4. The time invested throughout the list on briefing, the WHO checklist elements and de-briefing, should be considered an essential part of professional practice. The universal experience is that more time is saved by improved communication than is spent achieving it. 5. The checklist is not a simple tick box; it is important that teams enter into the spirit of the checklist as a tool to achieve cultural change.

All over the world, including in the UK, healthcare workers are proving that patient safety can be greatly improved and many complications or harm events that were previously considered unavoidable actually are avoidable. They are in fact, redefining what is acceptable in terms of patient safety

PATIENT SAFETY

DEVON MEDICAL LTDUnit 6, Stile Way Business Parklower Strode Road clevedon, BS21 6UU, UKPhone 08445710012 | Fax 01275 873436Mobile 07801 [email protected]

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Project Management Service for the Sale and Disposal of Medical Equipment Devon Medical offer an efficient service which not only includes the sale and disposal of ct + MRi, but also co-ordinates removals and returns of leased equipment.

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Devon Medical disposes of equipment in accordance to new guidelines introduced in January 2007 for Waste electrical and electronics equipment (WEE) Certification from the Environment Agency.

Over 96% recycling of materials recovered including plastics and glass at premises that have iSo BS en9001/14001/18001 accredited facilities. thesepremises also have ea aatS at all treatment plants.

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DDC Dolphin HTM testing services

DC DOLPHIN is dedicated to excellence and innovation in

dirty utility room design, equipment manufacture, installation, testing and servicing. With 20 years experience, we provide comprehensive and meaningful advice and support throughout the planning, design and specification of new or existing facilities, and enable you to meet modern infection control standards. HTM 20 30/01 01 validation is the core of the washer disinfector service and maintenance programme that DDC Dolphin provides regularly to hospitals across the nation, thus helping to reduce the possibility of HAIC. Its nationwide team of 28 validation engineers (TPs) is claimed to be the largest in the UK dedicated to dirty utility equipment. DDC Dolphin’s engineers are trained and accredited by Eastwood Park (NHS Training Centre) and are subject to regular re-certification. They are equipped with the very latest HTM testing equipment and can carry out testing on all manufacturers’ machines. Our specialist validation

engineers are trained to interpret test results correctly, complete test records and product HTM reports to a high standard. The excellent training our validation engineers receive is reinforced through regular commissioning stage validations, weekly and quarterly testing and annual revalidation to HTM standards in leading hospitals across the country. DDC Dolphin also provides breakdown and repair services with rapid response and, to prevent problems, we have a range of preventative maintenance contracts.


For advice or a quotation for services contact Alan Hyde Tel: 01202 731555 E-mail: [email protected]

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QUALITY SOLUTIONS FOR SAFER SURGERYAT CAREFUSION we help our customers measurably improve patient care by focusing on two of the biggest issues affecting healthcare, medication errors and healthcare associated infections (HAIs). With its headquarters in San Diego, California, CareFusion was officially launched on 1 September 2009 and employs 15,000 people in more than 20 countries worldwide bringing together a range of products and services trusted by hospitals around the world.

INFECTION PREVENTIONHAIs are one of the biggest issues affecting healthcare today and a core focus for our business. One in seven of all HAIs in the UK are surgical site infections (SSIs)1. ChloraPrep is a sterile, single patient use skin antisepsis system. It delivers the gold standard solution of two per cent chlorhexidine gluconate in 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol to the skin via a unique applicator which optimises the effectiveness of the solution. It is available in two formulations, clear and with tint. A recent landmark study in The New England Journal of Medicine showed thatChloraPrep reduced the incidence of surgical site infections by 41 per cent, compared with povidone iodine2. The tinted formulation of ChloraPrep allows clinical staff to see where they have prepped, which makes it particularly suited to use in surgery. The benefits of ChloraPrep with Tint for surgical procedures are consistent with previous clinical studies which have demonstrated reductions of 62 per cent in catheter related bloodstream infections following the introduction of ChloraPrep3. ChloraPrep is currently the only two per cent chlorhexidine-based product licensed for skin antisepsis prior to medical and surgical invasive procedures in the UK.

OPTIMISED PROTECTION SYSTEMCareFusion introduces its new surgical gown portfolio that allows you to “optimise” your gown usage according to your clinical needs.

Our extensive customer research has told us that comfort, protection and cost are the most important criteria when selecting a surgical gown. Every hospital has a unique combination of clinical requirements based on the procedures it performs. That’s why CareFusion has created its new Optimised Protection System OPS ™ to give you the ideal portfolio that makes choosing the right gown simpler and more cost-effective: • ESSENTIAL™ – adequate protection at lowest cost.• SMART™ – high comfort & high protection. • SMART™ IQ – breathable membrane technology, reacts to increasing body temperature by increasing water vapour transmission

DRAPE TECHNOLOGYTiburon – Tiburon was designed to provide a sterile barrier that is able to withstand robust handling and stress during surgery• Impervious – a unique three layer material construction that provides superior strength and puncture resistance during use. • Enhanced Fluid Control – highly absorbent, with strong tensile reinforcement ensures prolonged and robust barrier performance • Puncture Resistant – a unique three layer material construction that provides superior strength and puncture resistance during use • Abrasion Resistant – an abrasion resistant fabric created by a unique top layer to film bonding, reducing the threat of cross- contamination to you and the patient• Lower Lint – a low linting fabric is created by a unique top layer to film bonding.

CAREFUSION CLIPPER SYSTEMCareFusion Clipper System – now you can glide through hair removal while helping to minimise the risk of surgical site infections with CareFusion Surgical Clippers. You will feel the difference as CareFusion Surgical Clippers remove hair in a single pass for less patient skin irritation

SURGICAL GLOVESSurgical gloves – the Esteem range offers a unique polyisoprene formulation for fit, feel and performance comparable to latex without natural rubber latex proteins or allergens. Esteem is 100 per cent latex and powder free, made without natural rubber latex proteins or allergens to provide extra safety for you and your patient. This range has recently been increased by the introduction of the Esteem Ortho. The Protegrity range offers a unique protection with three-layer design. It is made of natural rubber latex and nitrile The anatomical design is shaped on a Porcelain mould with independent thumb reduces thumb and palm strain.

TRAININGCareFusion provides full nurse led training and clinical support, as well as online educational material that will help you learn more about our products.

Notes1. House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. Reducing Healthcare Associated Infection in Hospitals in England. 10th November 2009. London: The Stationery Office Limited.2. Darouiche R et al. N Engl J Med 2010; 362: 18-26.3. Garcia R et al. Manage Infect Control 2003; 10: 42-9.


Tel: 0800 1513587E-mail: [email protected]: www.carefusion.co.ukwww.bugsonyourskin.comwww.chloraprep.co.uk

Fusing technology and intelligence to improve patient care


PATIENT SAFETY


PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES is an innovative, values based, management and organisational development organisation. We embody diversity in our team and in

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Our work includes coaching senior managers and leaders and running action-learning sets. We are also

assisting NHS organisations to productively manage the current changes. Our wider focus includes Management

and Leadership Development programmes, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, Action Learning, Assessment

and Development Centres, Positive Action and Management Development programmes.

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Career and retirement planning services from Focus for Change

VEN IN TODAY’S tough business environment it

remains crucial to attract and retain the right standard of staff. And having successfully recruited them, enhance their performance and development through quality training. When it comes to the special demands our duty of care imposes, an essential element of any training is careful attention to the wellbeing of the individual. The payback to the organisation is a recognised increase in overall efficiency and – just as important – a heightened degree of customer service. Although each member of the team will have different career aspirations there is within any organisation a common resolve to identify the balance between work and private life. The more uncertain the employment climate, the more important it becomes to set personal goals,

not only to motivate staff but to create a cushion should they face enforced career transition. Focus for Change, with its team of experts in their field, offers a broad portfolio of interactive workshops tailor-made to support management and staff through change and improve organisational effectiveness. Clients drawn from the public and corporate sector, the professions and charities include the NHS, fire services, police and universities.


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leadership training, coaching and team development and that really makes a difference! Our holistic approach ensures that your training and development really does improve the bottom line. Our people – At the heart of our philosophy lies the fundamental belief in the value of the human spirit and the relationships we have with each other. Our relationships with our customers and stakeholders alike mean everything to us so we take great care to provide the support and feedback that is so essential for these relationships to grow. Our programmes are high impact, action and fun packed, practical experiential training and development experiences that are designed to challenge, inspire, energise and enthuse organisations and the people within to change – and through that change process – to grow.

We specialise in:• Leadership Training• Team Development• Coaching • Teambuilding• ILM Accredited Courses


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Make your investmentin leadership count

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conditions it is more vital than ever that your organisation has the best leadership that it can afford. Leadership is a broad subject and unfortunately much of the investment you make to develop it will be wasted unless it is accurately targeted to meet the specific needs and business priorities of your organisation.When it is targeted in this way leadership development becomes a business critical investment – probably the best investment you will ever make. Farsight transforms leadership capability in organisations by delivering high impact, practical and inspirational leadership development programmes. People who experience our

programmes will feel inspired and much more able to take on the challenges they face. Having people in your organisation who have learnt the art of leading at this level will significantly increase the effectiveness of your management team and the success of your organisation. We have developed a ground breaking diagnostic tool that can help you to pin point your business critical leadership development priorities and create the most effective solutions.


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www.healthbusinessuk.comWritten by John Baxter, LSN


ONLINE LEARNING MEETS HEALTH SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

TAKING TRAINING ONLINE is nothing new to the health service. It has been nearly 15 years since the reams of clinical information that once populated vast bookshelves in NHS learner libraries were annotated and placed conveniently online for easy, cross-organisational access at a click of the mouse. With so many learning materials online, NHS staff have increasingly taken ownership of their own professional development and training. However, in the last few years it is fair to say that the NHS has well and truly said goodbye to the days when online learning constituted clinicians downloading PDF worksheets from a central CPD database. Web 2.0 and the ensuing interactivity that characterises this new generation of activity has meant that today’s online learning programmes move well beyond an online resource centre. Organisations are now using virtual learning platforms to deliver whole accreditation programmes and vital skills training. And they are doing it at lower cost than traditional classroom-based approaches, across multiple locations. In the NHS today online learning means that professional qualifications can be delivered with over half of tuition completed online, and learning management systems make it possible for those responsible for talent and development to monitor employees’ progress and ensure all learners are progressing through their required tuition.

THE ERA OF MORE FOR LESSAs the NHS enters the era of more for less, the development of sophisticated next generation learning systems, which blend on and offline approaches, could not have come at a better time. In general terms, these platforms will be essential to delivering necessary training in cash-strapped trusts – and getting as many staff as possible engaged with both mandatory and optional professional development training. More specifically, as trusts work to comply with the World Class Commissioning standards, blended learning is making it possible to deliver high impact leadership and commercial acumen training internally, at a price point that would be simply unrealistic if using traditional classroom-based approaches. Finally, as more cases are revealed of inadequately trained locums and temporary clinical staff putting patients lives at risk, NHS trusts need more robust systems to manage and monitor staff screening and induction programmes. Moving inductions online is a strong first step toward making initial staff training more efficient, while substantially reducing the risk of unskilled clinical staff walking the wards and putting patient safety at risk.With Andrew Lansley’s promise to cut costs in

the NHS through either a hiring freeze or real headcount reductions, training and retaining top employees will become even more critical for trusts to achieve more for less and deliver top quality patient care. When headcount is tight, ensuring future success falls squarely on the shoulders of those responsible for internal talent development, who must identify, train and retain those level staff with the potential to lead their trusts in five, ten, or fifteen years.

FINDING EFFECTIVE PROGRAMMESDelivering high impact leadership programmes to band 2-4 staff carries high cost and resource implications, however. Hence, over the last few years many trusts have struggled to find consistent, effective training programmes to offer lower management tiers basic leadership skills, internal coaching techniques, and management and resource planning. Blended learning can overcome this problem and help trusts deliver leadership training en masse. The Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust uses a blended learning system to deliver the Institute of Leadership and Management’s fully accredited blended learning programmes. The online platform has successfully provided flexible learning to Lancashire Trust’s emerging managers, who are spread over up to 100 locations across the county. The programme combines online courses with classroom based learning, enabling NHS managers to study in their own time, with close and continuous peer support and online tuition from an ILM-qualified trainer. There are advantages to this approach for both the middle managers themselves and Lancashire’s HR staff responsible for talent management. With such geographically disparate staff, the online leadership solution means the Trust’s HR and organisational development teams can directly check the progress of any of their learners at any time. The ability to monitor staff across all locations ensures there is equal engagement in the training, and that no one is being left behind. Within each ILM module, learners are encouraged to progress at their own pace, and to interact with their fellow managers online.

HUMAN ELEMENTHuman contact is still an essential element of CPD, particularly for leadership training, which is why all Lancashire learners have access to classroom-based sessions with professional coaches and mentors. When face-to-face classes are needed, what would traditionally have been a morning session is cut to just an hour. Because theory can be covered beforehand online, the face-to-face learning

focuses on real-life examples, case studies, role play, and other types of practical training. Chris Field, the management development advisor from Lancashire Care Trust, encourages other trusts to future-proof their middle managers by investing in leadership training now. Using the internet to develop a blended learning platform to deliver ILM qualifications allows trusts to invest in their future leaders, even in the midst of major belt-tightening. Chris comments: “As an organisation we are spread throughout Lancashire, and using the blended learning approach has given us the ability to support individuals in their work place and for the tutors to bring mixed groups of staff together at key points of the programme. Trusts have access to Joint Investment Funding for this type of leadership development programme and, given the huge benefits to the Trust we have seen, it is a great way to provide fully funded training for band 2-4 management staff.”

WORLD CLASS COMMISSIONERSThe World Class Commissioning (WCC) initiative has put responsibility for commercial awareness firmly in the hands of individual trusts. And while for the first time in a generation trusts have significant purchasing power and decision-making flexibility, they are also taking on major new responsibilities. As just one element of the multi-faceted WCC, staff training risks falling to the wayside as trusts work tirelessly to achieve compliance. The irony here is that in preparing for WCC compliance, trusts may sideline the very skills training which could support compliance. The Assurance for Competence programme requires that trusts compare their staff skills and competencies against a best practice framework. Because the process can be time-intensive for individual trusts, leveraging technology to offer online skills assessment can make it easy to identify in which skill sets and competency area individual trusts are falling short of the national standard. Web 2.0 inspired online assessment tools are currently being developed to help trust talent managers analyse and review their staffs’ competencies online. These tools will allow HR and talent management directors to directly compare their staffs’ skills and knowledge against the Assurance for Competence requirements within WCC policy. Once trusts have identified where knowledge gaps exist, blended learning can then deploy trust-specific learning and reference material necessary to bring staff in line with WCC standards. For instance, in our experience, commercial awareness is often one of the

As the NHS enters the era of more for less, the development of next generation learning systems, which blend on and offline approaches, could not have come at a better time

TRAINING

Having spent many years working for large healthcare recruitment agencies, the founding directors of Red Professional Locums strongly believe in the need for a personalised, partnership approach to healthcare recruitment which is professional, reliable and cost effective. Red Professional locums ultimately centre its company ethos around the relationship between agency, client and locum. For this partnership to be successful it must always be professional, open and realistic. Red believe our ability to listen and then provide tailor made solutions for all your recruitment needs will establish a successful long term working relationship with both our clients and candidates.

Red is built with highly experienced individuals who have worked in the healthcare market for many years. Our team are fully able to effectively manage all levels of volume business such as SLA’s, specific recruitment drives as well as ad hoc requirements and want to inspire you to have complete confidence in our ability to provide you with Locum cover as and when you need it.

At Red we strongly believe that one size does not fit all and that both clients and candidates are unique, each having their own specific reasons for using a locum agency. Our aim is simple; to identify yours and help you achieve your objectives.

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A Partnership Approach for best value resourcing

major skill sets trusts initially struggle to bring into line with WCC best practice. Using online learning platforms, trust managers can first identify the specific elements of commercial acumen lacking amongst its senior leaders, and then provide trust-specific online resources and tuition to bring leaders up to speed with the Department of Health’s recommended approach to procurement, resourcing, efficiency savings, and other commercially-minded skill sets. The WCC was conceived in order to help the NHS run more efficiently and achieve more for less. This represents an institutional step change for many trusts, and proper commercial training is simply an acknowledgment of the major cultural shift that the health service is now asking of its staff. Interactive, user-friendly tools that allow individual trusts to deploy tailored training programmes to help employees meet national best practice are critical to widespread WCC compliance and to really reap the benefits of the WCC approach.

ONLINE INDUCTION ACADEMIESTrusts that rely on locums and other temporary clinical staff to deliver patient care face a constant flux of incoming talent, all of whom need lengthy and time-intensive inductions, not to mention a robust screening process to ensure they are fit to practice. For locum-reliant trusts, such robust induction processes can become both expensive and unwieldy. This is a third area where new blended learning technology is having a major impact on patient care, while simultaneously reducing the HR team’s workload and increasing the quality of the employee screening along the way. Online screening, testing and inductions will not just save lives, but also hold the promise of saving resources. New employee inductions are a vital, if somewhat formulaic, tool of the HR function. Getting staff on board with the

NHS ethos and working practice is critical to maintaining service levels. In the health service, these inductions should always be paired with necessary skills screening, which test locums and other clinical staff for required language skills and applicable clinical competencies. The current system remains largely paper-based and relies on individual HR managers to identify necessary screening procedures for each new employee. In practice it can lead to inconsistency in how the screening is applied, leaving trusts open to incompetent or under-trained locums on the ward floor. With some NHS trusts experiencing annual staff turnover of up to 12 per cent, the volume of new employees in need of induction and screening can create an unnecessary burden on HR staff resulting in inconsistently administered inductions. To avoid this, trusts should capitalise on new technology to bring the entire induction process online. Rather than running decentralised, departmental induction programmes, blended approaches streamline a trust’s induction process, meaning all new employees receive an auto-generated check-list of induction and screening requirements, based on their NHS band and the work they will be responsible for in the trust. For clinical leads who regularly employ short-term locums and other temporary staff, online induction processes can be integrated into the agency’s screening process, meaning new staff will have completed their necessary competencies tests and basic induction activities before even clocking in for their first day’s work. The States of Jersey Health Department, which experiences high staff turnover due to location, is considering plans to launch a fully blended online Induction Academy. The scalable system will give instant access to screening and induction material relevant to each new member of staff, from across the

whole of the trust’s administrative and clinical functions, alongside standard organisational information and directives, ultimately saving on recruitment and induction costs. With a user-friendly interface, the trust and new locums themselves will be able to access a list of outstanding screening tests and inductions specific to their role. The system will not allow employees to enter the workplace until these assessments have been successfully completed, going a long way towards eliminating the human error typically to blame when incompetent clinical staff are allowed to practice.

BRINGING THE NHS INTO 21ST CENTURY NHS trusts face a fundamental challenge: transforming themselves into lean, competitive, and patient-centric organisations that will be able to deliver world-class care under increasingly tight funding streams. Effective, interactive blended learning solutions can play a huge part in effectively managing this transition. Whether the goal is to build staffs’ commercial awareness, reduce risks through robust locum induction, or to deliver leadership qualifications to middle managers, blended learning is increasingly the platform of choice. Interactivity, real-time access, personalisation, and flexibility all separate modern blended learning programmes from the cumbersome, static online libraries of the past. As the NHS looks to achieve more for less, blended learning will be critical to maintaining positive staff engagement and organisational momentum.

John Baxter is the head of public sector learning and development at LSN, the experts in learning and skills provision.


Web: www.lsnlearning.org.uk



TRAINING

Bespoke e-learning for health and social careHRINKING BUDGETS and stretched workforces are placing increasing demands on training and

development. Innovative solutions are required; e-learning offers a cost effective method of delivering consistent and effective training, on a flexible basis, to large staff cohorts. Learning Industries has been working with public and private sector health and social care providers for over ten years, providing specialist e-learning solutions and development services precisely matched to the needs of the sector. The company has a growing client list, including government agencies, NHS and private sector healthcare organisations, social services departments and police services, within the UK and overseas. Working in partnership with our clients, we

design, develop and deliver high quality bespoke e-learning courses and management systems to meet individual customer specification or adapt existing packages to reflect local requirements, policies, procedures and working practices. Our portfolio of over 50 health and social

care e-learning titles covers corporate and clinical induction, statutory and mandatory training, pharmacy and medicines management, information governance, human resources and safeguarding. Our e-learning courses can be delivered via our own, or any third-party Learning Management System; to provide evidence of uptake, completion, attainment and compliance for individual users or for any area within an organisation. Learning Industries has received awards in Britain and Ireland for our contribution to improving patient safety.


Call: 029 20647032, e-mail: [email protected], visit: www.learningindustries.com

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LAK LOCUMS MEDICAL RECRUITMENT AGENCY

Professional working relationships in a professional working environment

LAK Locums was established in September 2008. We have over 10 years Medical Recruitment experience and specialise in providing Doctors and GPs into NHS Hospitals and GP Practices. We work very closely with all of our Doctors and Trusts throughout the UK ensuring that we can provide a first

class service at all times. We pride ourselves on the quality relationships we have built over the years and are often complimented on this aspect of our work. We offer a 24 hours day service as hospitals are 24 hours and so are we!!!!!

Please contact Louise for any further informationTel – 0113 237 9690 Email – [email protected] Web – www.laklocums.co.uk

TechNET IT Recruitment Ltd has recently been approved as a Buying Solutions Supplier for non-medical temporary and permanent resource. We specialise in all aspects if IT recruitment and have a proven background recruiting into PCT’s and NHS Trusts. Please view our website www.technet-it.co.uk for further information regarding our services.



RECRUITING AND RETAINING A TALENTED WORKFORCE

WITH THE PUBLIC SECTOR FREEZE on pay, a squeeze on recruitment, and new limits on skilled migrants entering the UK, health service managers will be wondering how to keep their brightest staff and fill the knowledge gaps left when senior staff depart. They may also be looking at how to find top talent to help them innovate and manage change. The planned phasing out of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHA), as proposed in the government’s recent white paper, will also be a talent issue. NHS Confederation acting director Nigel Edwards said the transition to GP commissioning will need to be carefully managed. “It will be essential to avoid a talent drain from primary care trusts; now is the time for strong leadership at a local level,” he said. Strong leadership and staff engagement are the two key elements I believe the NHS needs in order to recruit and retain a motivated and talented workforce in these challenging times.

THE LOOK OF STRONG LEADERSHIP At NHS Employers’ annual conference and exhibition last year, Heather Rabbatts, former executive deputy chairman of Millwall Holdings Plc and Millwall FC, and one of Britain’s most influential women, summed it up nicely, speaking passionately about the importance of communication and respect when leading organisations through difficult periods of change. According to Heather, the art of leadership and management essentially involves three elements:• Simplicity in what you’re trying to convey and what you want people to do.• A sense of tactics and an ability to read the game, adapting to changing circumstances.• Communication and motivation.The coalition government has made it clear that they want to see clinicians and frontline staff empowered to make the changes needed in the NHS and there is good evidence that engaged staff have a lot to contribute to improving productivity and spearheading innovation. This means the NHS will need to step up its game in these areas, but we have a solid base to build on. A recent report from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) on leading change in the public sector suggests that, contrary to their stereotype, public sector managers are ready for change and motivated to find ways to reduce spend, while

maintaining quality of services. However, they are worried about team morale, quality of organisational leadership and communication. The ILM concludes: “Senior managers in the public sector need to spend time and energy connecting with the people they lead, communicating with them and making themselves as visible as they can.”

STAFF ENGAGEMENT AND MORALENHS managers quizzed at the NHS Confederation’s annual conference in June put maintaining staff morale at the top of the list of concerns that keep them awake at night. It was also one of the top concerns identified in the ILM study. Staff engagement is intrinsically linked to morale and NHS Staff Survey results show us that NHS organisations with high scores in staff engagement tend to have better quality outcomes, overall good performance on HR practices and better results in the patient survey. So staff engagement is a critical ingredient for an effective health service and will become even more important as the focus narrows on outcomes over processes

and empowering staff at the frontline. NHS Employers has placed an increasing focus on helping employers to improve staff engagement over the last few years. Our March webinar on staff engagement during tough times emphasised that the NHS had good levels of staff engagement, but there was more that could be done to harness the energy of engaged staff to jointly tackle challenges in the health service. In particular, staff engagement efforts need to be ongoing and sustained. While various engagement models and techniques could be used, a common theme in good staff engagement is the involvement of staff in key decisions facing the organisation such as reconfiguration of services, dealing with deficits and productivity improvements. NHS Employers’ top tips for staff engagement include:• Make a case for staff engagement on the grounds of impact on patient care and organisational performance.• Show commitment from the top.• Make staff engagement a critical catalyst for progress on productivity

Supporting and retaining talent becomes even more important when faced with making big savings and weathering change, says Karen Charman, head of employment services at NHS Employers

RECRUITMENT

Karen Charman



Healthcare recruitment and supplier solutions

URSING SOLUTIONS Limited was established in

1999. The company offers a wide range of professional services to clients in their homes as well as to the wider healthcare sector. Most people are familiar with the fact that agency nurses regularly supplement staff at local hospitals, nursing homes and even prisons. As a Nurses and Domiciliary Care Agency we are a vital resource both in the community and within the public sector in ensuring service needs are met in a manner that enshrines both quality and professionalism. We will provide appropriately qualified professional staff for personal care, domestic assistance,

nursing related tasks and 24 hour service. Professional staff will assist with “home from hospital service” to bridge that vital gap during recovery from illness. We are a buying solutions supplier for the NHS and the public sectors to supply all bands of qualified nurses and non medical non clinical personnel.


Please contact us on 01934 522022 – we will be delighted to explain to you the full range of our services.E-mail: [email protected]: www.nursingsolutions.co.uk

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Healthcare staffing solutions from Starlight

TARLIGHT Employment Agency Limited is

an independent nursing consultancy. Owned and run by highly motivated, skilled and experienced nurses, we are located at the heart of Manchester in Droylsden. We provide permanent and temporary nursing care, care assistants, domestic and cleaning staff to clients who are registered with Care Quality Commission. Temporary staffs are available for an immediate start. When you welcome Starlight Employment Agency as part of your team you will enjoy the incentive of lowering recruiting costs, reduction in personnel and administration costs, and improvement in the quality of healthcare staff caring for your patients. We operate our own business and will strive to meet

needs of our clients. Starlight Employment Agency is your temporary and permanent staffing solution. We promise to provide excellent services.


Tel: 07577 959688Fax: 0161 3013113E-mail: [email protected]: www.starlightemployment.com

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Linea – your trusted consulting, training and recruiting partner

HE LINEA GROUP is a complete business solutions

provider for cost effective, sustainable process improvement and cultural change programmes. Founded in 2004 and based in the North West of England, Linea Group has built an enviable reputation for consistently delivering tailored, fully integrated consultancy, training and recruitment services to an impressive array of clients operating within the public and private sectors. The company’s strength lies in its core values of leadership, excellence, integrity and accountability coupled with an impressive network of trusted industry contacts. Linea Group believes clients seeking experienced professional resource need a partner who understands the unique aspects of their business and can deliver timely solutions, perfectly matched to their needs.

With strong backgrounds in the NHS, public sector, financial services, retail and supply chain, the Linea Executive team and professional network have first hand experience of the challenges faced by their clients, which gives them a unique perspective that few others have. Linea Group prides itself in not only delivering a first class service but also on providing cutting edge market insight and advice to their clients.


Tel: 0845 6801095Fax: 0845 6801096E-mail: [email protected]: www.Lineagroup.co.uk

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Service tailored to help meet your targets

HETHER YOU ARE looking for a solution to deliver HPV

or swine flu programmes or need to provide your service users with at-home complex care solutions, Advantage can help. Our national accounts team work with Primary Care Trusts, GPs, local authorities and hospitals to deliver end to end programmes which allow you to achieve your targets. We are not just providers of staff. Our service can be tailored to meet your exact requirements including advice and support to set your programme up, through to developing operational specifics to ensure it runs smoothly. Alternatively if you already have your programme arranged, we will make sure you have the correct staff to deliver it.

In terms of complex care, we have primary care specialists across the country, all of whom are very experienced in setting up and delivering adult or paediatric complex care packages, long term and end of life care, care for those with head or spinal injuries and renal care to name but a few. Your account will be individually handled with regular reviews and appraisals to ensure only the best of care is delivered.


To find out more about our range of services, contact us on 01952 278 318 or visit www.advantagehealthcare.com for further details and case studies.

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individuals on the programme.• Review the nature and composition of your talent programme to ensure the right mix of formal training and other development opportunities (eg, networking and mentoring).• Consider how you can make the most of the people on the programme, such as stretch assignments or mentoring.

TALENT PIPELINEBurton Hospitals Foundation Trust is several steps ahead in terms of growing its own talent for the future. Its approach to succession planning involves hiring young talent with strong management potential and developing them through the trust’s own internal graduate scheme. The trust identified a gap in the available successors for core middle management posts and wanted to find people with the right attitudes, abilities and beliefs to lead the trust in the future. While it had always supported the national graduate scheme, it felt that a more locally focused scheme would mean that the talent developed would stay with the trust beyond the length of the scheme. Not only is the scheme cost-effective, it is beginning to make inroads in terms of changing the trust’s culture and

introducing new ways of working. Roger Smith, associate director of human resources, told us: “We were keen on finding people with the ability to manage people. We want people who can bring out the talent and best in others so that instead of having one person who does things well, we’ll have one person who can support, develop and challenge ten people to perform.” Graduates are recruited through a challenging assessment centre and interview process before being appointed by the trust. Each year, the previous year’s recruits become mentors for the next cohort of graduates and this approach has now been adopted as one of the cornerstones of Burton’s people strategy. Across the trust, low absence rates and below average turnover are testament to the effort made to develop talent internally and keep hold of it. The trust also recognises the value of diversity in the talent mix, working hard to accommodate disabled members of staff, making workplace adjustments to enable them to contribute to the work of the trust.


Web: www.nhsemployers.org/talentmanagement



and quality, not a separate timeline.• Support first level line superiors to create an engaging style of leaders.• Seek to involve staff in the critical challenges that are facing your organisation.• Use information for the staff survey to identify the scope of the staff engagement challenge and benchmark your performance and progress.• Review and improve communication methods and, in particular, be seen to respond to staff concerns even if they cannot be acted upon.Find out more on www.nhsemployers.org/staffengagement

GOOD TALENT MANAGEMENTA recent report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) looks at what good talent management feels like and how organisations can leverage this to get the most out of their top talent. They suggest that business leaders should:• Agree the business goals and strategic intent behind their talent programme and ensure this is communicated.• Demonstrate visible leadership and commitment from the business.• Encourage and support line managers to take their role in supporting

RECRUITMENT

BL HAS BEEN AWARDED a place on the recently launched Buying Solutions Framework Agreement

non-medical, non-clinical, resources – which offers access to the supply of temporary, fixed term and permanent staff to the NHS and public bodies in England and Wales. BBL Technical is a specialist recruitment consultancy supplying temporary, contract and permanent staff, and has a successful track record in the supply of administration staff to the public and private sector. Our involvement in the public health sectors include the on time and efficient supply of staff to local, health and education authorities. Choosing BBL Technical as your staffing partner means that you not only get an excellent service, matching to your requirements every time but we can also bring down your agency costs. Our promise to you is that we will only send you someone’s details if they closely match your criteria and after we’ve pre-vetted/interviewed and checked for compliance. All candidates are fully briefed on the vacancy details before we submit their CV to you. You will have an assigned account manager who, like most of our staff, has worked with us for many years. Our starting point will always be to make sure that we understand your requirements fully and will work relentlessly to ensure we

achieve “best fit” within your department. We are currently able to supply all categories of staff in the following disciplines;• Administration/clerical/secretarial• Senior business and administrative management• Library services• Health records• IM&T, information and communication technology• Project management• Public relations/customer services/PALS• Estates & maintenance facilities• Stores & logisticsWe know that within the NHS you have specific/specialist requirements for each department – ranging from unique processes to different computer systems. Our candidates are

sourced from a wide variety of backgrounds and industries and we are therefore able to cover requirements no matter what system is being used. These will include:• PAS• EPR• Choose and book• Millennium Cerner• RiO


Should you have any current requirements for staff or simply require more information about the service and savings that we offer, please do not hesitate to contact:Sharon Rai ([email protected]) or Dave Curtis ([email protected]) on 020 85149124 who will be happy assist you.

BBL Technical Recruitment awarded Buying Solutions Framework Agreement

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Bariatric equipment for hire or purchase

ARTRAMS has supplied

a full range of bariatric equipment into hospitals and nursing homes for many years, offering a highly professional and efficient sales and rental service to both the public and private healthcare sectors. The ‘B1000’ Bariatric bed, which expands in length and width to accommodate patients of up to 71 stone, is supplied complete with a swing-away trapeze and weighing scales. Special, ultra-strong fold-out bars and a lowest height setting of just 39.5cm greatly assist ease of access/egress and overall patient safety. Quality bariatric static and dynamic air-mattresses are also available to hire or buy. Our range of ‘Barton’ Rehabilitation Chairs with optional lateral transfer system, offers a comfortable, safe, dignified and truly “no-lift” solution to the lateral transfer of any patient up

to seventy one stone; also thereby significantly reducing the risk of staff manual handling injuries. It offers unlimited reclining positions and a “tilt-in-space” facility to assist lymphatic drainage and pressure relief respectively. Other bariatric equipment available to hire or purchase from Bartrams include a drop-sided armchair, gantry hoist, walking frame, commode/shower chair and a range of wheelchairs.


Tel: 01353 775757Fax: 01353 777791E-mail [email protected]: www.bartrams.net

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Specialist medical and home care beds

CTION ASSIST LTD, established in 2000, was

specifically set up to supply Specialist Medical and Homecare beds to the healthcare sector. By working closely with healthcare professionals and assessing individual client needs, we are able to provide the best solution available. We are fully committed to providing comprehensive after sales service and advice. Our ongoing evaluation of new developments ensures we are in a strong position for the future. Our portfolio of products includes: • Euro 5002 twin profiling Double bed – with two independent sleeping surfaces • Euro 3802 Ultra low bed – variable height starting at just 20cms • Euro 3002 Bariatric bed – available in a range of

widths from 110cm to 160cm • Bariatric Matresses – including dynamic airflow and memory foam. All our beds are fully profiling, height adjustable and have a comprehensive range of accessories. They also look fantastic and would enhance any bedroom setting. Our sales consultants and agents have all undergone extensive product training and are well placed to offer expert advice to our customers. We trust that our confidence in our products and our ability to respond to most situations combine to give you, the customer, the level of service you would expect from a specialist company.


Tel: +44 (0)1977 689400 Fax: +44 (0)1977 689401 E-mail: [email protected]: www.actionassist.com

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www.healthbusinessuk.comWritten by Neville Rigby and David Haslam, National Obesity Forum


WEIGHING UP THE OPTIONS

ARE WE STANDING ON THE THRESHOLD of a brave new world of streamlined health delivery where bureaucracy (aka management) disappears at the wave of a wand? Or are we teetering on a precipice facing a steep descent into a slough of despond, with a chaotic free-for-all of willing providers presenting GPs with

a bewildering array of competing services? However one may perceive the catharsis the National Health Service is about to undergo, it is clear already that GPs, who have enough to do struggling to deliver basic frontline medical services, will have to acquire new business skills and devote more time to exercising

them. In a recent Pulse poll, less than half of GPs felt ready or confident enough to take on commissioning budgets, and two-thirds had no experience of significant commissioning. Only one in six admitted to having any experience of budget management. The majority felt it would be wrong to push ahead with the timetable for full GP responsibility by 2013.

THE COMPLEXITY OF OBESITYWhat has this to do with the realm of obesity and its array of related chronic diseases? It wasn’t so long ago that the alarm was sounded over burgeoning present and future health service costs due to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity across all ages. Professor Sir David King, then government chief scientist, gathered a potent mix of scientific expertise behind the Foresight Report, explaining in

If we are to avoid the huge cost burden obesity places on the NHS, medical prevention and management must be adopted as central strategies

OBESITY MANAGEMENT

If we are to avoid Foresight’s dire scenario, the whole ethos of primary care needs to be revised. It must incorporate medical prevention and management approaches as central strategies, recognising that the prevention of the chronic complications of obesity has long-term cost benefits

Mobility aids and disability equipment

E HAVE MANY YEARS of experience

in supplying mobility aids and disability equipment to both the general public and the NHS Through continuous research into consumer needs we clear focus on quality, resulting in an innovative and quality range of wheelchairs, mobility and healthcare products We offer many high-quality wheelchairs at great prices for all types of users, from small children to bariatric patients. Bariatric wheelchairs are designed specifically for heavy individuals, our wheelchair will

cope with the extra weight

strain

with style and ease. The extra wide wheelchair’s have reinforced frames up to 450 kg (70 stone) with seat width from 22 inches to 32inch Optional extras: Elevating leg rests, head rest, amputation support, hemiplegic armrests (restrains arms during fits to prevent injury), seat safety belt, oxygen holder and special cushions We stock a comprehensive line of products for immediate shipment, in most cases, if your order was placed before 12:30pm your product(s) will be shipped the same day (Monday - Friday).


Tel: 0845 867 4918Fax: 0845 867 4917E-mail: [email protected]: www.just-good-prices.co.uk

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Solent Scales – the medical weighing equipment specialists

S MEDICAL weighing specialists and members of

the UK Weighing Federation, we understand that supplying state-of-the-art weighing equipment enables health organisations to provide the most accurate care and advice to their patients. We work with the following organisations:• Health Authorities • NHS and Primary Care Trusts • Hospital Clinics and • Government Laboratories We ensure they have the most up-to-date weighing equipment that is Class III approved, contains the appropriate approval marks and is the right scale for the right usage. As authorised suppliers of SECA and a wide range of other scales manufacturers, we can

provide advice and supply medical weighing equipment such as baby scales, bed scales, chair scales, personal scales, wheelchair scales and more. Plus, we offer service and calibration facilities in Southern England to preserve the value of your equipment. We are also able to deliver to anywhere in the UK – all of our weighing equipment is within recommended LACORS guidelines – ensuring accurate results every time.


To find out about Solent Scales’ nationwide delivery of competitively-priced medical equipment, go to www.solentscaleservices.co.uk call 02392 484558 or e-mail [email protected]

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The ultimate Bariatric Package for hospitals

NCORPORATED in 1993 Nightingale is now a

leading manufacturer of hospital beds and supplier of bariatric equipment to the NHS under the NHS Supply Chain Framework Contract for Beds, Mattresses, PAC & Cushions awarded 1 March 2009 for two years. This contract covers both sale and hire of our equipment to the NHS. The company is UK based, operates from two distribution centres and provides a 24/7 service throughout mainland UK, delivering rental equipment on average within four hours. Our product range includes our own ProAxis Plus bariatric bed which is designed for the management of patients up to 318kgs, along with a range of chairs, commodes, wheelchairs, walking aids and hoisting systems all selected to ensure optimum compatibility. Nightingale has successfully introduced the Bariatric Package

for the rental market whereby all the equipment required for an individual patient can be ordered with one call, at a substantially reduced rate for immediate delivery. At Nightingale the team is always striving to the highest levels of service possible and we constantly monitor our customer feedback to ensure we offer a customer experience second to none.


Tel: 01978 661699Fax: 01978 661705E-mail: [email protected]: www.nightingalebeds.co.uk

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Prism Medical UK – new Healthcare Division

RISM MEDICAL UK is the UK subsidiary of Canadian

based Prism Medical Ltd. Prism providers specialist equipment for the safe moving, handling and bathing of the mobility disadvantaged within their homes, long term care or acute care environments. In the UK Prism currently employs over 250 staff based across nine sites. New product development and manufacturing is carried out at three of the sites. The Healthcare Division has been established to meet the specific moving, handling and bathing requirements of acute hospitals and special schools. Based in Portishead near Bristol, the Healthcare Division is able to offer an extensive range of ceiling

track hoists, aluminium mobile lifters and assisted bathing equipment all designed for heavy repetitive usage in hospitals and special schools. A comprehensive range of slings and accessories are also offered. All are supported by a large dedicated team of installers and preventative maintenance engineers across the UK.


Prism Medical UK Healthcare DivisionSuite B4, Kestrel Court, Harbour Road, Portishead Quays, Bristol BS20 7ANTel: +44 (0)844 9802278 E-mail: [email protected]: www.prismmedical.co.uk

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taxpayer who is still picking up the tab. The reality facing politicians, planners and physicians is that unlike smoking where those concerned can stop overnight if they have the willpower, it is impossible for a large part of the population to wish away overweight and obesity. On present form we are on track to reverse past achievements in diminishing the impact of CVD, and may see an increase not only in type 2 diabetes, but in its more severe consequences including more limb amputations and blindness. By shifting the onus to GP commissioners to cope with (and plan for?) the rising tide of obesity-related disease, are we assuming that they will be willing to spend from their budgets now, to save someone else’s budget later? Governments and health managers have been markedly reluctant to display this level of altruistic behaviour, so this reliance on the GP’s lack of self interest involves an extraordinary leap of faith. Even if there are better incentives to deal with weight management and chronic disease prevention, there are simply too few GPs and too many patients needing to access limited services. A better solution is needed.

THE NEED FOR TRAININGCertainly the outcomes framework must not shy away from the challenge of addressing obesity. That means that GPs, who should have some training and at least a modicum of knowledge on the issue themselves, need to be able to find suitably reliable and qualified providers to deal with the often complex nature of obesity management. The government’s White Paper puts great store in effectiveness of treatment and care provided to patients, the safety of treatment and care, and in assessing the broader experience patients have of treatment and care. There is therefore a need to ensure that patients in need of weight management do not find themselves left in the hands of people without proper training or competence. A kite mark of excellence in service delivery is the minimum a health consumer should be looking out for, and is something the National Obesity Forum is planning to provide.

WHAT TO DO?What of the delivery side? In the inclement climate of health service upheaval and economic uncertainty, which health business can be confident in taking the strategic decisions requiring the long-term investment needed? Providers must ensure the capital infrastructure

is in place to manage the inevitable further growth in obesity-linked hospital cases – which have already risen five-fold in a single decade. In strategic planning terms, there is already a solid cohort of people who have spent their entire adult lives being obese. Given that we now have one in five adolescents completing their rite of passage into obese adulthood, with no expectation that this will change over the next decade, adult obesity is more likely to continue to rise than subside, and the consequent health problems will be multiplied. By middle age they are already more likely to put a heavy strain on health service provision than others; in particular the morbidly obese need in-patient treatment for longer. While everyone has been looking the other way, morbid obesity – defined by NICE as well as WHO as having a body mass index of 40 kg/m2 or above – has been rising. The Foresight Report – in an uncharacteristic oversight – sought to downplay morbid obesity, questioning whether the UK would ever emulate the USA in the “superobese” stakes, but it at least provided the caveat there may have been insufficient time to estimate the future growth. The obesity statistics already show that there has been a 50-100 per cent increase in morbid obesity among middle-aged women in recent years. REALITY CHECKA simple reality check should remind health service providers of the importance of taking a long hard look around the wards, rather than merely poring over statistics on their desks. Even the most punctilious 9-5 administrator would do well to look in on an understaffed ward at 2 am when a single nurse is confronted with a 200kg patient, who needs turning to avoid bed sores. The increasing burden is already well documented by the number crunchers. Finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of obesity last year totalled almost 8,000 – an eight-fold increase in a decade. The more telling figure for finished admission episodes with a primary or secondary diagnosis of obesity reflects the real scale of the burden; this rose over ten years from more than 21,000 to almost 103,000 cases. The 2009 total was 25 per cent higher than the previous year, with female admissions accounting for about 60 per cent of the cases. In terms of planning for bed capacity as well as human resources, the margin of flexibility (i.e. spare capacity) is probably far greater than competing providers could sustain. When it comes to weighing the options over the White Paper, the future prospect of GP consortia commissioning services from competing providers will present new and significant challenges at a time when the obesity epidemic is likely to increase the strain on resources. Will obese patients in need of a range of medical services also benefit from the excellence that is expected, or will they find themselves again victims of oversight rather than foresight when it comes to their health?


OBESITY MANAGEMENT


detail the complexity of obesity, both as a medical condition, and in public health terms as a societal or structural challenge. To this were added gloomy prognostications of a NHS facing bankruptcy if the prevalence of obesity continues to rise. It comes with a daunting price tag approaching £50 billion by mid-century for the burden of obesity itself, with costly co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and up to one in three cancer cases, not to mention dozens of less fatal, but still costly, complications such as sleep apnoea and osteo-arthritis. If we are to avoid Foresight’s dire scenario, the whole ethos of primary care needs to be revised. It must incorporate medical prevention and management approaches as central strategies, recognising that the prevention of the chronic complications of obesity has long-term cost benefits. Therein lies a problem in the new world of GP commissioning.

MARKETING CAMPAIGNSWe cannot discard prevention and certainly cannot afford to relegate the most significant health challenge of the 21st century to a facile public health education approach such as Change4Life, reliant on the whims of industrial funding, in the full knowledge that such gimmicky marketing campaigns have failed to deliver so many times before. Repetitive hectoring about the responsibility of individual consumers to make healthy choices (i.e. refrain from buying) the very products that the food industry advertises and piles high on the supermarket shelves is not only disingenuous, but also counterproductive and to some extent stigmatising. More importantly we now need the new government to demonstrate a much clearer grasp of the implications of the colourful Foresight ‘obesity system map’, which attempted to disentangle the mesh of factors influencing obesity. What it really demonstrated was that the financial burdens falling upon medical care from obesity- and diet-related illness are in reality what the economists like to call externalities – the invisible on-costs of the system that rewards with vast profits the businesses that deliver cheap and cheerful high-calorie food and beverage products. Unpalatable as it is, there is a parallel here with the tobacco and alcohol sectors that also inflict an enormous burden on our health system. Check out any cancer or CVD ward or look in an A&E department to see the body count after a weekend binge. It is the

Will obese patients in need of a range of medical services also benefit from the excellence that is expected, or will they find themselves again victims of oversight rather than foresight when it comes to their health?

Barry-Wide can provide you with a flexibile solution to your motability needs.

At Fieldmaster Ltd we believe each chair should be tailor made to fit you properly.

Standard power wheelchairs are not designed to cope with the heavier person.

The Barry-Wide can be built to your exact requirements with-out the need to compromise your comfort or safety.

We can build Barry-Wide to cope with weights above 40 stone, complete with stand assist, recline and tilt in space to provide maximum effect and stability.

[email protected] www.fieldmaster224.co.uk

Fieldmaster LtdUnit 11, Four Ashes Enterprise Centre

Latherford CloseFour Ashes

WolverhamptonWV10 7BY

Tel. 01902 798633 Fax. 01902 798433


EQUIPMENT NEEDS OF A BARIATRIC PATIENT

LEVELS OF OBESITY in the UK have been rising steadily over the last 20 years and this trend is expected to continue. This has caused more admissions of bariatric patients to hospitals and therefore the need for specialist equipment is greater now than it ever has been. Unfortunately, due to financial implications or storage problems, it is not always a viable solution to have stocks of specialist equipment in place at a hospital. Rather than purchase, many hospitals choose to rent specialist equipment. Every day, the NHS and its emergency departments are faced with a wide range of situations, mostly run of the mill but often situations arise that require special training, staff or equipment. On the whole, there are protocols and tools available to deal with these situations in a safe and efficient manner. One of these abnormal situations for an NHS emergency department is the admittance of a bariatric patient. It is widely acknowledged that a bariatric patient is usually defined as a patient of over 160kg [25 stone] with a BMI of 40 or more. The increased size and weight of a patient poses a number of potential problems for staff tasked with caring for the patient during their stay in hospital. It is therefore essential that the appropriate equipment is available to ensure the patient is cared for in a safe, efficient and dignified way.

WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE?The equipment available for the bariatric patient varies in quality and suitability, therefore patients must be assessed thoroughly and the correct equipment chosen to best suit the situation. As well as having an adequate safe working load (SWL) the equipment must also accommodate the size of the patient. The equipment must also be easy to operate, have full functionality and above all be a suitable design to maintain the dignity and safety of the patient. Probably the most important piece of equipment when caring for patients of large size and weight is a hospital bed capable of dealing with these issues. There are countless cases of bariatric patients being admitted through emergency departments and there

is simply nowhere to accommodate them. Patients are often nursed on beds that are unsuitable or even a mattress on the floor. This is not a safe or dignified way of treating a patient who may already be self conscious about their condition. Using inappropriate equipment can also raise big problems from a manual handling point of view. A solution to the issue of accessibility and flexibility is Benmor’s Aurum Expandable Bariatric Bed which is width adjustable from 36” (standard hospital bed size) to 48” and can support

patients of up to 414kg/65st. The bed can be supplied with a choice of foam or dynamic air mattresses to combat the pressure sores and other pressure related skin problems associated with patients of this nature. This four section bed can be articulated into numerous positions including Trendelenburg, reverse Trendelenburg and chair positions. Other features include an emergency CPR function, integral linen tray and an optional integral weigh scale system. The benefit of a width adjustable bed is easy access from ward to ward and it can also be used as a standard sized bed when there is no bariatric requirement. SEATINGAnother consideration when nursing bariatric patients is specialist patient seating. Chairs with higher weight capacities and larger widths will be required to ensure the patient is as safe as possible whilst still being comfortable. Benmor

Medical offers a range of chairs including bespoke riser/recliners, static armchairs and high dependency chairs all of which are available with a variety of sizes and weight capacities to suit the patients individual requirements. Toileting and hygiene are important aspects of bariatric care and must be considered when selecting appropriate equipment such as bariatric bed pans, extra wide commodes, shower chairs and shower trolleys. With bariatric patients, mobility is often

compromised and specialist lifting and handling equipment may be required to move the patient. A range of

gantry hoists and mobile hoists together with suitable slings

are available for heavy lifting along with smaller handling aids such as slide sheets and transfer boards for patient

transfers. For more mobile patients, mobility aids such as walking frames,

sticks and wheelchairs are available. Benmor Medical (UK) Ltd is a specialist bariatric solutions company and we offer

a full range of equipment available for sale or rental 24/7, 365 days a year. Our large

fleet of rental vehicles provide us with a full UK coverage and our technicians will provide assembly and positioning of equipment together with full training in its safe use.

Our sales managers are available to demonstrate our products or train and advise clients and users on all aspects of our equipment. We offer a patient weighing facility and can advise on room layout and ergonomics. Our clients are mainly from the NHS and community sector where the Benmor name has become synonymous with Supporting Bariatric Care.


Full details of the extent and range of the bariatric equipment available can be found on www.benmormedical.co.uk Tel: 0333 800 9000E-mail: [email protected]

Benmor Medical (UK) Ltd is a specialist bariatric equipment company that provides a sales and rental service to the NHS and the community


OBESITY MANAGEMENT


Roxym ConsultancyCHANGE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR The ILM report “Leading change in the public sector 2010” identifies a range of challenges facing the public sector.

PART OF THE PROBLEMThese include: Managers showed underlying concern about their bosses’ capability, in particular, over half said senior management did not understand what their teams did. Half criticised senior management’s communication ability. Real concern over senior management’s ability to deal with budget cuts. Over three quarters worried that their senior managers are not up to the challenge. In summary, senior managers need help.

PART OF THE ANSWERTraining and development is not a panacea and one size certainly does not fit all. However, if the ILM’s research is accepted as an initial diagnostic, there is need for training and development. In particular:

1 – Coach senior management to address the above concerns.2 – Develop middle and junior management so that they can support senior management.3 – Evaluate both areas to establish added value.

In summary, all management need to be involved and the change needs to be measured.

THE PROVISIONRoxym Consultancy offers the following services Senior Executive coaching Training and development with nationally recognised academic and vocational ILM qualifications Evaluation design and implementation.

[email protected] Tel: 01283 517366 Mob: 07985 295618

Transcend Group LtdThe Management Specialists

Going Beyond, Excelling, Exceeding Expectations

The Strategic Lean Hospital InitiativeIf you want to make positive improvements to your hospital but, not sure how to complete this task and perhaps need help in this major endeavour and can’t afford the expense, that’s where Transcend Group can help you. The Strategic Lean Hospital Initiative is a new approach to helping the NHS make superior improvements, with no risk or cost to your hospital and the improvements are funded through cost reductions which are cost verifiable.

What we do:1. Undertake Value Stream Analysis of a current process zone and identify the costs associated with those processes. This is validated by a chosen senior officer of your organisation.2. Prepare and present analysis results and improvement proposals with a project plan.3. A team of Lean specialists with NHS experience initiate and finalise the improvements:

Expected Results: a. Well laid out ward improved patient turnaround to achieve the ‘Productive Ward’ b. ‘How we are doing’ measures now in place c. Increased patient observations resulting in swift appropriate actions d. Admission & Discharge now at correct point of the patient journey e. Medical Standard Operating Procedures implemented and used f. Patient hand-over times reduced increases bed capacity g. Critical equipment now fully maintained, more reliable and always ready for use h. Hygiene levels increased and sustained i. Morale of nursing staff vastly improved

4. Undertake final Value Stream Analysis of the process zone to confirm reduction in cost and capacity increase. This is validated by the chosen senior officer of your organisation.5. A one off invoice is raised based on the cost reduction and payment is made by your organisation.

Why not call me, Roger G. Edmonds, Managing Director, 07860 654904, we’ll come over and meet you and discuss further this excellent opportunity for real improvement in your hospital.

T: 01386 446100 F: 0870 [email protected] www.transcend-group.comDe Montfort House, Enterprise Way, Vale Park, Evesham, WR11 1GS Registered in England 4314346 9 Clive House, 80 Prospect Hill, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 4BS

Business Strategy Lean Manufacturing Leadership Development Business Improvement Techniques

RHG Consult Ltd

RHG Consult design, develop and deliver interactive e-learning solutions that engage and inform audiences. Our speciality is Health and Safety and Management Development.

Why choose e-learning:

• Saves time• Saves money• Engages learners• Offers “bite size” learning• Tracks learners progress

Accident Investigation Manual Handling Interactive DVD Health & Safety DVD

For an informal discussion please:-

Tel: 0845 603 9311 or Email: [email protected]

Visit our website to explore examples of our e-learning solutions

www.rhgconsult.co.uk



WORKING OVERTIME

IN MAY, the findings of the Whitehall II study suggested that working 3-4 hours overtime per day can adversely affect coronary health, leading to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. This is just one of the many claims that have been made about the effects of fatigue on people who work long hours. It’s long been understood that working long hours and taking too few breaks can impair judgement, increase stress and lead to physical and mental illness. But for some people – such as those who work in the healthcare industry, where it’s essential to provide round-the-clock care – it might seem as if long hours and overtime are unavoidable. It might not seem much, now and again, to take on extra overtime – especially when healthcare facilities are short of staff, patients need caring for and a little extra money would be handy for staff. But without proper rest, healthcare workers run the risk of lapses in attention, impaired decision-making, and delayed reaction times. Indeed, the Healthcare Workforce portal points to research by the University of Warwick in conjunction with Coventry and Warwick Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which found that “less tired doctors make fewer errors in the care they give to patients and that their pattern of working, along with the number of hours which they work each week, make a significant contribution to improved health and safety for both patients and doctors”. It is, however, possible to manage working hours and shift patterns to make sure staff, as well as patients, go home healthy and well. Regulations are now in place to safeguard employees in all sectors, and the healthcare industry is continuing its efforts to improve the working patterns of shift workers and help to safeguard their health.

REGULATIONSThe European Working Time Directive (EWTD) has been part of UK law since October 1998, implemented with an opt-out clause under the Working Time Regulations 1998. The regulations set minimum requirements for working hours, rest periods and annual leave. The goal of the directive is to safeguard workers’ health and safety by ensuring that every employee gets adequate rest and breaks. Generally, the Working Time Regulations entitle employees to:• 11 hours continuous rest in every 24 hours • 24 hours continuous rest in a seven day period, or 48 hours in 14 days

•

Healthcare workers have a history of working long hours. But round-the-clock healthcare shouldn’t have to be delivered by exhausted staff. Darren McDonald, chair of the IOSH Healthcare group, looks at how we can ensure that healthcare professionals don’t overdo it

HEALTH & SAFETY

It might not seem much, now and again, to take on extra overtime – especially when healthcare facilities are short of staff, patients need caring for and a little extra money would be handy for staff. But without proper rest, healthcare workers run the risk of lapses in attention, impaired decision-making, and delayed reaction times



360º feedback surveys for you – provided by 360 is us Ltd

ULTI-SOURCE Feedback, often referred to as “360”,

is widely used in the NHS and in the private sector. It is an inexpensive yet powerful tool used for professional development. We support many Trusts, running their feedback surveys for:• Doctors, as part of their revalidation• Chief executives as an element of annual reviews• Chairmen/women for board reviews• Nurse clinicians/consultants• Line managers We’ll run the whole survey process for you, from design to delivery. Or we can provide you with the survey software tool along with a secure, dedicated, fully maintained website to run web-based surveys yourselves. The software has been in use for over 10 years. The

package costs a “one-off” £600, with a small fee per survey run.


For further information about our services, go to www.360isus.com. For further details and example surveys, or to arrange a free trial, contact us at [email protected] or call Harvey Bennett on 01202 240148.

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Over 50 per cent of managers place lone working staff at risk

RECENT SURVEY of Scotland’s NHS,

Local Authority and Housing Association managers carried out by Glasgow University identified that over 50 per cent of business managers lack detailed understanding of current health & safety legislation, industry standards or service components required in the design of a robust lone worker solution. The survey commissioned by Argyll, UK leader in lone worker services, established current understanding of staff protection methods deployed and the adoption of available technologies. A confusing choice of “providers”, mixed with poor quality devices and a general lack of awareness of solution requirements results in a difficult decision for business managers, poor solutions offered to staff and a potential organisational exposure to prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter & Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

Argyll’s website provides assistance for managers in the form of the new lone worker industry standard BS8484. This standard was adopted by ACPO in February 2010 as the minimum requirement for guaranteeing a police response to any lone worker service. BS8484 was published by the BSI in September 2009 and launched simultaneously during the opening of Argyll’s £1.5m purpose built Alarm Receiving Centre dedicated to monitoring vulnerable people.


Tel: 0870 7501471E-mail: [email protected]: www.argyll-loneworker.co.uk

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Launch of new computerised service

T HEALTH SURVEILLANCE

SERVICES we have many years of experience in occupational health and training. Our aim is to provide your business with professional, high quality, and unrivalled customer care. Health and Safety at Work Regulations place responsibility on the employer to provide employees with occupational health surveillance and training, in order to reduce long term costs and ensure a safe working environment for all. Investing in your employees in order to promote a healthy and safe environment makes good business sense and also reduces the chances of expensive litigation being brought against your company. This is where we can help you. We assist employers in complying with HSE/CQC Regulations and ensure that you maintain your responsibilities for the health and safety of all your employees. Health Surveillance Services would like to bring to your attention the launch of our new computerised service, on Wednesday 8th September

2010, at Dukinfield Town Hall. This will be in the form of a one hour presentation which will feature three guest speakers, including one of Stockport’s leading solicitors, who will talk on employment issues and employer pit falls. Come along to learn how this new system can work for you and safeguard your business. If you are already using our paper health-declaration forms, this demonstration will provide you with all the information you need to revolutionise your HR systems.


We will be sending invitations out shortly, but if you would like to book in advance, please email [email protected] or telephone 0161 456 5339.

A Motivation and morale rise with personal development

AKING THE OPPORTUNITY to

prioritise the development of your staff pays dividends in straightened times. These are the people you rely on to continue to deliver your promise of exceptional service. Evidence shows that personal development delivers a motivated workforce who engage with and are better able to deal with change. Other benefits include increased focus, more efficient use of resources and better customer service. Staff develop robust strategies to reduce stress and manage workloads. Our specialist work with women and older workers helps them take a fresh look at their work/life situation and build a positive future. They set and achieve goals, increase confidence and assertiveness and improve their work life balance. More women move into senior and specialist

roles and older workers value their experience and give more back to the workplace. Our Springboard, Navigator, Spring Forward and Fresh Steps programmes are internationally recognised brands, widely used in the health sector, across public services and beyond. Now is the right time to plan for a successful future and show your people that they are your most valued resource. Improve morale, gain maximum motivation and engagement with targeted personal development.


Tel: 01697 747821E-mail: [email protected]: www.milecastle.co.uk

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efficiency of patient services along the way. “We carried out an audit of all the calls that junior doctors were expected to answer,” said consultant psychiatrist and director of new ways of working Christine Vize in the case study. “We looked at our protocols and our triage systems to make sure that doctors would not be called out spuriously, and we audited their activity both during the day and at night.” The trust found that junior doctors were being called out unnecessarily, and realised that new ways of working – such as allowing nurses to administer some medications – would improve the quality and timeliness of interventions. “Ultimately, one of the main things we learnt from the project was that junior doctors’ time could be used more efficiently,” said Vise. “We have taken steps to address that and made changes to optimise their efficiency for the benefits of service users.”

EDUCATING STAFFWhatever the challenges and business benefits that arise from implementing the Working Time Regulations, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that the health and wellbeing of employees was the driving force behind the directive. For some employees, it may be tempting to grit their teeth and carry on, but educating them about the effects of fatigue on themselves and their patients can go a long way towards ensuring safe and more efficient working practices. IOSH has developed a range of resources to promote health and wellbeing among employees, including our free-to-download publication Working well – guidance on promoting health and wellbeing at work, and our resource database, the Occupational health toolkit. The healthcare industry encompasses a huge variety of professions and institutions, from large hospitals to small GP practices and all the medical, nursing and support staff that work in them. There is no one size fits all

solution to balancing patients’ needs with the legal requirements of the Working Time Regulations, but that balance must be achieved. When it comes to the emergency situations and patient care commitments of healthcare workers, it’s not always possible to down tools the moment your shift ends. If there’s a staff shortage, for example due to sickness, some staff might occasionally have to continue working after their shift has finished. Because they work on averages, the regulations should be flexible enough to allow for this type of situation while aiming to ensure that employees get enough breaks overall. Implementing the Working Time Regulations and ensuring that they’re adhered to isn’t without its challenges – but it can also be an opportunity to review workloads and implement best practice, while ensuring the health and wellbeing of employees and service users alike.

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals.


IOSH resources: www.iosh.co.uk/information_and_resources/guidance_and_tools.aspx

Working Time Regulations: www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workingtimedirective.htm

Healthcare Workforce Portal: www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/working_time_directive.html

Whitehall II study: www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1005/1051205

HSL/HSE research on health and safety and working long hours: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2003/hsl03-02.pdf



an average working week of no more than 48 hours• a 20-minute break in every six-hour work period • four weeks annual leave.If employees work night shifts, they shouldn’t work more than an average of eight hours in a 24-hour period, averaged over seven weeks. They must also be offered a free health assessment before they start working at nights, and on a regular basis after that. If a rest break has to be interrupted or delayed to ensure continuity of care, then the employee must compensate for that by taking a break immediately after the end of the working period. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for enforcing the maximum weekly working time limit, the night working limits, and health assessments for night work, but not for enforcing time off, rest break entitlements or paid annual leave entitlements. The NHS implemented the regulations in a phased programme that was completed in 2009. Junior doctors in training were the last group to have their working week reduced to 48 hours. This happened in incremental stages that saw their weekly hours reduced to 58 hours in 2004, then gradually to 48 hours by August 2009.

CREATING EFFICIENCIESThe directive hasn’t gone unchallenged in the healthcare sector. Junior doctors, for example, have raised concerns that an enforced 48-hour week might compromise their training. This has led to a range of projects within the NHS, including one at the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, which features in a case study on the Healthcare Workforce portal. Seeking to ensure that junior doctors would be able to meet the requirements of the Working Time Regulations, the trust analysed and changed its way of working, improving the

TIPS FOR STAYING HAPPY

1. Keep physically active

2. Eat well

3. Only drink alcohol in moderation

4. Value yourself and others

5. Talk about your feelings

6. Keep in touch with friends and family

7. Care for others

8. Get involved, make a contribution

9. Learn a new skill

10. Do something creative

11. Take a break

12. Ask for help

Source: Making it possible: improvingmental health and well being in England.www.shift.org.uk/employers/lmr/wellbeing/index.html.

HEALTH & SAFETY

These Integrated LCD displays incorporate the Optical touch technology in a bespoke made medical bezel that is sprayed white with a medical environment approved grade paint with a water resistant seal applied around the perimeters of the touch screen area in order to improve hygiene properties where regular stringent cleaning of the screen is required. Other key features and benefits of these medical spec Integrated LCD’s are as follows:

1. Optimum performance of interactive touch element due to minimal pre-touch reaction on the screen surface

2. Optimum accuracy of touch control due to minimal parallax occurring between finger and where cursor reacts on screen

3. Anti-reflect surface coating prevents reflect glare on surface of screen whilst also enhancing smooth low friction touch movement with finger

4. Screen surface coating also resistant to chemical cleaning agents used in hospitals as well as adding strengthen and anti-graffiti properties to the security glass fitted

5. Premium quality LCD panel for market leaders NEC built with sophisticated multistep overheating protection with two temperature controlled fans

6. Highest level of energy efficiency technology from NEC

7. Native 1920 x 1080p full High Definition screen resolution

8. Rugged commercial grade build quality of screen housing and touch screen bezel

9. My-Touch now offer NHS a 3 year return to base warranty with all Nano TouchLCD displays

My-Touch solutions have already been trialed, evaluated and used by the NHS, as well as medical software development companies. My-Touch Solutions and associated technology has been chosen and specified, above all its competition, due to it features and abilities, highlighted above, that proved exceptionally stability and accuracy with its touch function, with minimal parallax and pre-touch occurring, combined with bespoke design and build features that make it the perfect choice for tough and demanding medical environments.

My-Touch Solutions, Chelsea Harbour Studios, Unit 9, 20A Querrin Street, London SW6 2SJTel: 0207 731 8222 E-mail: [email protected]

INTEGRATED MEDICAL TOUCH SCREENSFull HD LCD’s with Multitouch

SIZES AVAILABLE32” 40” 46” 52” 70”

Call us now on

0207 731 8222



DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE INTERNET has transformed the way many of us work, play and even think, its true potential as a learning tool is still being realised. Training is still seen as something that takes place in a classroom with the teacher at the front – with the assumption that everything else is a poor substitute. However, training and HR managers thinking like this will soon be at a distinct competitive disadvantage. The emergence of new, high-quality e-learning material is beginning to illuminate the advantages – and overshadow the negatives – of e-learning. In fact, e-learning is now being seen as a means of delivering flexible training schemes cost-effectively to a large and diverse group of individuals. Forward-looking companies in the financial services and telecoms sectors discovered this a while ago. However, more recently, more traditional organisations, such as parts of the NHS, have begun to uncover its potential. One of these is NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) which has implemented a SkillSoft e-learning platform and discovered that large numbers don’t mean a dilution of quality or impact. Rather, staff enjoy the benefits of flexibility, immediacy and having information at their fingertips whenever it is needed. Because it suits them so well, they are motivated and keen to learn to improve their skills and their work. The NHSGGC made a major decision to include SkillSoft within its range of learning choices. As a result, it invested in a 900-user licence agreement for desktop skills courses including ECDL, Microsoft Office

and other software courses and a further 900-user licences for SkillSoft’s business skills courses, grouped to provide links to all the core dimensions of the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework. To complement this, it also bought 300 licences for Books24x7, offering instant access to the complete text of tens of thousands of relevant books and reports. OPTIONSAs Alex Mowat, e-learning manager at the NHSGGC explains: “People tend to think, ‘I’ve got my personal development plan and I’ve got a development need, so I must go on a course for it’. But the sheer economics of everybody going on a course would be impossible. “Courses are not even appropriate for everyone. There’s a wide variety of options for employees to consider – e-learning; having an experienced mentor; taking responsibility for something they haven’t done before; shadowing a colleague; and, yes, in some cases, going on a course. But e-learning is now undoubtedly a big part of this, either standing on its own or blended as part of a tutor-led course.” The need for personal choice ran right through the entire project and employees were given the option to learn at their desks, in one of the numerous NHS learning centres and even in their own homes. This flexibility really appealed to staff and was partly responsible for the shift in culture which moved e-learning into the mainstream for NHSGGC employees. Just six months on from its introduction, some 400 of the NHSGGC’s workforce have taken

up SkillSoft and the figure is growing rapidly. Early indications are encouraging. Feedback and independent survey results show that employees are “extremely satisfied” with the quality of the learning material and “particularly well satisfied” with the accessibility of the learning. Perhaps a more telling indication of its success is the way employees are actually making time to do the courses. “People will come in early in the morning to do their training or stay an hour later in the evening. It’s completely their choice, but their conscientiousness and willingness is certainly minimising disruption during normal working hours,” says Mowat. Computer courses such as those teaching Excel, PowerPoint and ECDL are popular and are showing good results. SPECIALIST AREASWhile courses in more specialist areas such as project management and Six Sigma are also gaining a following as managers realise just how effective they can be for the business. With e-learning already working well for the NHSGGC, the long term aim is to implement a personal development planning and review process which enables all staff to realise their potential in a planned and effective way. This will demand a broad range of development choices including learning and educational opportunities – and SkillSoft courses will continue to be a major part of this provision. It seems clear that the NHSGGC has found a way to deliver high quality, flexible training that will help create the skills and talent it needs to care for patients now and in the future. But, just as importantly, it has also found a way to motivate staff so they are enthusiastic and diligent about learning, in a way that proves far more economical than traditional methods – a very smart move indeed.


SkillSoft, Compass House, 207-215 London Road, Camberley GU15 3EY Tel: +44 (0) 127 6401950 Fax: +44 (0) 127 6401951 Web: www.skillsoft.com/emea

CONNECTED LEARNINGSkillSoft works with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to address agenda for change personal development challenge



Professional collection services from Lasker

EBT IS A VERY REAL part of running a business;

not necessarily debt that you owe a creditor, but certainly debt that is owed to you by various debtors to whom you have offered credit. In many businesses, it is an unavoidable aspect of daily running. For this reason, it is a good idea to invest in the services of qualified and professional debt collectors. We will assist you in the collection of your outstanding debts from reluctant debtors, whatever that may entail. With debt and insolvency on the increase, it is vital that

your debt is well secured, and at Lasker we offer a comprehensive debt recovery service for all types of business. At Lasker we use experienced investigators and collectors, committed to tracing and debt recovery. Every case is handled personally, adhering to strict procedures. However large or small your caseload, we can trace and visit each debtor, secure payment or arrange repayment plans.


To discuss your requirements please call: 020 71170334 or e-mail: [email protected]

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Asset finance – a solution to NHS budgetary pressures

RECENT REPORT from Siemens Financial Services

reveals £1.85bn of capital is currently “frozen” in the NHS. Frozen capital is the result of medical equipment being bought outright for healthcare institutions rather than financed. With healthcare management required to save up to £20bn over the next three years, one area being examined is equipment procurement and how using alternative finance techniques can improve efficiency, maximise investment and most importantly improve patient care. But in addition to using finance to purchase new equipment, the report also identifies how using finance solutions can release this frozen capital and inject the cash back into the

NHS budget, providing the efficiency savings required! David Martin, Siemens Financial Services Limited UK, comments: “Freeing up frozen capital is becoming increasingly urgent. There now appears to be growing political support in some quarters to introduce not just capping measures, but real-terms spending reductions. Uptake of leasing and rental will be vital if healthcare systems are to afford the most up to date equipment and medical technology, and improve overall efficiency.”


For your free copy of the Siemens Frozen Capital Report or the Siemens End of Lease Options Brochure please e-mail: [email protected]

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Europe’s largest credit management organisation

HE INSTITUTE OF CREDIT

MANAGEMENT (ICM) is Europe’s largest credit management organisation. The trusted leader in expertise for all credit matters, it represents the profession across trade, consumer, and export credit, and all credit-related services. Formed over 70 years ago (in 1939), it is the only such organisation accredited by Ofqual and it offers a comprehensive range of services and bespoke solutions for the credit professional (www.icm.org.uk) as well as services and advice for the wider business community (www.creditmanagement.org.uk). The services offered by the ICM include: Professional membership grades; recruitment agency; conferences and seminars; professional qualifications and unit awards; bookshop; a network of local branches;

consultancy; training; credit management helpline; online services through icmos; credit management magazine and monthly e-mail briefings; member website forums; quality in credit management accreditation; member benefits and discounts; social networking community.


Tel: 01780 722900Fax: 01780 721700E-mail: [email protected]: www.icm.org.uk

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CSI Leasing – the IT leasing specialists

SI LEASING UK is a wholly owned subsidiary of CSI

Leasing Inc., which was established in 1972, and has grown to be one of the largest independent IT leasing organisations in the world. We have offices in Canada, South America, USA, UK, Europe, China, Singapore and India. In FY 2008 – 2009 CSI leased equipment from over 100 different suppliers and resellers CSI provides RV based leasing for Technology Equipment, focusing on IT equipment and Telephony. Our education leasing programme is specifically designed to help schools and colleges achieve their ICT aims and ambitions by providing cost effective means of acquisition.

By entering into an ICT lease with CSI, education establishments can more easily control budgets, keep cash flow flat and enjoy use of up to date equipment at all times. CSI provides ICT leases to over 30 colleges and numerous schools in the UK and references are readily available CSI UK is headquartered in Sheffield, South Yorkshire with a central London office near the City. All CSI’s contracts are flexible and equitable between the two parties and there are flexible end of lease options.


Contact: Chris Lloyd – UK sales manager [email protected] Tel: 07841677241

C



A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH?

WITHIN EVERY INDUSTRY, when it comes to collections there is the requirement for every commercially-minded collections function to balance core activity against customer retention, whilst at the same time demonstrating excellence in customer service. This juxtaposition of opposing priorities is particularly taxing within the healthcare sector as there is an added requirement to balance the need for effective risk and recovery processes against ethical and medical considerations. To suspend healthcare provision mid-treatment – whatever the justification financially – is unlikely to find much favour emotionally. Indeed it is a national newspaper headline waiting to happen. Within the private healthcare industry, collections activity with regard to enforcement of payment terms has to be collaborative and heavily geared towards facilitating, rather than demanding, payment. Bupa UK is a good example of this. Its priority has always been around how to facilitate payment more easily, engendering customer engagement as part of the process.

IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONSBupa UK’s first action has been around improving both the frequency and the content of its customer communications. It now has, for example, a four letter dunning cycle with personalised communication only capturing non-disputed balances; it has fixed

ledgers with collectors individually assigned to customer portfolio to promote stronger customer relationships; and it has customer portal access directly into the collections system – allowing customers to communicate at transactional level within their own account including the ability to record a dispute. To monitor the effectiveness of this communication, it also has an online Billing Survey, checking the temperature to ensure what it is delivering is being understood. As well as customer communication Bupa has worked to improve accessibility for customers to its accounts information. It can now provide customer online access to statements and copy invoices; the online ability to settle an invoice directly via the collections system; and customer online access to manage eligibility lists – for example the customer’s ability to make changes to who is eligible to receive operational service.

BILLING ACCURACYImproving communications is one thing; what is absolutely essential is in making sure the invoice is right in the first place. To this end, again, Bupa has taken action to improve the accuracy of its billing operations. It now has, for example, a workflow based Dispute Resolution system with chained events that escalate if an issue is not resolved within fixed timelines thus ensuring resolution span times are kept to a minimum. It also has an

automated online credit note approval system ensuring speedy production of credit notes. Arguably its most innovative initiative is an invoice validation system, a custom-built technology into which all invoicing data is imported and checked against customer specific formats before being released as a validated invoice to the customer. To give some idea of its success, it has halved the number of Credit Notes (comparing Q1 2009 & Q1 2010) by preventing incorrect invoices from being released to the customer without prior intervention to ensure that customer billing stipulations are met. The system is capable of checking price, products and fixed order numbers. The validation system is also capable of recognising the format (e.g. alpha numeric sequence) of a customer order number and will hold an invoice until the format is checked and the invoice released – a capability that may indeed even be unique in the credit management space. And so to the fourth strand in Bupa UK’s drive to improve cashflow performance: the impact of behaviours and standards on the collections process.

PEOPLE POWERSuccess, perhaps not surprisingly, is largely the result of employing the right people, and making sure they are fully empowered. It is also essential that the collections team has the power to communicate. In Bupa UK’s case, all members of the team have end-to-end knowledge of the customer journey from operational service delivery to payment allocation. All of them have similarly spent time on the operational booking and lead management systems to fully understand how operational service is felt from the customer perspective. Knowledge and training is also critical. Bupa UK’s collections team recently attained Quality in credit management (QiCM) accreditation for its work in delivering best practice. Finally, the work of management in recognising the achievements of the team is key. Harnessing people skills alongside technology to solve issues and generate greater levels of customer service is the utopian world to which we all – in the sphere of credit management – aspire.


Web: www.icm.org.uk

Philip King, chief executive of the Institute of Credit Management, looks at the issues facing the healthcare sector in collecting cash, and particularly how Bupa UK is harnessing people and technology to enhance its credit management processes

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EQUIPMENT LEASING IN THE HEALTH SECTOR

WITH BUDGETS PRESSED across the NHS and no sign of pressure being alleviated for some time, the traditional approach adopted by many trusts in procuring equipment is having to be reassessed. If the thought of leasing is still being viewed by many in the health service as an option of last resort, over the next budget-strapped decade it is likely to become an increasingly mainstream option. OPPORTUNITYProviders of leasing services believe this presents an opportunity to reframe the procurement argument. The NHS often talks about attaining best value and the cheapest price for goods and services, though the two are not always the same thing. By opting for the cheapest price, Trusts can often leave themselves exposed to greater costs further down the line when vital equipment fails to perform efficiently. Real value for money comes from the long-term approach to financing equipment, and this is where knowledge of equipment lifecycle management is critical. If looked at early enough in the procurement process, as part of a long term business strategy, leasing can be highly beneficial. One of the challenges for the NHS will be delivering more for less, and the efficiency of their equipment will be key to achieving this. This means having minimal downtime so that the best clinical outcomes can be achieved consistently and rapidly, allowing maximum earning potential. The speed at which technology becomes obsolete is increasing, and at the same time free market thinking is coming into healthcare provision. As outlined in the Coalition Government’s White Paper on Health – quality and patient choice will be key drivers for healthcare provision – patients will go to where the service is best. Leasing options can help ensure that Trusts have access to the latest, highest performing technology. Consider CT scanners for example: the imaging capabilities are continually being increased and improved. This means faster, more accurate results and crucially better patient care. Under a capital purchase equipment programme it can be far harder to find additional funds to benefit from regular technology upgrades. Utilising leasing can build these upgrades into the equipment lifecycle, funded via revenue budgets, thereby avoiding technology obsolescence and service downtime. This, in turn, protects both

clinical performance and the vital income that well performing equipment generates. Singers Healthcare Finance, a leading provider of leasing services to NHS Trusts, uses its expertise to structure rental periods that enable repayment over the genuine useful working life of the equipment. In a recent deal Singers worked with a Trust for six months, gaining an understanding of their needs for continued delivery of a

specific clinical service, which helped to establish a genuine level of assurance. The Trust was forward thinking about the service they needed to deliver – they knew that in the near future several high value pieces of equipment were going to be necessary to meet both their service delivery and clinical outcome targets. This knowledge enabled Singers to create a solution based on their equipment requirements over the coming years. The solution offered pricing that took into account the larger spend, and a delivery timetable was put in place to meet their growing needs. The bespoke structure met their immediate and future needs whilst providing real long-term value. Trusts often discuss what they can afford, rather than what they and their patients need, and this is where leasing can really help. By opting for a leasing solution the Trust can gain access, via their revenue budgets, to the highest performing technology and benefit from the income it brings at a fixed cost. Leasing is widely embraced by the commercial sector, which can see the benefits of hiring up-to-date, reliable assets that they need in order to consistently deliver the services they are targeted to provide. This approach, whilst still new to some, is likely to be considered more by Trusts trying to deliver an ever-increasing multitude of services from fixed or shrinking budgets.

ABOUT THE COMPANYSingers Healthcare Finance Limited is one of the UK’s leading providers of leasing solutions to the healthcare industry. Founded in 1996, the business designs, builds and implements on and off-balance sheet asset-based funding solutions for all types of medical equipment. Funding is available for the majority of medical and non-medical equipment needed and used in hospitals, with an in-depth understanding of all medical technologies especially within Radiology, Oncology and critical care. The business prides itself on expert knowledge delivered by a team dedicated solely to healthcare finance, which is why over 70 per cent of NHS Trusts and leading private providers lease with Singers.


Get the results you need by contacting Singers Healthcare Finance – Louise Hamiltonor the Healthcare Finance TeamTel: 0800 032 3638 E-mail: [email protected]: www.singersaf.co.uk

Louise Hamilton, head of NHS sales and marketing at Singers Healthcare Finance looks at the benefits of leasing in the current financial climate


One of the challenges for the NHS will be delivering more for less, and the efficiency of their equipment will be key to achieving this. This means having minimal downtime so that the best clinical outcomes can be achieved consistently and rapidly, allowing maximum earning potential

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www.healthbusinessuk.comWritten by Mike Sussman, chairman, BSIA’s Access Control Section


PREVENTING UNAUTHORISED ACCESS IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS

WITH A HIGH VOLUME OF PEOPLE on site at any time, hospitals and residential care homes need to adopt the strictest of security measures. Access control can be used in these premises to ensure that only authorised personnel, such as staff, can access specific areas of the hospital or care home, and this technology is increasingly being used for this purpose.

WHAT IS ACCESS CONTROL?Access control provides the ability to control, monitor and restrict the movement of people, assets or vehicles, in, out and around a building or site. It has a wide range of applications from controlling a single entrance door to a large integrated security network. Access control systems consist of three components. Firstly, there is the physical barrier, which restricts access into a building. This is achieved through methods such as doors being secured by a magnetic or strike lock and turnstiles or speedgates, which are designed to limit access to one person for one card presented. Secondly, there is the identification device, which identifies users

of an access control system before granting access. There are a variety of different devices including a proximity card and reader which uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), at both a short or long read range. Other methods include a smart card and reader, a swipe card and reader, PIN pads or biometric equipment such as fingerprint and iris scanning. This equipment can be used throughout a hospital or care home site, which will only grant access to staff, thereby reducing the risk of intruders. The door controller and software is another important tool in an access control system.

This is used to decide who can gain access through which access point at what time of day and can vary depending on the size of the system and how many readers or sites are being controlled. There are several options when it comes to installing this technology including: a standalone door controller linked to a single door with no software; a number of door controllers all linked together to a single PC to control one site; a number of sites all interlinked together over a wide network area. All three systems are effective and depend on the hospital or residential care home’s requirements.

With expensive equipment on-site and a transient population of patients, staff and visitors, security measures that ensure unauthorised individuals cannot enter restricted areas need to be employed

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Access control provides the ability to control, monitor and restrict the movement of people, assets or vehicles, in, out and around a building or site. It has a wide range of applications from controlling a single entrance door to a large integrated security network

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where it was used can be brought up on the integrated recording timeline. This is done almost instantaneously thus allowing for quick evidential footage retrieval. Furthermore, if one of the break-glass detectors or an infrared alarm is activated, this is also logged into the CCTV footage, which operators can examine straightaway. Since installing the system, crime rates across Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust have been reduced to zero. Another BSIA member was used by residential care home Forest Care, who wanted a greater cost-effective time and attendance system from a good supportive supplier. The BSIA member was selected for its smart card based access control system and this was installed during 2008. Staff from the home received thorough training on how to use the system to ensure the transition was as smooth as possible. Forest Care home has since praised the BSIA member’s system for its reliability and user-friendly technology and claims it has been extremely cost-effective.

FURTHER USES OF ACCESS CONTROLThere are specific features of an access control system, which can further benefit hospitals and residential care homes. These are known as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and fire roll-call software. ANPR is particularly useful on the larger sites where a high volume of staff, patients and visitors are driving in and out of the premises. ANPR will monitor the entrance of vehicles on-site using CCTV-style cameras and computer software, which identify number plates. Some systems will also store photographs of the driver and vehicle for subsequent analysis. This sophisticated software will draw attention to on-site security staff and will enable them to identify any returning cars that are considered suspicious. Furthermore, it allows critical information to be passed to the police to assist in the pursuit, identification and capture of offenders. Fire roll-call software is of paramount

importance to hospitals and residential care homes. In the event of a fire it will automatically generate a report containing vital information as to the whereabouts of individuals inside a building. This software operates via the access control smart card or fob that an employee uses to gain access/exit a building. In the event of an emergency the fire roll-call software alerts occupants while simultaneously activating the report at a safe pre-determined remote point.

BETTER PROTECTION FOR HOSPITALSDue to the nature of the work carried out at hospitals and residential care homes, security is of paramount importance. Access control can greatly assist these premises and ensures that staff, patients and visitors are safe while on-site and any unauthorised personnel cannot access areas that they should not be entering. The ease of merging access control with other security measures is appealing and enables hospitals and care homes to provide even tougher protection for their site. Combining access control with the likes of CCTV or intruder alarms will only increase the likelihood that any impostor will be caught. In recognition of the importance of access control and the benefits it can bring to hospitals and residential care homes, the BSIA has produced a guide to access control for the healthcare sector. This guide is available as a free download from www.bsia.co.uk/publications and searching for form number 293.

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is the professional trade association of the UK security industry. Its members produce over 70 per cent of the country’s security products and services to strict quality standards.


For further information, visit www.bsia.co.uk. The BSIA operates a local rate helpline on 0845 389 3889.



As well as their fleeting population hospitals and residential care homes must take into consideration the high value equipment that is kept on-site including computers, laptops and projectors, not to mention the personal possessions of staff, patients and visitors. Furthermore, an abundance of confidential documents such as patients’ notes will be stored on the premises of the hospital or residential care home as well as a range of medication. Consequently, electronic access control systems are increasingly being used to enhance safety and security in hospitals and care homes to enable access only to the people with the necessary authority. Access control technology can be integrated with other security measures to provide even tougher protection for premises including hospitals and residential care homes. CCTV is a popular choice when combining access control with other technologies and greatly assists the site because if any unauthorised personnel attempt to access a specific area they should not enter, this action will be recorded in the event that the footage is needed in future. Furthermore, it acts as a deterrent because the individual knows that they may be watched in their attempt to enter the concealed area. This would be particularly useful to hospitals and residential care homes in areas where medication, patients’ notes or specific expensive equipment is stored. This integration of access control could also be combined with intruder alarm technology. If unauthorised personnel attempt to access a secure area, an alarm could be triggered drawing attention to that individual in the hope that it will deter them from continuing to break through the barrier. It will also enable security staff to take note of the incident and send someone out to remove the individual.

REDUCING CRIME RATESOne BSIA member was called upon by Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust after they experienced difficulties with repeat offences of theft, robbery and motor vehicle burglaries at its sites and who wanted an access control and CCTV solution. The BSIA member installed CCTV across a network of 11 Derbyshire NHS sites, which linked back to a monitoring station. Across the 11 sites, a variety of 37 CCTV units, infrared detectors and tannoy solutions were installed. The BSIA member also introduced a total of 17 access control installations as well as 24 proximity readers, break glass and infrared detectors. This integrated system provided operators with a quicker and more effective solution and a thorough overview of the entire site’s security. Each member of Derbyshire NHS staff was then issued with an access key. On using the key, the action is bookmarked along with the footage from the nearest CCTV unit. If an access card is stolen and access is granted fraudulently, CCTV footage of when and

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SPARE A THOUGHT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER

THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION of the construction industry – tough men, stripped to the waist in all weathers with jeans slung, perhaps, a little too low – has for years belied an ugly truth that lay at the heart of UK’s largest employer: those rough, tough men were sick. Often exposed to life-threatening hazards on a daily basis, on-site injuries were seen as a rite of passage; men (and women) were exposed to a variety of unseen hazards ranging from asbestos to a variety of other potentially harmful chemicals; the nomadic nature of the business meant that very few workers had ready access to the services of a general practitioner; excessive drinking and smoking were considered an integral part of the after work bonding ritual; and the majority of construction canteens specialised in a single, unifying ingredient – cholesterol. But times are changing. A series of ongoing government and industry initiatives has helped to improve the traditionally poor health of its workforce whilst, at the same time, addressing more modern issues such as drink and drugs misuse. And while some of these initiatives would have been greeted with the derision of the industry’s forebears who eschewed hard hats for flat caps, there is no question that they’re proving effective, simultaneously increasing worker health and industry productivity.

LEADING FROM THE FRONTIn a sector that is built upon multiple layers of contractors, sub-contractors and specialist contractors, the construction industry has understandably adopted a top-down approach to improving the health of its workforce. For more than a decade, the upper echelons of the industry have been blazing the trail for improved worker welfare with an increasingly rigid regime of compulsory health and welfare checks for its own workers. Having got its own house in order, these large national and multi-national concerns are now using their power and influence to insist that the sub and specialist contractors working on their sites follow their health and welfare lead. Indeed worker health checks and, increasingly, drink and drug checks have become a common requirement in the industry’s pre-tender qualification process. In short, if you don’t look after your workers, you’re not working for the UK’s largest and most influential main contractors. And the industry is not stopping there. An

increasing number are throwing their weight behind Constructing Better Health (CBH), a not-for-profit scheme set up by the construction industry to improve the health of its workforce. “During an initial pilot scheme, it was found that approximately one-third of workers had health issues that could affect their work,” says CBH chief executive Michelle Aldous. “In an industry that lost over 1.8 million days between 2008 and 2009 as a result of work related illness, effective management of occupational health is crucial.” Through membership of CBH, members can

access the Construction Health Action Toolkit (CHAT) that allows them to upload personnel information for all their direct employees. This software then compares the employee’s job title with a health assessment matrix to determine an action plan for subsequent health checks. Employees are issued with a CBH card and unique registration number, which employers may then use to access the individual’s fitness-for-task outcome. The database and card access scheme is designed to ensure the effective management of any work related health issues in line with

The construction industry, the UK’s largest employer, has long been perceived as a health and safety wasteland. But all of that is changing, according to Neil Edwards, chief executive of trade association The Builders’ Conference

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sensitive issue because of the many employment implications involved. Securing the agreement of the workforce to the principle of screening is essential, partly because of the practical and legal issues involved. More often than not, organisations in safety-sensitive industries are using random but continuous screening and testing as a way of controlling drug problems. Testing can be by taking samples of breath, urine, hair or saliva, the last three of these for analysis at an approved United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) laboratory. Employers’ legal position on drugs is outlined in a variety of Acts of Parliament. They have a general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees. They also have a duty under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, to assess the risks to the health and safety of their employees. Firms that knowingly allow an employee under the influence of drug misuse to continue working and his or her behaviour places the employee or others at risk, could face prosecution.

THORNY ISSUEThe principal legislation in the UK for controlling the misuse of drugs is the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Nearly all drugs with misuse and/or dependence liability are covered by it. There is further guidance from The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, which has published ‘A practical guide to the key issues in managing employees who misuse drugs and alcohol’. It includes: developing a policy, recruitment – including health screening, providing support and taking disciplinary action, supporting the substance misuser, testing for drug and alcohol misuse at work, and the legal implications. There are appendices with sample policy statements, specific sources of help and advice, model drug and alcohol workplace policies, and risk assessments when employing ex-substance users. Testing can be a thorny issue with the unions, however. Barckley Sumner, a spokesman for UCATT, says the union accepts companies feel the need to introduce drink and drug testing: “However, we believe that all new workers needed to be informed of the procedures before they start work. All existing workers need to be properly informed of the new procedures, they also have to be given the opportunity to pass the new tests. For instance cannabis can remain in the body for three months, so a significant lead in time is required. Drink and drug testing should not be used as a form of intimidation, where certain people are repeatedly targeted, for example trade union activists.”


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recently given a category B classification under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is widely acknowledged that employees whose performance is impaired while under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances are a potential danger to themselves and to others. Yet in addition to the obvious health and safety issues, ignorance of, or a passive approach to substance misuse can have devastating commercial implications for employers. Companies that fail to have in place a robust policy to detect and eradicate substance misuse or rely on an informal ‘understanding’ will miss out where blue chip clients, increasingly, demand a zero tolerance approach.

ZERO TOLERANCEZero tolerance of drink and drugs misuse is fast becoming the norm in the UK construction and allied industries. In the rail industry, the zero tolerance rule is underscored in Personal Track Safety (PTS) training, and random testing for alcohol and controlled drugs is commonplace. More and more names are following their lead and widening the net to include trade contractors in the big crackdown on drugs. For alcohol, the pass limit is much lower than, say, that stipulated in existing drink-drive legislation. For driving the limit is 80 mg alcohol per 100 ml of blood. The limit for rail industry workers is 29 mg. Building Health’s managing director is Nichola Elvy who, as an occupational health nurse, formed the company in 2004. She says controlled drugs are more of a problem than alcohol in terms of the scale of misuse. “We know from our regular screening of employees that some drink a lot more than they should, sometimes 80 units a week [contemporary wisdom advises a maximum for males of 21 units, and 14 for women] but because of the already strict drink-drive laws, and because most people have to drive to work, we find mostly that employees arrive sober. Other substances, particularly drugs such as cannabis and cocaine, are much more of a problem.” Drug screening or testing is, of course, a

any recommendations to protect the health of a worker. In addition, it allows workers to move from different sites without the added costs to the employer of repeating occupational health checks. Using the CBH card, an employer can check that an employee is fit-for-task, but is not permitted access to their medical records. As part of the scheme, CBH also provides a list of accredited occupational health providers who can be contacted with the confidence that they have met the standards defined by CBH.

RANDOM TESTINGHowever, while the sector is making huge strides in addressing underlying health issues among its workforce, it is increasingly being required to focus its attention on issues of a more self-inflicted nature. Six years ago, Screen Safe UK, an accredited drugs testing agency, was called in to test at random the employees at an international construction company. The results were alarming: 100 per cent of workers failed the test. “Even we were surprised,” recalls Matthew Taylor, Screen Safe’s managing director. “But within six months, through promoting awareness of random testing and proper education, the figure was down to between five and ten per cent.” Those initial results appeared to confirm what many in the industry had feared, historically at least: that misuse of drink and drugs was endemic and posed a serious challenge to responsible employers. All kinds of people are involved in drug misuse; they do not conform to any stereotype, making detection difficult. It is why random testing has become, for some companies at least, firmly embodied in their occupational health culture, providing a decisive deterrent to many habitual offenders. But not all. Industry-wide, says Taylor, there remains a stubborn 20 per cent failure rate, and the pattern of drugs misuse is changing constantly: “People will always find new drugs; if one drug is banned, they will find other substances, such as ‘legal highs’ like mephedrone.” Mephedrone was only

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SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR A GREENER HOSPITAL

MALVERN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL is a new build hospital scheduled to open in autumn 2010. It will use advanced renewable and energy efficient technologies to make it one of the greenest hospitals in the country. The 24-bed hospital will utilise renewable geothermal energy for heating, cooling and hot water, using ground source heat pumps to harness solar energy absorbed by the earth. It will also generate low carbon electricity using highly efficient combined heat and power (CHP) that will meet a significant proportion of the building’s needs. Both technologies will work in tandem to improve overall energy efficiency, and are being supplied by Greater-Manchester-based ENER-G (www.energ.co.uk) as part of the eco-friendly design brief set by Interserve, which is contracted by Worcestershire Primary Care Trust to build the £17.7 million new hospital. Capita Symonds is providing building services engineering and BREEAM consultancy

SAVING ON ENERGY BILLSBy generating its own green power, the hospital is projected to save £8,700 per year on its energy bills, and reduce its carbon emissions by 15 tonnes per annum, equating to the environmental benefit of 1,500 trees. The new hospital, at Seaford Court, Malvern Link, will include in-patient and out-patient facilities, x-ray and ultrasound, day rehabilitation and therapies, palliative care and visiting mammography and MRI scans. A minor injuries unit will transfer from the existing hospital, offering increased capacity. The ground source system involves 25 boreholes and two heat pumps with combined capacities of 125kW for both heating and cooling. The combined heat and power (CHP) system is a reciprocating gas engine rated at 33kW of electrical output that will generate 55kW of useful thermal output for the building and the ground loop for the heat pump.

THE TOOLS TO REDUCE CARBONThe NHS is responsible for approximately three per cent of England’s total carbon dioxide emissions and has an annual energy bill of over £500 million. To raise both environmental and cost performance, there is a powerful need to implement effective carbon reduction strategies such as CHP and ground source heat pumps. CHP reduces greenhouse emissions drastically by capturing the heat output that is wasted in conventional power generation. CHP electricity is around one third of the price charged by conventional UK suppliers and cuts carbon by around 20 per cent.

Paul Bates, chief executive of Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, said: “We are very proud that our state-of-the-art hospital will be so eco friendly. Reducing our carbon emissions will also save us money in the long term, which means we can spend our money where it matters, on patient care.” ENER-G’s durable ground ground loops have a life-span of some 50 years. Turnkey delivery of individual heat pump projects hinges on ENER-G’s unique in-house resources including its own specialist designers, drilling rigs, drilling technicians, mechanical installers and project managers. ENER-G has won certification for its expertise in renewable heat pump technology. The Approved Contractor certificate recognises the quality of ENER-G’s design, supply, and installation of ground source heat pumps, in line with exacting technical standards set out by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). Alan Barlow, managing director, ENER-G Combined Power Ltd, said: “It is very satisfying to combine these two sustainable technologies

to help the hospital provide a secure and reliable source of energy that will reduce both costs and carbon emissions. We are very proud that our technologies will be at the heart of this flagship new community hospital.” Peter Grove, director of building services engineering at Capita Symonds said: “From the outset of this project the stringent client brief in terms of energy and CO2 reduction would require maximising the use of current technology. A combination of CHP and ground source heat pumps were implemented to achieve this. This scheme is expected to obtain BREEAM rating Excellent.” Rob McGregor, project manager for Interserve Project Services, added: “ENER-G is a global leader in sustainable energy technologies with a wealth of experience in the healthcare sector. They bring valuable expertise to this exciting project which will be a centrepiece for the local community.”


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DESIGN & BUILD

BE A PART OF THE BEST SHOW

THE BEST SHOW (BUILT ENVIRONMENT Solutions & Technologies) is the new innovative exhibition for the construction industry taking place from 18-20 October at the NEC in Birmingham. Replacing Interbuild Specifier, BEST will bring together construction buyers and sellers from all over the country, acting as the port of call for those who are looking to showcase their product, gain industry opinion, interact with peers in the market and enjoy a high level free seminar programme. With a focus on “more for less”, BEST will demonstrate how to achieve maximum efficiency whilst reducing costs. Building on the legacy provided by Interbuild Specifier, BEST promises to deliver innovative solutions to real problems in the construction industry. Split into eight different areas, the show covers a wide variety of aspects within the construction industry – from residential to commercial property, to low carbon solutions and retrofitting. DEDICATED HUBEach area will have its own dedicated Hub, with market leading organisations, such as Land Securities, Barratt Homes, DECC and Catalyst Lend Lease issuing challenges to the industry via these areas. Manufacturers will have the opportunity to showcase innovations which can help meet these challenges, whilst contractors, specifiers, and construction clients can debate how best the industry can respond through a series of seminars and project case studies. These challenges will focus on retrofitting, education, housing and other areas where there is a real need for the UK construction industry to deliver solutions to its challenges. As reported by Paul Morrell, the government’s chief construction advisor at the launch of BEST earlier this year, the subject of low carbon remains top of the agenda across the industry. Outlining his thinking on the modernising of the construction industry, public procurement and carbon reduction were the key focus points. The Low Carbon Transition Plan outlined by government sets out a number of targets which should act to mobilise the industry, bringing with it a new set of skills. A proactive approach to a low carbon world will assist in the development of successful relationship across the public and private sector and across industries. As an industry which generates 10 per cent of the UK GDP, the construction industry is a key sector which can assist in the development and growth of a low carbon industry as the government strives to meet their targets. Building on the importance of a low carbon

future, the Birmingham Local Education Partnership (a Public Private Partnership between Catalyst Lend Lease, Bovis Lend Lease and Birmingham City Council) has issued a carbon themed challenge to the industry, inviting the supply chain to demonstrate solutions and products which can help table this challenge live at the Education Hub at BEST – ‘How do we retrofit schools sustainably and affordably to deliver transformational learning spaces, and meet carbon reduction targets?’

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING SPACESThe need to deliver modern, transformational learning spaces that help meet carbon targets in an efficient way is now more important than ever. In order to create successful and inspirational learning spaces, the supply chain needs to work in harmony with developers to suggest new solutions and new materials. The Education Hub will showcase suppliers

and products, as well as featuring a free seminar programme, all linked into the Birmingham Local Education Partnership challenge. Visitors to the hub will be able to hear from speakers including; • Stewart Davies, commissioner for Business, Sustainable Development Commission – where are the opportunities to create sustainable schools? Which materials and techniques could best aid these improvements?• Maximo Martinez, associate director, Space Syntax – How can good school mapping promote effective creativity and learning?• Andrea Sully, senior early years advisor, Somerset CYPS – Bridging the divide between schools and design, what makes an effective learning space and how can we unite teacher experiences and architects’ ideas? • Phil Wilson, executive director, WMCEE – case study: adapting to climate change, making schools resistant to changing and extreme weather conditions Other topics to be discussed at BEST include supply chain innovations that have created cost savings for schools, how modular buildings are revolutionising school building construction and built to last – a case study of durable products

that will last longer and generate savings and delivering retrofit efficiently and to budget. The BEST Show will provide the perfect meeting and learning arena for the industry, assisting in a better quality of conversation acting as a single voice leading debate for the industry. With an underlying focus on procurement, BEST will enable manufacturers and service suppliers to connect with those who actively specify and purchase construction materials and product. INTERBUILD ONSITEBEST will be remain co-located with Interbuild Onsite, the number one exhibition for the building trade catering for general builders, plumbers, electricians and trademens and Glassex which will feature the full spectrum of PVC, timber and aluminium glass products and solutions, covering doors, windows and conservatories. The Infrastructure Show will also take place alongside BEST which will unite the civil engineering sector to meet the challenges of delivering major projects in the UK.


Web: www.best-show.co.uk

BEST – Built Environment Solutions & Technologies – is the new built environment exhibition where innovative products offer practical solutions to real challenges

The need to deliver modern, transformational learning spaces that help meet carbon targets in an efficient way is now more important than ever

Panther Interiors

T. 0845 634 1458 E. [email protected] W.www.pantherinteriors.co.uk

Stunning furniture for offices and reception Call 0845 634 1458

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Cordtape – helping you to meet your asbestos obligations

URN TO OUR HIGHLY trained and professional team

of personnel for all your asbestos requirements; ask for our specialist advice on asbestos surveys and sampling, management of asbestos containing materials, asbestos removal, and asbestos waste management. We are able to work alongside your staff to help you formulate an asbestos management plan that is best for you. We are fully licensed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and are registered by Environment Agency to hold an asbestos waste transfer station license, so we can completely dispose of your asbestos in accordance with all health and safety and environmental requirements. In addition to our 3-year HSE license, we hold CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety), Construction line, SAFE contractor scheme, British Safety Council and are also members of ARCA which demonstrates our commitment

to health and safety at work. Cordtape Environmental Services Ltd is a family run specialist company established over 25 years ago. We provide an efficient and effective service to our wide range of clients who include local authorities, the NHS, demolition contractors, major construction companies, property developers and consultants. Contact us for a confidential and free estimate.


Tel: 0800 0937810Fax: 0114 2444895E-mail: [email protected]: www.cordtape.co.uk

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Everything you need to know about asbestos

ITH OVER 28 years’ hands-on experience in asbestos

management and remedial work Yani Montoya brings a wealth of relevant anecdotes and real-life experiences to his asbestos awareness seminars. Having acquired solid experience as an analyst, surveyor, surveying manager, quality manager, technical manager, and training manager and auditor, a broad perspective is brought to the training seminars and even the most searching of questions can be dealt with on the day! No stone is left unturned in presenting the required syllabus. Yani’s engaging personality and style ensures that even the most cynical and reluctant delegates leave the training seminars with commitment and a clearer understanding of their responsibilities. Yani tells it like it is – warts and all! Over the last three years Yani has presented asbestos awareness seminars throughout the UK and Ireland, Europe, Australia and New

Zealand and is widely regarded as a “safe pair of hands”. Training can be customised, where required, to clients’ particular needs, times, policies and circumstances and can be delivered 24/7!


Tel: 07590 455941Fax: 0115 9191050E-mail: [email protected]: www.ymconsultants.co.uk

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71THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR HEALTH BUSINESS

Visit the website to view the categorised product finder www.healthbusinessuk.com

A leading provider of asbestos services

LLAN DYSON ASBESTOS Services is one of the

UK’s leading providers of asbestos services. Since our inception in 1996 we have earned a reputation for quality, professionalism and excellent customer service. With a wealth of specialist experience within asbestos management and two offices strategically located in Stevenage, Lincoln and Manchester. We are ideally placed to deliver a professional asbestos removal service throughout the UK. We pride ourselves on our rapid response to client requirements and safe work practices across all aspects of our asbestos services. We have provided quality and reliable asbestos services for local authorities, and are no stranger to delivering effective asbestos services within the retail, pharmaceutical and National Health Trust sectors. From site surveys and management planning to safe and efficient asbestos removal and disposal, as a Full Contracting ARCA member we

ensure that quality control and best practice procedures are upheld at all times, in line with Health and Safety Executive guidelines as appropriate. With credentials including ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 quality assurance, CHAS accreditation for Health and Safety, plus Constructionline and Safecontractor registration, we are your ideal asbestos services partner. We are committed to delivering safe, effective and cost-effective asbestos removal and surveying services and are extremely proud of our flawless Health & Safety record.


Tel: 01522 681394Fax: 01522 684320E-mail: [email protected]: www.allandyson-asbestos.co.uk

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Rhodar asbestos removal SAFEguard initiative

HODAR, THE LEADING national HSE licensed

asbestos removal contractor, has launched a brand new and highly commendable H&S initiative – SAFEguard. The SAFEguard theme is seen as Step Change in asbestos removal by raising site standards; it’s designed to ensure that Rhodar works in a safe manner in all that they do. It also ensures that the key elements of their health and safety framework are effectively communicated throughout the organisation in a clear and concise manner and key messages are kept at the forefront of everyone’s mind. “SAFEguard is about behaving in a way that keeps everyone who comes in to contact with Rhodar safe. It therefore covers ourselves; our colleagues; our partners; our customers; our neighbours; the public, and our environment and is being used as a great assistance

to many of our healthcare clients,” says Darren Payne, Rhodar’s group commercial manager He goes on to say: “We’ve worked on many PFI/P21 schemes such as Walsgrave Hospital at Coventry, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals and our current work with the Mid-Yorkshire NHS trust amongst many others has seen us demonstrating how to be a diligent and committed collaborative partner where we can share our vast asbestos removal knowledge.”


Tel: 0113 270 0775 (Head Office)Fax: 0113 270 4124E-mail: [email protected]: www.rhodar.co.uk

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Elliott Off-Site Building Solutions

LLIOTT OFF-SITE Building Solutions, acting as concept

designer and Principle Contractor, has completed the new medical research centre at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) for American drug research company Icon. The company used its hybrid construction system to overcome the many challenges presented by this complex 26 week build programme. Elliott Off-Site was required to work alongside and maintain access to the live X-ray department and to the ‘blue light ‘route for ambulances. Added complexity was created by poor ground conditions and seven weeks of severe winter weather at the start of the year, although the company’s off-site system enabled work to progress when it may have delayed traditional build. Along with the speed and quality advantages of its system Elliott Off-Site demonstrated its commitment to meeting the critical completion date by working two

12 hr. shifts towards the end of the project helping to reduce the final programme by four weeks. “There was an excellent understanding of both the client and end user needs to produce a building of high quality under tremendous time pressure. It was a pleasure working with the delivery team and their help with the surrounding user groups was greatly appreciated and sensitively delivered. Well done on a good job!” said Dan Parry, Deputy Head of Estate Development at MRI.


For more information on Elliott Off-Site Building Solutions, visit www.elliottfastrack.co.uk or call: 01274 863221.

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Premier Facilities Maintenance Ltd

REMIER FACILITIES Maintenance Ltd is a property

and building services maintenance provider, based in the East Midlands. We have established ourselves as a multi trade provider offering comprehensive planned preventative/reactive maintenance for total building services. Since the business was established we have grown from local to regional and national provision. During our growth we are pleased to be associated with East Midlands Ambulance Service for the provision of facilities management and maintenance. We employ skilled and experienced operatives who are trained to current nationally agreed standards, we are Gas

Safe, F-gas registered and are affiliated to the HVCA. We strive to supply our clients with the best possible service provision with individual maintenance packages tailored to suit your specific maintenance requirements. Our helpdesk is provided as a 24/7 call out facility offering a fast response with professional support and back up of our management, administration and technical team, ensuring that a comprehensive level of customer care is maintained at all times.


Tel: 01159 303026 Fax: 01159 445595E-mail: [email protected]: premier-fm.co.uk

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They say ‘knowledge is power’. Well, that’s defi nitely true when it comes to managing your energy costs. The introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Effi ciency Scheme (CRC) means it will become even more important to know what you’re using and how you’re using it.

Adhering to the CRC commitment means understanding your consumption data - and that’s where encompass can help. Encompass is a sophisticated monitoring and targeting software package that help you analyse and optimise your energy usage, whilst identifying opportunities for reducing consumption.

Choose from a range of options to suit your business - from simple reporting with encompass analyst, to more sophisticated functionality and forecasting with encompass professional.

For more information call

0800 072 0019

encompass analyst know your energy, know where you areElectricity usage information that enables you to identify energy waste and helps you to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

encompass manager your 360° energy overviewKnow what you’re using and when with this vital overview. It gives you detailed reporting across your multi-utility metered portfolio.

encompass professional comprehensive energy managementSophisticated functionality is now at your fi ngertips, including intuitive statistical analysis and accurate forecasting and CuSUM analysis, which will assist you in managing your CRC requirements.

encompass - supporting you with your CRC requirements

Telephone Calls: We may monitor and/or record calls for security, quality or training purposes. Calls to 0800 numbers are free for landlines but not from mobiles. npower is a registered trademark and a trading name of Npower Limited (registration number: 3653277), Npower Direct Limited (registration number: 3782443), Npower Northern Limited (registration number: 3432100), Npower Commercial Gas Limited (registration number: 3768856) and associated companies. Registered offi ce: Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, Swindon, SN5 6PB.

npower_HealthBusi_0108.indd 1 03/08/2010 10:23


HEALTH SECTOR AT THE TOP OF THE PREMIER CARBON LEAGUE?

CARBON TRADING MAY SEEM a little esoteric and divorced from the business of delivering health services to the public but for most health sector bodies, 30 September provides a tangible deadline for ensuring that plans to deal with it are agreed and in place. By that date, virtually all UK organisations with half-hourly metering installed must have completed registration for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme with the administrator, the Environment Agency. Those consuming more than 6,000MWh (an annual electricity bill in excess of about £500,000) will have to participate in the scheme – it is mandatory. However, even those using less power – between 3,000 and 6,000MWh – must make a disclosure to the EA to demonstrate that they do not have to take part. Failure to register or make a disclosure by the end of September will result in fines of up to £5,000. The evidence so far is that many organisations are not on target to meet the deadline. If you fit into that category, then ESTA’s advice is – don’t panic! There is plenty of help available, both directly from the government (on the CRC EES pages on the Defra website) and from practitioners and their professional associations. ESTA and its members have a great deal of expertise in managing energy and carbon performance. But do access that help now, as the deadline is just a few weeks away and you will need to gather information and present it in a specific format for the Environment Agency.

INITIAL REQUIREMENTSTo register, you will need to provide details of your qualifying consumption. But this is only the first step. The “footprint year” runs from April 2010 to March 2011. This will provide the baseline against which future performance will be measured. At least 90 per cent of energy use needs to be accounted for, which will probably mean (especially for estates with a number of smaller sites) that records for those without half-hourly meters will also need to be included. Producing the amount of detail needed for the accounts will require significant effort. However, the use of automatic Monitoring & Targeting (aM&T) software systems can dramatically reduce the time and complexity of the process. The initial years of the Scheme, through to 2013, will see a fixed price for emissions allowances: it has been set at £12 per tonne for the initial purchase (there will also be a spot market for any adjustments you need to make against your actual emissions – either selling or buying). After that period, allowances will all be bought at sold at auction or on the spot market; in other words the price will vary

Approaching the first deadline under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, health sector organisations must ensure they have robust strategies in place to minimise costs and optimise benefits, says Alan Aldridge, ESTA

ENERGY


from day-to-day and from month-to-month. One of the key provisions of the Scheme is that the funds raised will be recycled to participants – it is, as far as the Exchequer is concerned – revenue neutral. However, it is not revenue-neutral for participants; otherwise there would be no incentive. So the funds will be distributed in accordance with a league table, rating organisations in terms of the improved energy performance over the year in question. Clearly, an organisation’s position in the league table cannot be accurately predicted as it depends on what others do. But certain steps can be taken. First, the goal should be to achieve improved efficiency year on year. That increases the likelihood of being in the top half of the table and recouping at least your outlay if not more. Second, consider early action measures that will move the organisation up the table in the first few years. There are two such actions which are set down in the Scheme: installation of aM&T systems; and membership of a scheme that delivered quantified savings, such as the Carbon Trust Standard “or equivalent”. The BSI Kitemark® scheme for Energy Reduction Verification, based on the new energy management standard ISO EN 16001, has also recently been approved as has the CEMARS offering – so there are several options. Although the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is a carbon trading arrangement, the emphasis – as the name suggests – is on reducing energy consumption. This is because the simplest way to reduce emissions is to manage energy efficiently. It also has the benefit of reducing costs to the organisation by promoting resource efficiency, which after all should be a core part of anyone’s management strategy. Most organisations will also have some experience of energy efficiency programmes and will be able to get to grips with that aspect of the CRC EES. However, carbon trading is likely to be a new departure for many. Although all participants will have experience in forecasting future operating budgets, buying and selling allowances in a commodity market – which is the essence of Phase 2 of the scheme – may be quite new.

TRIAL EXERCISEOrganisations would do well therefore to carry out some trialling exercises during the first, fixed-price phase of the scheme which runs from now till 2013. What for example would be the impact of future growth, organisational restructuring or planned capital investment on energy demand? These should be examined for their implications in terms of additional purchasing of allowances and for opportunities to reduce

the organisation’s carbon footprint (and thereby limit exposure to changing carbon prices). The CRC EES targets those organisations whose energy bills are a relatively small part of overall operating costs. The current carbon price on the open market is running at about the level of the CRC EES fixed price – i.e. e15 or about £12 per tonne. The principle behind carbon trading is that it encourages carbon saving (or abatement) and lowers overall cost. If the carbon price is £12 a tonne, then if an organisation can make energy saving investments for less than this price, they will do so. If they cannot, they will buy allowances. In Phase 2 of the Scheme, the total number of allowances in the Scheme will be fixed. The availability of top-up allowances – and therefore their price – will depend on how successful participants are in reducing their consumption. If the price rises, it will make investments more cost-effective and release more surplus allowances into the market for others to buy in order to comply with their obligations. There is much discussion in the media and amongst experts about the price needed to drive a step-change in our energy culture. Many observers mention a figure of between £40-50 per tonne of CO2. We may not see that for some time but it needs to be taken into consideration for long term planning. If national and international climate change targets are to be achieved, some extra drivers will have to be found. For those in the CRC EES, the carbon price will not make a major impact on investment choices, at least not immediately. Figure 2 (page 75) gives an indication as to the relative costs to a typical organisation of carbon, energy and overall office costs. There are, though, many cost-effective energy efficiency measures that can be introduced today, even in the face of difficult economic and funding conditions: lighting controls, variable speed drives (VSDs), high efficiency motors and aM&T are just a few examples. More capital intensive measures such

ABOUT ESTA

The Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) represents over 100 major providers of energy management equipment and services across the UK. For more details visit the website at: www.esta.org.uk The Association organises an annual series of free conferences in April and May. More details on the website.

www.elcomponent.co.uk e [email protected] t 01279 503 173 f 01279 654 441Unit 5, Southmill Trading Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3DY

aM&T Sub-Metering SystemsFlexible cost-effective metering for all utilities and every type of business. We have the hardware, software, networking and installation skills to supply the package you need, on time and on budget.

• Automatic data collection and alarm signalling

• Flexible networking options

• Web enabled hardware

• Tenant Billing

Energy Data LoggersEasy to use portable data loggers for electricity and general utility monitoring. Safe, non-invasive.

• All kits supplied ‘ready-to-go’

• Tough waterproof cases (3 phase analysers)

• Simple Windows software

• Available to hire

Power Quality AnalysersHigh performance instruments for the most demanding energy and power quality analysis applications designed and built to the highest quality standards. Supplied complete with the latest windows software.

• All electrical parameters

• THD, Harmonics, Flicker etc

• On-board power for flex CT’s

• Plug-in Memory

• Available to hire

Sustainable energyLeading metering & monitoring specialists

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Systematic Energy. Big on expertise and focussed

on your problemsGet us on board and we can help you to shrink the Telecoms and Energy Bills. We specialise in helping you:

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We can advise you on how to make better use of building services. Better use will result in less waste which means less cost.

Our skills and knowledge will help you to focus on the systems that are wasting your resources and creating an environmental impact that is too high.

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as building energy management systems (BEMS) may be more marginal on simple ROI calculations. But feed in the carbon price, even at today’s level of £12 per tonne, and the figures may look significantly different. It makes a useful exercise to calculate at just what carbon price specific projects will become economic. Keeping these on a “watching brief” will allow energy and facilities managers to decide the optimum moment to propose them to senior management.

TRADE OR TAX?The UK has decided to use carbon trading, rather than a carbon tax, to drive forward its climate

change goals. A flat rate carbon tax would penalise all consumption rather than rewarding appropriate behaviour. At the two ends of the spectrum, both energy-intensive heavy industry and low-income households would be disproportionately affected. A trading scheme like the CRC EES can be tailored to specific sectors and can be adjusted much more easily than an across-the-board tax. The CRC EES employs both a carrot and a stick – but the opportunities are definitely there for those that have a mind to grasp them!

Figure 1. The principles of carbon trading. Both organisations are given an emissions

limit of 50tCO2. Company 1 can make savings more cheaply than Company 2. So it makes sufficient savings that it does not use up all its allowances. It can therefore sell the surplus. Company 2 cannot make savings so easily and it is cheaper to buy the surplus allowances from Company 1. Total emissions remain capped at lowest cost.

Figure 2. As currently set-up, carbon costs and benefit/risk assessment are quite small in comparison to the bills typically faced by organisations for electricity, gas and even running an office.



ENERGY

Figure 1 Figure 2

Saving you money on your energy bills

EDUCE YOUR ENERGY

bills now with our energy surveys and tailor-made energy saving jackets and mats. By using our energy saving products you can protect your building from heat loss as they are highly resistant to thermal transmissions withstanding temperatures up to 1,200 degrees C. The energy saving jackets are oil resistant and waterproof and have a hook and loop velcro fastening for easy application and removal for inspection and maintenance. For external uses the insulation jackets protect your valves and flanges against adverse weather conditions and spillages, and ultimately provide a prolonged life cycle on adjacent motors and other temperature sensitive equipment making them efficient, and also reducing your energy consumption.

We have a team of qualified and experienced engineers who can visit your premises to carry out an on-site energy survey and calculate your potential energy and carbon

emission savings. Following the initial survey we can provide the services of our qualified engineers to install our made to measure energy saving jackets and energy saving mats which are designed and manufactured by our skilled team of workers at our Nottingham based factory. Our clients based throughout the UK and in Europe include hospitals, MOD, local authorities, power stations and bakeries.


Tel: 0800 0937810 Fax: 0115 9700862 E–mail: [email protected] Web: www.cordtape.co.uk

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Tinytag loggers for temperature critical areas

INYTAG DATA LOGGERS provide reliable cold chain

temperature and humidity monitoring solutions in a wide variety of applications within the healthcare and laboratory industries. Tinytags do a thermometers job but also record the data for later compilation and display of results for analysis and validation. Small, lightweight and cost effective, the loggers are ideal for monitoring the temperature in vaccine cabinets and other temperature critical areas. With a large memory and user defined alarms that indicate a breach of temperature, these units can be left to monitor your application for extended periods of time without the need for regular manual checks. Tinytag data loggers are used to: Improve the safe storage of vaccines in accordance with statutory regulations; Monitor temperature of fridges and freezers, cryogenic applications and culture rooms; Record temperature and humidity for independent verification of

ethylene oxide sterilisation; Monitor temperature conditions of highly sensitive consignments, such as blood products or body organs; Record conditions that must comply with Health and Safety regulations. All loggers are compatible with the Tinytag Explorer software; you can easily download, monitor and create reports when you need to. Our new self-configuring, wireless data logging system is ideal for monitoring remote locations such as storage of pharmaceuticals in large warehouses.


Gemini Data Loggers (UK) Ltd.Scientific House, Terminus Road, Chichester,West Sussex, PO19 8UJ, UK.Tel: +44 (0)1243 813000Fax: +44 (0)1243 531948E-mail: [email protected]: www.tinytag.info

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YOUR HOSPITAL LOOKS AFTER US!.....WHO LOOKS AFTER YOUR HOSPITAL?When the stability of your power is critical you need the best attention possible, just the same as people who are sick also need the best attention possible!

To ensure your UPS’s work when they are needed, and your Diesel generator will start when the power fails, talk to Enertec Energy Ltd for all your standby power needs including maintenance, supply and replacement of equipment. Also our services include power quality analysis and power factor correction.

Contact: Ken Neal 01953 498009 or mobile 07890 317904Email: [email protected]: www.enertecenergy.comAddress: Oak Tree Cottage, Shropham Rd, Gt. Hockham, Norfolk IP24 1NJ

Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC)starting April 2010, don’t let the grass grow,be prepared with Elmo-IT utility monitoring

T: 0844 815 6227 W: hanwell.com

• Low cost, wireless/GPRSmonitoring for gas, water and electricity

• Experience savings withinweeks of installation!

• Easy installation

• Immediate breakdown of energy use

Elmo Health Business Advert:Layout 1 25/11/2009 14:45 Page 1



PowerSave Dynamic Voltage Optimisation

OWERSAVE™ is an innovative technology that

helps organisations make some of the biggest financial savings possible on their energy bills by reducing and regulating the mains voltage used to power electrical equipment. PowerSave™ products deliver energy savings of up to 25 per cent – they are proven, highly efficient, and achieve a return on investment with minimal ongoing maintenance requirements. PowerSave™ is a division of UK based Claude Lyons, the longest established company specialising in voltage control technologies. Backed by more than 75 years of experience in the field of high quality power control solutions, the technology is very much of its time as organisations look for new ways to save money and demonstrate their commitment to the environment. With extensive experience in the global medical industry, Claude Lyons works with companies such as Toshiba Netherland, GE China, Varian and Elekta, and hospitals across the UK rely on its voltage

stabilisation technology to protect sensitive medical equipment from power supply fluctuations. Through a comprehensive site survey that includes an equipment assessment, power supply analysis and three-phase electricity logging, PowerSave™ develops a bespoke energy saving strategy for each site that achieves maximum efficiency and stability without disrupting day-to-day operations.


Contact: Oznur LawrieTel: 01992 701556Fax: 01992 788000E-mail: [email protected]: www.powersavetechnology.co.uk

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Delivering cost savings and carbon reduction

DAS IS A LEADING independent

environmental consultancy, providing client focused services that meet the specific environmental and sustainability needs of both the public sector and corporate clients. ADAS uses a robust science base, allied with considerable commercial experience and understanding of the interactions between all the environmental indicators, to provide client focused, innovative practical solutions. Solutions that identify how to save money – improve quality and reduce cost. ADAS teamed up with the HealthSystems Group, who provide the broadest integrated portfolio of eHealth and health informatics services available in the healthcare business, to create a partnership that combines both environmental and health care expertise that will deliver a unique set of practical solutions to the health market in the efficient use of resources – policy into action –

delivering both cost savings and carbon reduction to the NHS. Services include: Energy mapping, waste heat recovery, carbon reduction strategies, renewable energy – wind and solar power, waste management, waste to energy projects, water efficiency, supplier engagement programmes, sustainable food procurement.


For more information contact our NHS account manager, David Lancaster on 01775 680878 or e-mail [email protected]

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Energy efficiency and renewable options

ENEWABLE BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES LTD and

Patrick McCaul Environmental Consulting Engineers form the McCaul Group. This places us in an excellent position of being able to provide technical advisory services to reduce energy usage and cut CO2 emissions using the expertise of a team of experienced mechanical and electrical engineers who are qualified low carbon consultants. The company specialises in addressing the needs of the internal environment by providing consultancy and project management on energy conservation, low carbon design

strategies and the incorporation of sustainable energy systems for both existing and new builds. The company remains dedicated to helping clients find the best solution for their energy needs by offering independent advice as we are not affiliated to any manufacturer, installer or supplier of renewable technologies.


Address: Bankmore Business Park, Bankmore RoadOmagh, Co. Tyrone BT79 0BETel: 028 82251155Fax: 028 82251250E-mail: [email protected]: www.pmccaul.com

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Take control of your energy costs

OW MUCH ENERGY can your organisation afford

to keep wasting every day? Graphite Energy Management will enable you to profile, monitor and control your current energy usage. We design, install and commission all the systems necessary to provide you with the tools essential for saving energy – and therefore money. Graphite is the systems integrator for a number of leading building energy management systems including Tridium and Adam International as well as providing a full AMR service. In addition we have a specialist web based monitoring system called m2i. This consists of an Energy Dashboard that is one the most advanced systems of its type on the market today. It provides you with all the information you need to make energy cost reduction easy and

effective – being a flexible web based solution means that you require no software installation at your site. To access its full capabilities users only require a standard web browser – whether on your desktop or in reception. To sum up, Graphite Energy Management delivers cost effective web based energy management solutions.


For more information please visit our website on www.graphiteenergy.co.uk or alternatively call us on 01483 866021 to discuss your energy saving requirements.

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Tackling CRC when risk is not an option

UBLIC SECTOR

purse strings have never been more tightly drawn and the dual pressures of trying to meet financial and environmental commitments are a heavy burden. Yet there remains a responsibility on healthcare to comply with the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) regulations introduced earlier this year. Due to the design of the distribution network, buildings are supplied with higher voltage than is actually needed. powerPerfector’s Voltage Power Optimisation technology works by optimising electrical power quality and by supplying voltage at a more efficient level – cutting an average 13 per cent off the electricity bill and associated carbon emissions instantly. At £12 a tonne, carbon is a valuable commodity and without

significant carbon cuts the NHS faces sizeable fines. A myriad of measures are available to reduce demand, but it is equally important to get the fuel that powers them right too. powerPerfector CEO Angus Robertson said: “We have a 100 per cent reliability record, our technology requires no maintenance and powerPerfector is the only technology in this space that’s fit for purpose. It is this record that has afforded acute sites the confidence to take us in to buildings where there is a zero tolerance to failure.”


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LEADING THE SAVINGS DRIVE?

THE HEALTHCARE BUDGET IS HUGE, there is no denying, but it has been pressured into efficiency savings year on year for well over a decade now. It is interesting to note that the facilities teams, that comprise about 25 per cent of healthcare staff, have been required to produce efficiency savings year on year of about eight per cent for many years. Elements of the savings have come from efficiencies in the way in which our staff work, old working practices have long gone, flexible rosters and multi-skilling are things that the facilities teams started to introduce in the 70s and 80s.

SMALL CHANGES, GREATER EFFICIENCIES As an example, I can recall having a new Carpenters Workshop built at the now defunct and dilapidated Royal Hospital, Wolverhampton, in 1984 and it included a dedicated paint area so that the carpenters

could prime their own joinery. Some of the estates team were also trained to install and maintain suspended ceilings to avoid us having to bring specialist (and therefore expensive) contractors in for small upgrades. The knock- on effect of such changes in working practice was that our maintenance work became more efficient and effective as we no longer had to either leave ceiling tiles out because they had been damaged by staff who did not know how to remove them, or wait till a contractor could call in to effect the repairs. With this background, and acknowledging that not all the NHS has been as successful in moving working practices forward, it is clear that all NHS bodies are going to be looking to their facilities teams to lead the way as cost savings are sought. In spite of government assurances that the healthcare budget is going to be grown year on year for the term of the Parliament we are already seeing demands

from finance directors to their facilities colleagues to make significant savings. The most recent benchmarking data from our own Benchmarking Club shows some wide ranging cost spreads in key areas – but also some very poor and in some cases missing data. As always we have to ask: “How can effective and efficient management be based on poor or inadequate management information?” One of the significant questions is highlighted by the spread of the FM spend.

UTILITIES COSTSEnergy, or more correctly, utilities costs, account for roughly a third. This is a growing cost per unit due to climate change levies. While we can make better use of utilities through savings measures and better building management systems there is a cost associated with the controls or systems and the opportunity cost can outweigh the short term savings. We

With around a third of healthcare spend going on facilities, Keith Sammonds, managing director of the Healthcare Facilities Consortium, considers the impact that facilities professionals have on the drive towards savings in the NHS

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

©Healthcare Facilities Consortium

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where actual savings can be made. Reducing the number of patients treated increases the cost per patient as the overhead cost increases. Reducing (or delaying) the replacement budgets result in lost opportunities for savings. There are some obvious savings that can be made but inevitably they require investment. CHP (combined heat and power) units that use waste to generate electricity for either internal consumption or export to the grid are an obvious one but should the NHS be involving itself in the development and management of such units? Wind power is another obvious source of green energy but can we really accept wind turbines of an appropriate size on hospital estates? It will be interesting to see how the green technology companies rise to this challenge. Perhaps we will see partnerships between such companies, NHS bodies and local authorities to address some of these issues with a share of the savings. Looking at other issues in the facilities arena it is interesting to see that the cost of cleaning has increased from £19 to £28.50 over the period from 2000. The step up in cost per square metre matches the introduction of the NHS Cleaning Manual in 2005 when we had a definitive standard which could relatively easily be costed and proven. The consequential decrease in HCAI figures is something we must do our utmost to ensure we do not lose in the drive to reduce costs. Throwing the baby out with the bath water springs immediately to mind.



At the same time we have seen a reduction in gross internal area in use of about 12 per cent, which means the fixed costs (services overheads) increase relative to the space in use. Going back even further in time shows a more significant reduction in space occupied as the surplus estate programme of the 1990s was effected.

FINDING WHERE SAVINGS CAN BE MADEIt is very interesting to see that Nigel Edwards, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, makes similar points in a very different context in its publication ‘Dealing with the downturn: using the evidence’2. In this he cites that a saving of £110,000 can be achieved by closing a four bed medical bay or £900,000 by closing a 24 bed ward but that these savings cannot be released (i.e. they are not real) until such closures are made on a large enough scale to release the containing building. We have made these points before but it requires a different approach to see

have all been driving the energy use down for many years with campaigns aimed at staff (turn the lights off when you leave the room) and more efficient equipment, both in major plant and end consumer items, as technology has developed. But again, moving forward has a direct cost unless built into the normal replacement programme. So as savings are made by deferring the capital (or revenue) replacement budgets we see the loss of energy and other utility saving opportunities resulting in inflated costs in other budgets. Reviewing the data shows that there have been significant changes in space occupied and the costs associated with it. Comparing 2000 with 20081, occupancy costs have risen from £150 to £200 per square metre – an increase of a third on a steady rate of increase. Operational costs have risen from £56 to £78 per square metre – again an increase of about a third. Utility costs have risen from £9.93 to £21.91 per square metre – an increase of 121 per cent.

Acknowledging that not all the NHS has been as successful in moving working practices forward, it is clear that all NHS bodies are going to be looking to their facilities teams to lead the way as cost savings are sought


©Healthcare Facilities Consortium



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Keeping NHS estates and facilities running like clockwork

HE NEXT FEW YEARS are going to be full of

conflicting challenges for the NHS. The demand for stringent budget cuts and staff reductions are being accompanied by an expectation that productivity savings will bridge the funding gap. Meanwhile you will still be expected to deliver improved performance in terms of SLA response times, H&S management and customer expectations. So, how can you achieve this balancing act? Eclipse-fm®, the long-term, natural successor to the NHS’s original WIMS estates management system, can help you to meet conflicting challenges by enabling your Trust to:• Increase the productivity of the estates and facilities function • Provide web based self service facilities for your customers to raise and track help desk incidents if they wish to • Save costs by combining the management of estates/

facilities, medical engineering, and assets into a single system• Minimise the potential impact of costly H & S prosecutions• Reduce its carbon footprint.In addition, you and your staff will be supported by full user training, a permanently staffed Help Desk, an ISO 9001 controlled development programme and an active user feedback group/online forum; all designed to ensure that you are able to achieve the most effective performance from your Eclipse-fm® installation.


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Project2 19/7/10 10:16 Page 1

Backlog maintenance has long been an issue with the NHS estate and it is interesting to see a reduction of a third in this figure. Renewing the healthcare estate has obviously had an impact on this as PFI and LIFT schemes have seen new properties come on line to replace some of the old; but as we look again to a reduction in these programmes it is worrying to think that we might now see a steady rise in maintenance backlog as a result of cost savings drives. Again following Nigel Edwards’ principle of ‘using the evidence’ we know that reducing maintenance regimes result in more breakdowns causing an increase in backlog and more importantly generating problems for our medical and nursing colleagues. Reducing the cleaning schedules will return us to days of the ‘dirty hospital’ that the media seemed so keen to report. Poorly maintained and/or cleaned buildings are less welcoming, more expensive to run and increase the risk of putting our patients and visitors in harms way. Picking up on one point made in the ‘Dealing with the downturn’ document there is clearly room for what commerce calls ‘sweating the assets’. Whilst wards are in use 24/7 the majority of the remainder of a hospital estate

is used for between six and ten hours per day. In pure business terms this is not efficient use of an expensive resource but to maximise the use of this element of the estate we would also have to radically change working practices and possibly patient patterns. The sort of question that could perhaps be asked is: “Could we reduce the size of out patients by running a 3 x 8 hour shift pattern?” Thus producing 100 per cent occupancy of the expensive resource. Whilst some patients visiting out patient clinics would be pleased not to have to take time off work the thought of a 03:00 appointment is definitely not appealing. Applying the same thinking to back office functions is perhaps more of a possibility with a reduction in office space by hot desking in rolling shift patterns. As always the only real way that such changes could be made to be really effective is by having them built into new build or major refurbishment such that we only occupy the space truly needed and not that which the current users have inherited from previous practice. But as noted before we can only release such savings if we can close and dispose of whole buildings so the real opportunities for savings come where we occupy relatively small stand alone buildings or

rent office space off hospital sites. Of course the increased use of facilities will also result in increased maintenance and occupancy costs.

IDENTIFYING WASTEFUL PRACTICES So where can the savings come from? Yes there is undoubtedly still room for more efficiency savings but this is more likely to come from innovative use of the space we already occupy rather than by not looking after it to the standards we have sought for years to build up. For me one of the most wasteful things I have seen in my now over 30 years in the healthcare sector has been re-organisation. We seem to have been forced into a culture of change for changes sake and the consequential rebranding that goes with it. I wonder how long before some bright spark suggests we disband the Primary Care Trusts and ask the GPs to manage the commissioning of healthcare services; after all they no longer have to see their patients within 48 hours.

1 Healthcare Facilities Consortium Benchmarking Club Trend Report 20092 “Dealing with the downturn: using the evidence” published by the NHS Confederation ISBN: 978-1-85947-184-5




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organisations that are struggling to cut costs, improve standards and cut their carbon footprint. With over 20 years experience advising the NHS we combine a keen commercial awareness with an in-depth knowledge of policy, best practice and legislation. Our services and expertise centre on:• travel, transport and accessibility planning;• carbon management;• cost control and performance management; and• the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to reduce the need to travel.We will help you identify inefficiencies, unnecessary costs and new opportunities. We will ensure that your estate (buildings, car parks, etc.), your staff and your vehicle fleet/pts are all operating as efficiently as possible – helping you improve the standard of service you provide whilst also cutting your

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and healthcare groups, large international hotels and leisure companies through to privately owned hotels, restaurants, bars, health clubs and offices. Our reputation has been built on an ability to create and deliver innovative artwork – on time and to budget. The development of high quality digital printing technology has enabled Indigo Art to become a major international publisher of contemporary painting and photography. The Indigo Collection, which can be viewed online, now features over 3,000 carefully selected images that we can produce to any size on a range of material from paper

and canvas to acrylic panel. This collection is not for sale to the general public and nearly everything we produce is to bespoke sizes and colours. Our in house design studio will create custom work if required or we can commission one of our published artists to produce an original piece. Our framing factory combines traditional craftsmanship with the latest technology ensuring that your chosen artwork is beautifully finished in any of the thousands of frames we offer.


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OR MORE THAN 20 years, JJ Food Service with

its range of ambient, chilled, frozen foods, packaging and cleaning products has excelled within the food industry. As a result we were recently awarded The Grocer Gold Award 2009 for Wholesaler of the Year. Our service not only provides for all your catering needs, but also offers courses such as the L2 Food Safety Award. JJ Enfield is a registered Royal Institute Training Centre. All of our goods are meticulously tested for quality, we also use the expertise of our development chef Gino D’Acampo to make

sure that every product we sell not only tastes good, but is of the finest quality. The Lloyds Register Quality Assurance Environmental Certification ISO14001:2004 recognises JJ Food Service and its commitment to minimise the company’s impact on the environment. All our certifications are available on request or through our website in the ‘about us’ section.


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The specialists in property maintenance

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is a building and maintenance company specialising in the repair and maintenance to commercial and industrial buildings. We are constantly growing and building a reputation of professionalism, quality and excellent customer service. We believe that putting your customers first and delivering a service to an exacting standard that we deliver the highest quality of customer service and technical know how. We offer a wide variety of services 24 hours a day each is tailored to suit your organisations

needs or requests. We understand that minimum disruption to the daily running of your business is paramount which is why we offer an out of hours services. The key to execute

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OUR HEALTH SECTOR REQUIRES a first class service from the bottom to the top. It is just as important for the consultant to be at the top of his or her capabilities as it is for the housekeeper or cleaner, whose role it is to provide and maintain a healthy hospital to treat patients. This is where Stan Atkins, CEO of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), sees a massive potential in the market for a set of standards to be applied and recognised. The training element of this core cleaning service is required for the healthcare sector, one that is similar to the DEFRA food preparation and cleaning. Accordingly, a new accredited cleaning systems standard for cleaning equipment and products manufactured by corporate members has been introduced by BICSc. These standards have been designed to provide all areas of the cleaning industry with an assurance of excellence that has been independently tested and verified. They provide a means of judging the quality and effectiveness of products available in the professional cleaning market.

RAISING STANDARDSEstablished in 1961, BICSc is a leading professional and educational body that exists to promote and advance the knowledge of the science of cleaning, and to raise standards. The Institute has 5,000 members across all areas of the cleaning sector, including local authorities, contract cleaners, manufacturers and suppliers, training organisations and cleaning operatives in the UK and overseas. There is a choice of individual or corporate membership, with the services provided including:legal, technical support, health and safety or employment law advice, discounted bespoke insurance rates, a quarterly magazine and an annual industry handbook. Stan Atkins has set out his thoughts on the future: “With almost four decades experience of improving industry knowledge of cleaning science, BICSc is the natural leader in the education of those in the cleaning industry. Our mission is to sustain and protect the safety of the built environment and to ensure that equipment and systems used for cleaning are safe and effective for the users and the occupants of the buildings being cleaned.”

TESTING, TESTINGThe Institute is currently inviting manufacturers and suppliers of cleaning equipment to submit their products for field testing, in order to establish their reliability, efficiency and safety in the environments in which they are being

Stan Atkins, CEO of the British Institute of Cleaning Science, explains how the introduction of the Institute’s new accreditation scheme may be a benefit for the health sector, enabling it to operate at maximum efficiency

CLEANING


With almost four decades experience of improving industry knowledge of cleaning science, BICSc is the natural leader in the education of those in the cleaning industry. Our mission is to sustain and protect the safety of the built environment and to ensure that equipment and systems used for cleaning are safe and effective for the users and the occupants of the buildings being cleaned

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we deliver cleaning, washroom and security services with a fresh and innovative approach. Established in 2002, some 400 employees now deliver customer focused, flexible and tailored services across the UK. Our facility services include many kinds of interior or exterior building and facility cleans, specialist cleans, building and ground maintenance and security guard services. In 2009 washroom services were introduced into our portfolio incorporating feminine hygiene, washroom fragrances, vending facilities, advanced paper products and hand-soap products. Our customers operate across many business, industry and government sectors including health, education, retail, food, hospitality, commercial, process, manufacturing and construction. Excellent customer service underpins everything we do, with some of our customers including Royal

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with a logo “a better clean every time” chosen to echo the company’s ethos and values. BettaClean pride ourselves on the ability to tailor our service to suit the requirements of our client. We clean and maintain all types of commercial and clinical environments, and recently won a lucrative contract with a national building company to clean new build and refurbished premises nationwide. BettaClean has contracts with NHS surgeries and private dental practices to provide both cleaning services and biological waste disposal. BettaClean is one of only a handful of companies that use specially trained operators to decontaminate environments

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rates etcetera, but we would need to adapt our scheme to meet the exacting demands of the healthcare sector. There’s no reason why the scheme can’t be expanded for healthcare. “The accreditation looks at the overall cleaning system so it’s a building block to achieve quality standards. It provides a company with the ability to achieve accreditation for equipment or a product but as it’s a cleaning system, if one element changes the accreditation process has to start again. If the company is actively involved in the research and development of its products or services, it will have to resubmit and come back again when it further develops the product/equipment. Companies that strive to be at the forefront of the cleaning industry will be constantly accrediting their products. And this can only be a good thing for the healthcare sector, where the ‘goalposts’ in terms of infections and the methods of eradicating are constantly changing.” Unlike many other cleaning sectors, healthcare does not stand still and one area that cannot be overlooked is best practice. It is at the forefront of trust managers and housekeepers policy decisions, and the BICSc accreditation scheme can play an instrumental role in this objective. “We can do this by continuously policing such equipment and products that are accredited and by thoroughly investigating any enquiries that raise concern. What I am looking to do is to make sure that any piece of equipment or product that’s beneficial in the cleaning and hygiene arena is properly used to obtain the optimum result. For example, it doesn’t matter whether I give you a Mercedes or a Ford, if you don’t have a driving licence you can’t use it in the proper manner. It’s the same with cleaning systems/products. With accreditation you have a product and methodology etc. If it is applied correctly then you will get the proper end result,” reinforced Stan. It really highlights what BICSc is about, which is essentially the science behind the cleaning. By producing a set of clear guidelines and standards for training providers, the Institute is working towards the cleaning sector being recognised as a professional and valuable solution to the UK business and economy. As Stan points out it is, however, not simply enough to provide a set of guidelines: “The overall service will be improved as it’s all part of the building blocks to achieve a quality outcome, so you need to get enough good products and then you can pick from the whole repertoire. The combination of product, method and training should provide a quality outcome. With the end result being a 100 per cent clean bill of health in the hygiene stakes.”

WHAT ARE THE GOALS?The long-term goal is to ensure quality, good service and ultimately savings. Stan continued: “Cost savings can be achieved in three areas.

In the correct use of equipment or product/cost in use, lifetime cost of the substrate of the building (if we don’t use the machine properly, then it may ruin a floor) and finally in the welfare of the operative. Cleaning is after all very much a people-based service. It is vitally important to engage the workforce fully and equip them with the best product, knowledge in how to use this and also allow them to feel a valued part of the service. “There are examples of products that have been verified and recognised for providing something different to the cleaning sector. One such product is microfiber. When it was introduced, BICSc developed tasks for the product. If a magic robot were developed that killed all known germs we would deal with it. But for now, we are more than happy to work with our colleagues in the healthcare sector to improve their expectations and in turn to ensure that those pitching for this work are trained to the professional levels required by healthcare.”

THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF CLEANINGBICSc will be striving to this end by “working with the government more to raise the profile of the cleaning sector, with particular regards to training. And one point in particular that we will push for is a national colour coding scheme for cleaning in the UK. We need to educate the government of the important role cleaning plays in preventing infection outbreaks. Eventually we will end up lobbying. However, for the immediate future we need to raise the awareness of alternative products within the existing marketplace. Through accreditation, we will raise the profile of alternatives over accepted methods. “There are three key parts to the accreditation – equipment/product, methodology and training – without these three covered you don’t get the accreditation. It’s not just about the product. BICSc fully endorses the whole circle from product verification to ensuring that the cleaner is fully capable of properly using said equipment. Training and industry standards are vital to cleaning being recognised as a valuable service in healthcare, and they should not just be seen as an added cost. Training is a vital element of any contract; it is how the service is provided.” After all, when infection outbreaks occur it is the cleaning companies or contractors’ which are hauled over the coals. Perhaps, therefore we should be involved at the very beginning: and the BICSc accredited cleaning systems standard is one that measures and demonstrates the quality of the product and service.


used, and to obtain BICSc Accreditation as a badge of approved reliability and safety. Once the rigorous testing regime has been completed and a manufacturer, supplier or product has been found to meet all the requirements of the BICSc Accreditation, a certificate is awarded and the manufacturer or supplier is entitled to use the BICSc Accreditation logo in their promotional and point of sale material. This accreditation has been designed specifically to provide the end user with knowledge and assurance that the equipment being used, the method applied and the trained person using it, will enable him to achieve the best possible standard in cleaning. In an environment where standards are critical, this not only provides peace of mind but also a real assurance of quality. BICSc is a leading authority on providing the standards for training in the cleaning sector and works tirelessly to ensure that training providers adhere to its standards.

A VALUABLE REFERENCE TOOLStan explains why the accreditation was introduced: “To help purchasers identify best practice in terms of value for money and quality products, which in these price conscious times is essential for the healthcare sector. We are all looking for a product/system that enables a high quality finish to be possible. This in turn aids and promotes best practice. “The accreditation system is a valuable reference for the cleaning sector, as it aligns their products with the above requirements. For the end user, if the key elements of the system are maintained, they should have a quality outcome; in a critical environment where there is no option of second best, this assures the client of a quality solution.” He went on to explain: “Currently the accreditation is set primarily around commercial use. However, if there was a case presented for healthcare use we’d have to revisit our criteria. Of course we’re not looking at kill


Stan Atkins, CEO BICSc

CLEANING



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ENTOKIL SPECIALIST HYGIENE offers a wide

range of services that includes: • Specialist cleaning• Specialist disinfection• Washroom deep cleaning • Commercial kitchen cleaning• Air management • Drain maintenance • Legionella control and preventionCleaning is at the forefront of today’s health care issues as poor hygiene can put lives at risk and threaten productivity. Our aim is to protect people from the harmful influences of poor hygiene standards by tackling difficult and hazardous cleaning problems safely, legally and discreetly. Our 24-hour specialist disinfection service is a rapid response unit, dedicated to extreme situations, providing an essential service

throughout health authorities, NHS and Primary Care Trusts, hospital clinics and government laboratories. You can rely on our team to respond to the ever-increasing demand for stringent hygiene standards. We work with you to ensure patient needs are obtained and the risk of infection is controlled and dealt with utilising the correct procedures. We fully understand the needs of the healthcare sector and work closely with the NHS and private hospitals, Primary Care Trusts, care homes, dental and GP surgeries.


Tel: 0845 6020900E-mail: [email protected]: www.rentokil-hygiene.co.uk

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Specialist cleaning services from Burke & Clemens

URKE & CLEMENS Cleaning & Support

Services is a family based company offering a wide range of services to a variety of clients including healthcare, hospitals and universities in London and the South East. Established in 1980 by Mike Clemens and Patrick Burke with help from Mike’s wife Lesley, the company is actually celebrating 30 years of serving customers needs this month! Lesley Clemens is now responsible for all financial aspects of the company. Burke & Clemens currently provides deep cleans, superheated steam cleaning to washrooms, kitchens, clinical areas as well as carpet and upholstery cleaning, hard and resilient floor cleaning and window cleaning either as scheduled services to supplement in house staff or as “one offs”. The company ethos is training driven and Daniel Clemens, who joined the company five years ago, is trained to British Institute of Cleaning Science Assessor level, as are our two area managers, Tony Moore and Dave Mellis. All of our full time staff hold NVQ

and BICS training qualifications. The company is also a long standing member of the Cleaning & Support Service Association and BICS as well as Safe Contractor, the UK’s leading health and safety association. In addition we also hold ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Mike Clemens has also recently joined the Association of Healthcare Professionals to gain a wider understanding of client needs. Our clients appreciate that they can speak to the directors at any time, and our attention to customer satisfaction and to detail as well as our flexibility in supplying our services.


If you would like to discuss any aspect of your cleaning requirementsplease contact Mike Clemens on 020 86811819 or visit our website www.burke-clemens.co.uk

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SOLO – latest innovation in hygiene from Haigh

AIGH IS DELIGHTED with the success of

its latest bedpan macerator technology, SOLO, a new disposer which is smaller than any other machine on the market, allowing for use in small wards, en-suite rooms and other low usage areas such as clinics, nursing and care homes and particularly where infection control is paramount. The result of two years design and investment, and with a focus on isolation ward usage, the new SOLO offers quick and easy disposal of bedpans, urine bottles and other pulp items into the standard drainage system. With a faster cycle time, along with lower water and electrical consumption, the SOLO offers a unique solution for customers reducing the increasing pressures on customers of space, time and money. With a modern, wipe clean design and single pan disposal in less than 60 seconds, the new

SOLO signals the end of scrubbing and cleaning of bedpans, removing the need for clinical bagging bedpans and allows more time for essential patient care. Furthermore, the SOLO comes with the added benefit of full customer service support from dedicated Haigh engineers. The launch of SOLO further extends the Sluicemaster range to three models with the award winning Panaway and recently launched Classic+ continuing to be available.


Tel: 01989 763131Fax: 01989 768777E-mail: [email protected]:www.haigh.co.uk

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Well known brands at competitive prices

T P&G PROFESSIONAL we believe outstanding

cleaning, hygiene and the perception of cleanliness play a vital role in the smooth running of hospitals. Having well trained domestic staff using branded cleaning and laundry products that are known and trusted by hospital staff, patients and visitors alike can really make a difference. That’s why we supply professional formats of brands such as Flash, Fairy, Ariel and Bold at competitive prices through NHS Supply Chain. The P&G Professional range includes both disinfection and non-disinfection cleaning chemicals to support your needs – whether that’s everyday cleaning or deep cleans. Our products also give the added benefit of increasing the perception of cleanliness through the use of

fragrance – for example our Flash All Purpose Cleaner is available through NHS Supply Chain in four great fragrances. These products give both outstanding cleaning and leave a long lasting fresh scent around the hospital. Our products are simple, effective and easy to use and are supported with free of charge usage aids, training materials and engineering support all of which can be obtained via our Freephone Helpline on 0800 716 854.


Web: www.pgprof.com

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ALL CHANGE FOR THE AHCP ANNUAL CONFERENCE

NOT LEAST AMONG THESE changes was the unveiling of the AHCP’s exciting new image during the opening session, by National Chair, Carina Bale. Many of the changes have come in response to the survey of members’ views last year – 85 per cent of whom felt that the AHCP needed to raise its public profile further and communicate better with the outside world. The new image sums up the AHCP’s goal to be the leading authority and “voice of choice” on the subject of healthcare cleaning. The new logo featured on a series of plasma TV screens in the conference hall, giving proceedings a stylish, upbeat feel. In the exhibition, which filled to capacity every available space in the venue, the AHCP’s own stand featured examples of the new image including roller banners and give-away items such as pens and mouse mats. The striking new banners proved a great hit with delegates and copies were distributed to regional branches for use at future events. SERIOUS BUSINESSThe Conference is about serious business as much as image and in this respect a lot of thought had clearly gone into improving participants’ experiences. The revised two day format enabled the same number of presentations and networking opportunities as before to be fitted in over a shorter period. This helped participants make more effective use of their time and also meant delegates only able to attend for one day still got a full day’s programme of speakers and networking opportunities. The use of breakout sessions during the first afternoon was particularly welcomed by delegates who were able to focus on the topics of greatest relevance and interest to them. The sessions encouraged participants to consider issues in healthcare cleaning from different perspectives, something that early feedback indicates was very popular. This year’s programme had been devised to keep participants up to date on key issues and to offer something new both for first time delegates and conference veterans. In a departure from previous years there was a much greater emphasis on presentations from independent experts on key topics and fewer talks from equipment vendors. There were also some extremely valuable and inspiring presentations of case studies by members, detailing their first hand experiences of some of the challenges delegates face. Interactivity and engagement were the

touchstones of conference. Sessions opened with a short video sequence of delegates’ impressions of the previous session, which provided a real opportunity for feedback. A new stage layout encouraged more questioning and discussion with presenters. But some things didn’t change. Nigel Grinstead has presided over many AHCP conferences in the past and proved as popular and efficient in keeping events flowing on time as ever this year. A further innovation was the Oscar’s style awards ceremony that took place during the President’s dinner. This proved very popular with everyone, with some very popular and well deserved winners. Overall the 35th AHCP Annual Conference and Exhibition was the largest and most successful conference ever in the association’s history, with 150 full delegates, 52 exhibitors and over 300 participants in total attending over the two days. Three magazines took stands and a total of eight publications sent journalists to report on the event. Press announcements were issued during conference to the association’s

newly created media list, which has generated more media coverage than ever before. Even the closing session contained a major surprise, in the form of the announcement of a new AHCP President’s Award. This new award is intended to encourage action and award achievement in one key area the President wishes to focus on each year. For 2010 to 2011 the theme is improving the health and well being of cleaning staff. Applications are invited now and the selection process will be on-going during 2010 with the first award due to be given at Annual Conference 2011.


Web: www.ahcp.co.uk/conference

The Association of Healthcare Professional’s 35th Annual Conference, which took place in Bristol 8-10 June, had a refreshing new format and ushered in some big changes


Overall the 35th AHCP Annual Conference and Exhibition was the largest and most successful conference ever in the association’s history

CLEANING


COMMUNICATING SAFETY THROUGH SIGNS

ISO 7010 IS NOW FINALLY PUBLISHED and is being implemented as best practice throughout the world. It will communicate the safety message using graphical symbols that transcends the barriers to good safety management created by different languages and are universally understood. The International Standard Technical Committee (TC145) is responsible for graphical symbols and has worked continuously for over 20 years to develop the very best safety signs to convey critical safety information. The main categories of safety signs are in line with the needs of international requirement for occupational health and safety management and are incorporated in workplace safety legislation.

IDENTIFY, LOCATE, INFORM, INSTRUCTWorldwide, safety managers are required by their domestic legislation to ensure that all personnel are aware of hazards, the nature of the hazard and the measures to be taken for the collective protection

of occupants within the working and public environment under their control. Safety procedures, practice and policies will require building managers, property owners and estate managers to identify hazards and mark the location of emergency equipment and life safety appliances. Safety managers have an obligation to inform and educate all occupants about risk control, prohibit certain behaviour and give mandatory instruction to ensure collective protection.

THE DOMESTIC STANDARDISO 7010 is soon to be adopted as a European norm and will be automatically adopted as the domestic standard within all member states of the European Union. All workplaces, including merchant and passenger vessels will be required to implement and display the new graphical symbols for safety communication. The objective is to ensure that only graphical symbols with the highest comprehension credentials are used and to ensure we are not playing ‘Pictionary’ with peoples lives.

A plethora of graphical symbols are currently being used without these credentials; they have little meaning and are untested in accordance with ISO 9186 to ensure comprehension. It is essential that if graphical symbols are to be effective, only standardised symbols should be used. Whilst slight variation in public information symbols may cause, at worst, slight delay in finding a service, or cause embarrassment if you misinterpret the more abstract toilet sign, a mistake in the interpretation of escape route signs causing delay may ultimately lead to death. Considerable confusion has been caused by the use of so called “Eurosymbols” for fire exit signs. Pure illustrations from way back in 1977 have been used, which have no comprehension credentials and fail the basic understanding that is a function of known and effective safety wayguidance convention. Best practice International Standard ISO 7010 graphical symbols for escape route and ISO 16069 safety wayguidance convention

ISO 7010 is being implemented as best practice throughout the world to ensure that only graphical symbols with the highest comprehension credentials are used to communicate safety messages, writes Jim Creak, chairman of the Health and Safety Sign Association

SIGNS

www.healthbusinessuk.com Health Business | Specifiers Index

ensure that an evacuee is progressed using a known convention through the escape route to a place of relative safety.

GOOD HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICEThe risk assessment regime required to manage occupational health and safety will determine requirements for safety communication across areas of reflective management. The areas are outlined in International obligations for employers under occupation health and safety legislation. These obligations start with the identification of hazard, the identification of safety equipment, including escape, and the identification of fire fighting equipment including alarms. Employers are further required to locate hazard and safety equipment, including escape route and appropriate fire fighting equipment. Identification and location are the cornerstones of effective safety communication and are specific requirements of workplace legislation. Following location and identification, a good communication strategy will include measures to reduce and control risk. The control of risk will include the prohibition of behaviour or an activity that is likely to have an adverse effect on the risk matrix or may exacerbate the consequences of an incident. The control of risk and the collective

protection of building occupants will require employers, building managers and authority personnel to instigate and enforce mandatory measures to be taken. Finally and probably most important is that safety signs, their meaning and the action to be taken or not taken following them are part of a formal training, instruction and education process for public buildings, hospitals, schools, colleges, universities, and the workplace.

THE NEW STANDARDThe Health and Safety Sign Association has announced that all members, listed on the HSSA website, www.hssa.co.uk, will implement the changes required by the adoption of ISO 7010 as a European standard. Members are required to withdraw all graphical symbol designed safety signs that do not conform within their standard product offering by January 2011.

References:• BS EN ISO 14001:2004 – Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use.• BS ISO 16069:2004 – Graphical symbols and signs – Safety signs – Safety wayguidance systems (SWGS)• BS ISO 17398:2004 – Safety colours and

safety signs – Classification, performance and durability of safety signs.• ISO 7010:2003 – Graphical symbols – Safety colours and safety signs – Safety signs used in workplace and public areas.• ISO 9186:2001 – Graphical symbols. Test methods for judged comprehensibility and for comprehension.• ISO 3864-1:2002 – Safety colours and safety signs – Part 1 safety signs in workplaces and public areas.• ISO 3864-4:2009 – Graphical symbols – Safety colours and safety signs – Part 4 colorimetric and photometric properties of safety sign materials.• EC Safety Signs Directive (92/58/EEC).


SIGNS


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jim Creak, editor of the Means of Escape Publication, is an active member of the BSI technical committee and Chairman of the Health and Safety Sign Association (HSSA). Jim has over 25 years experience in researching, contributing and participating in task groups on the subject of Safety Wayguidance Systems (SWGS) for marine, industrial and high rise building application.

MRG Systems LimitedWillow Court, Beeches Green, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 4BJT +44 (0)1453 751871 E [email protected] W www.mrgsystems.co.uk

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4281 - Health Business Mag Ad XC1_Layout 1 08/07/2010 11:42 Page 1



New industry player – new detection protocol

EHIND THE NEW name, Eurotech Fire Systems Ltd,

is one of the most experienced teams in the fire industry. Their stated aim is to save lives and property by changing the way fire detection products are designed, manufactured and procured. Traditionally, the choices available to health care providers were either through a “closed” or “open” protocol. Eurotech has developed the MESH, Making Every System Happen, protocol offering reassurance to independent or in-house installers of fully-approved technology under a single brand, but without being tied to the manufacturer for all system components or maintenance contracts. Since launch, Eurotech has introduced industry-leading, patented technology. For example, its Photoelectric Sounder offers a unique, patented design combining

optical detection with an in-built sounder. It has also developed a range of detection systems, which offer up to 254 addresses per loop for detectors and/or modules or sounders, the highest per-loop address volume in the industry. Hampshire-based Eurotech Fire Systems Ltd has been established by former Apollo sales and marketing director Michelle Agius, who has put together arguably the most experienced team in the fire detection industry, including export sales manager Tim Williams, UK sales manager Phil Walford, operations manager Terry Huppler, and design manager Alan Capaldi-Tallon with some ten individual US and UK fire patents to his name.


Tel: 020 31410999E-mail: [email protected]

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MAKING THE CASE FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER

PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS are often the unsung hero in the fire protection equation but a brand new survey, the results of which have just been published, has shown what a vital role they continue to play in combating fire. Anybody involved in fire protection in hospitals will realise only too well the importance of being able to tackle a potential fire incident at the earliest possible opportunity. Life safety, particularly in a hospital, is quite naturally the overriding consideration but protecting medical equipment and, ultimately, the building itself, needs to be factored into the equation, particularly in terms of insurance. Over the last year there has been an increase in the level of interest from insurers with regard to fire protection in buildings. This is evidenced in the issue by the RISC Authority of the fire guidance document Approved Document B: Fire Safety (Volume 2) – to the Building Regulations, 2000 Edition Incorporating ‘Insurers’ Requirements for Property Protection’. This document builds upon the invaluable information that is provided in an earlier RISC Authority document entitled ‘Design Guide for the Fire Protection of Buildings’. This document lists 12 essential principles which, if embraced, will certainly improve the levels of property and business protection. The new survey into the use of fire extinguishers was conducted by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and, while not specific to the healthcare sector, demonstrates all too clearly how portable extinguishers significantly reduce potential fire losses. There has been much discussion over the last couple of years regarding the role

of fire extinguishers. In a world where political correctness and health and safety excess sometimes overrides the application of common sense, some quarters have suggested that extinguishers should not be used under any circumstance. Against this background, the FIA decided to conduct a new survey to see how the role of extinguishers in 2010 compared with the position in 2003 when the last survey was carried out. The data collected in the new survey, although a smaller sample than in 2003, showed the same per centage of fires were extinguished by a portable without the Fire & Rescue Services (FRS) being called – 75 per cent. In terms of the total incidents, there was an eight per cent increase in the number of fires successfully extinguished by portables – 88 per cent in the 2010 survey compared to 80 per cent in 2003. Extrapolation of the figures from the 2003 report equated this to a cost saving from employing extinguishers of over £500 million to the UK economy and £5.1 million in terms of fire service resource savings. In life safety terms, they were estimated to have prevented the loss of 24 lives and some 1,629 injuries.

EVACUATION ISSUESWe have seen cases recently where portable extinguishers have been removed or people are encouraged to ignore them completely and evacuate a building immediately, irrespective of the size of the fire. In the case of a hospital where the need to evacuate may itself have implications for patient safety, this approach is certainly not desirable. An evacuation is a stressful time for most people. However, when you are frail,

immobile or possibly medicated, it makes the task of ensuring safety even more difficult. While hospital staff would not be expected to use an extinguisher as a means of aiding escape since they would not have the training to do so, a prompt intervention by someone who has been trained in how to use an extinguisher correctly on a small fire could prevent it growing to the point where an evacuation would be necessary. We work closely with the Fire & Rescue Services on many initiatives so are only too aware of the dangers of fire but it cannot make any sense to walk past a small fire that could be easily put out with an extinguisher to let it grow into one that can cause significant damage or even the complete loss of a building. Of course life safety must come first but the analogy I would draw is that if you drop a lit match onto a carpet, you calmly tread on it to extinguish the flame. You certainly do not immediately evacuate the building. Common sense has to be applied but if it is a small fire that can be readily tackled without putting yourself in danger, people should be encouraged to extinguish the fire before it spreads. If there is no extinguisher available because some over zealous official has decreed they should be removed, then that opportunity is lost. The new survey clearly shows how fire extinguishers continue to be an important line of defence in reducing fire losses.

FIRE SIZEThe main point of contention appears to be the size of the fire that can be safely tackled, along with the need for appropriate training. With regard to the first point, although not clearly defined, convention says that extinguishers should be used on fires not larger than a waste paper bin size. However, the test fires used to certify the fire ratings on extinguishers are very significant – certainly much larger than a typical waste paper bin size to ensure a considerable safety margin in calculating the rating. It is important to recognise that those conducting fire ratings tests are, quite naturally, skilled in extinguishing the fires, which leads us onto the second point. Training is important and the lack of it a reason cited by those who argue against the use of extinguishers. However, people certainly do not need to be trained to the level of those whose job is to extinguish fires as part of the fire rating process. Lack of training is a poor excuse since it is readily available

Graham Ellicott, chief executive officer, Fire Industry Association, discusses a new survey that highlights the critical role of fire extinguishers

FIRE SAFETY




EHIND A NEW NAME, Eurotech Fire Systems Ltd, is one of the most experienced teams in the fire industry.

Their stated aim is to save lives and property by changing the way fire detection products are designed, manufactured and procured. Traditionally, the choices available to health care providers in purchasing fire detection systems were either through a “closed” or “open” protocol. Eurotech has developed MESH, Making Every System Happen, offering fully-approved, leading-edge, single-brand detection technology to fire and security installers worldwide without on-going contractual ties. Since launch, Eurotech has introduced industry-leading, patented technology. For example, the Photoelectric Sounder offers a unique, patented design combining optical detection with an in-built sounder; simplifying installation, reducing cabling and integrating critical detection components with or without an isolator. Eurotech has focused much of its research and development on expanding detection system capacity. The result is a range of detection systems that offer up to 254 addresses per loop for detectors and/or modules or sounders, the highest per-loop address volume in the industry. All Eurotech fire detection products are offered under its MESH protocol, providing

independent or in-house installers with the reassurance of fully-approved technology under a single brand, but without being tied to the manufacturer for all system components or maintenance contracts. Hampshire-based Eurotech Fire Systems Ltd has been established by former Apollo sales and marketing director Michelle Agius, who has put together arguably the most experienced team in the fire detection industry, includingexport sales manager Tim Williams, UK sales manager Phil Walford, operations manager Terry Huppler, and design manager Alan Capaldi-Tallon who has some ten individual US and UK fire patents to his name. Working with world class suppliers Nittan and Advanced Electronics, Eurotech has already established a sales network in the Middle East, Mainland Europe and Eastern Europe, with further partnerships currently being agreed.

“We are determined to revolutionise the fire detection industry,” states Agius. “What really matters to us is saving lives and businesses, and we believe the best way to do this is to provide unfettered access to the latest technology for architects, specifiers and installers. “Public building design has changed dramatically, particularly in the health and education sectors, and fire detection technology has to match those changes. This means that a totally reliable, approved single source of technology is important, but other elements such as design and installation are often better sourced elsewhere. If that combination saves a life, that is what really matters and Eurotech’s MESH protocol allows that freedom.”


Tel: 020 31410999E-mail: [email protected]

Eurotech Fire Systems Limited: New fire industry player – new detection protocol

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Meeting fire safety challenges in the healthcare environment

T IS NOT ALWAYS possible

to evacuate a heath facility immediately and for this reason healthcare schemes are perhaps the most challenging environment for effective fire design. Our approach centres around containing fires, minimising evacuation and, where possible, moving occupants only limited distances. We are mindful also, however, of current design trends in healthcare architecture and our creative approach allows us to work with the building to ensure we deliver high levels of safety whilst maintaining the scheme’s design aspirations. Our expertise in the sector means that we can devise workable fire strategies that gain approval without adhering rigidly to Health Technical Memorandums (HTM) guidance. What’s more, our success in providing fire strategy advice and Building Regulations approval services for NHS LIFT schemes

means that we have a proven track record in combining high safety levels, low build costs and ease of management in multi-

functional healthcare environments. At FDS Consult, we take a bespoke approach to each and every project. Our expert fire engineers will bring all the technical know-how you’re looking for to your project, but they’ll also bring a level of creative thinking that you probably wouldn’t expect. We’ll work holistically with your building to find solutions that enhance its safety whilst remaining true to its design concept and working practically with its end use.


FDS Consult152-154 London Road, Greenhithe, Kent DA9 9JWTel: 01322 387411E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fdsconsult.com

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Clean ventilation systems – never more essential

HERE HAS NEVER been a

previous time when those responsible for the maintenance of ventilation systems had more reason to ensure they are maintained in a clean and safe condition. Dr Ghasson Shabha of Birmingham University has shown that temperatures and humidity conditions typically found in ventilation systems provide excellent opportunities for bugs to thrive. Dust in these systems contain a high proportion of organic compounds including hair and skin flakes – the main nutrients for the growth of micro-organisms such as MRSA and C. difficile. The cleaning of ventilation systems is an essential part of the attack on the incidence of infection. Grease extract ventilation systems are a potential fire hazard and need to be regularly cleaned

to ensure they do not present a fire risk to the safety of building occupants and to ensure compliance with the Fire Safety Order. A Fire Authority

spokesman has stated: “Uncleaned grease extract ventilation systems present probably the greatest potential fire risk in buildings with catering facilities.” All Indepth Hygiene Services’ specialist ventilation system cleaning is carried out in accordance with HVCA TR19. As a result, responsible managers can be confident their ventilation systems will provide safe and hygienic conditions in healthcare premises.


For a free system survey and report call Indepth Hygiene Services on 020 8661 7888 or e-mail [email protected].

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and relatively simple. Attention must be paid to the need to train those people who may be expected to attempt to extinguish a fire. In a hospital such training will obviously be focused on the staff rather than patients and all staff should be familiar with the location and basic operating procedures of the portable fire extinguishers provided. Despite their undoubted value, it is important to appreciate that the role of a fire extinguisher is to tackle a fire in its early stages: they cannot be expected to deal with a large fire since they are essentially first aid fire fighting appliances, which is why training in their use is so important.

FIRE SAFETY ORDERThe Fire Safety Order states: “Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons, the responsible person must ensure that the premises are equipped with appropriate fire-fighting equipment and fire-fighting equipment is simple to use and indicated by signs. The responsible person must take measures for fire-fighting in the premises and nominate competent persons to implement those measures and ensure that the number of such persons, their training and the equipment available to them are adequate.” Through schemes such as the SP101/ST104 from BAFE (British Approvals for Fire

not survive will be many fold the cost of replacing the building itself and it is this bigger picture that needs to be borne in mind when deciding on priorities.

The FIA is a not-for-profit trade association with the aim of promoting the professional status of the UK fire safety industry.


Tel: 020 285495855E-mail: [email protected]: www.fia.uk.com


Equipment), third party assurance is given that registered companies are competent to supply the correct extinguisher for a given application, in the right place and with the right (and easy to understand) operating instructions and signage. The FIA believes that designers and building owners should consider the use of more fire protection in buildings that are part of the country’s critical infrastructure, hospitals being a prime example. Here we are obviously not just talking about the extinguishers that have been the subject of this article. There are all the active and passive measures available, from fire detection and alarm systems to automatic extinguishing systems, methods of fire compartmentation, penetration seals, self-closing fire doors and a whole range of other potential measures to be considered as part of the risk assessment process. The value to the country of keeping these buildings operational far outweighs the small additional cost of an extra level of fire protection. Extra fire protection is not just a “nice to have” exercise; it could mean the difference between a building that is important to the community, such as a hospital, surviving in the event of a fire. In most cases the knock on effects for the community should a hospital

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Graham was appointed as the first CEO of the Fire Industry Association in April 2007 when the BFPSA and FETA joined forces to form the new Association. Prior to this Graham was CEO of the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and managing director of the Mandoval Group. Graham was educated at Bristol University where he attained a BSc (Hons) and latterly at Heriot-Watt University gaining an MSc. He is a Chartered Chemist, a Chartered Scientist and a Member of the Royal Society of Chemists.

FIRE SAFETY


How would your patients or residents get out in an emergency?

OSPITAL AIDS is based in Northampton and since

1980, we have been manufacturing evacuation equipment used in the moving of hospital patients, care home residents, school pupils and more recently, the general public, in the event of a fire or other major emergency. Our most well-known products are the Ski Sheet (mattress evacuation) and the Ski Pad (pullable, padded stretcher), however, in the last 12 months we have added a range of evacuation chairs, moving and handling equipment, the Modular Falls Mat and various other items which may be viewed at www.hospitalaids.co.uk In 2009, we were delighted to join forces with Spectrum Healthcare (UK) Ltd, now a “sister company” to Hospital Aids – they offer sole UK and Ireland distribution of the AlbacMat and ResQmat, two innovative

evacuation products that are imported from Australia. The full Spectrum range can be seen at www.spectrumhealthcare.co.uk We aim to provide solutions for our customers and our prospective customers and we are therefore happy to discuss and to develop modifications to our existing product range, as well as new products, which are within our technical capabilities.


Contact: Stephen Clark, sales and marketing managerHospital Aids, 1, Kingsfield Close, DallingtonNorthampton NN5 7QSTel: 01604 586501Fax: 01604 586576E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.hospitalaids.co.uk

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Your one-stop-shop for fire protection services

OUR CHOICE of fire protection supplier and

contractor is critical. That’s why Fire Lining Systems Ltd carries out all aspects of structural and passive fire protection and firestopping throughout the UK. We provide up to four hours fire protection to new builds, care homes, refurbished premises and Grade 2 Buildings for all sectors of the community. We have over 35 years experience in the construction industry and our commitment is backed by an experienced staff of engineering professionals, technicians, and project managers. Our Services include: • Structural steel protection• Firestopping• Cavity fire barriers• Intumescent spraying• Wood and timber fire protection• One and two hour steel fire walls• 1/2 an hour and one hour partitioning• Grade 2 buildings protection

• Fire doorsAs well as servicing our existing clients, we, of course, wish to establish new working partnerships with companies such as yours. We are always available to meet and discuss current or proposed fireproofing and protection requirements. Fire Lining Systems Ltd is an ISO 9001, ISO 18001, CHAS, FIRAS and Constructionline Accredited company.


Should any of our services be of interest, please contact us on 0191 4165732 or e-mail [email protected]. Alternatively, please visit our website: www.firelinings.co.uk

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www.healthbusinessuk.comWritten by Jo Webber, interim director of the Ambulance Service Network


REFORMING THE EMERGENCY CARE SYSTEM

WHILE MUCH OF THE CHATTER around the corridors of power has been about the relative novelty of Britain’s first formal coalition in a generation with its promise of ‘new politics’ and a ‘Big Society’, the NHS has been presented with a plan from an incoming government developed over some period of time. New health secretary Andrew Lansley was one of the longest serving ever shadow health ministers and takes pride in the fact that during those long years in opposition he was able to think, discuss and plan for the day when he would actually be able to take the reins at Richmond House. So he didn’t take long once he had his feet under the desk in his new office to start work on implementing his ideas.

CHANGING THE WAY THE NHS WORKSUnder what was one of the first major announcements from the new administration he announced the new health White Paper and there is little doubt that it is a serious attempt to recast the way the NHS works, makes decisions and is held accountable. Most dramatic of all was the news that GPs will lead commissioning at a local level, but there are also plans for an NHS board to oversee the commissioning and resource allocation process and a focus on making sure key decisions on reorganisation or reconfiguration have the support of local GPs and are properly evidence based. Much still remains to be worked out and accompanying the White Paper was a transition plan from NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson. Be clear though, this is an ambitious and challenging policy agenda for the NHS and one that has set tongues wagging throughout the health service and beyond. But what impact will all of this have on the Ambulance Service? And how should that service respond? Well, before looking at what the White Paper means for the flashing blue lights of the ambulances, it is probably useful to start by looking at where they are now. The Ambulance Service started on this journey five years ago when ambulance service trusts were merged so that 30 trusts transformed into 11 each co-terminus with a strategic health authority region. The restructured NHS ambulance services in England now have turnovers of up to almost £300 million and, as in the case of the North West Ambulance Service, can cover huge geographical patches of up to 5,400 square miles. There appears to be a broad consensus in the service that having reduced management costs, rationalised

and reconfigured services, ambulance trusts are now at an appropriate size to deliver improved services and enhanced efficiencies while remaining responsive to local needs.

A JOB DONE WELLThis is reflected in the performance of ambulance services so far. They are getting to more people, more quickly and offering better care than ever before. Ambulance services lead the way internationally with a performance framework which includes some of the toughest emergency response time targets in the world. At the same time, services are developing the skills of staff to create new roles so that patients get the right care in the right place rather than automatically being ferried to Accident and Emergency units. Public expectations, already high from being the most easily accessible of NHS services, are also being exceeded. The ambulance

averages 120,000 emergency responses a week and all trusts have over 90 per cent satisfaction levels. The CQC may have to redesign one of its surveys of ambulance users because, as it currently stands, patients are so overwhelmingly positive that it is becoming less and less useful as a tool for improvement. Ambulance services are getting involved with local communities by developing volunteering and community engagement to widen the range and type of services they offer. They also have enviably high numbers of active volunteers working with them as community first responders treating people in their own homes.

MEETING FUTURE CHALLENGES This is an impressive set of achievements. Nevertheless, there can be no opportunity to sit back. Coupled to a radical policy agenda, the NHS faces the unprecedented financial challenge of having to save £15-20 billion over the next four years while the increases in call numbers to ambulances – the service topped 7 million for

the first time this year with 6 million requiring an emergency response – is unsustainable. The Ambulance Service Network believes that now is the time to put forward some quite radical suggestions for reforming the urgent and emergency care system if the sector is to meet these challenges. We need a single point of access for non-emergency or unscheduled care. Happily, we already have agreement on the basics as the introduction of a single number for every kind of urgent care to run in parallel with the emergency number 999 was part of the conservative manifesto. Also, before the election, Ofcom’s consultation on what a single urgent care number should be (111) was successfully completed and pilot areas for the 111 number are in place, or will be soon, in three trusts. The pilot areas will be in the North East, the East Midlands and the East of England.

They will cover a range of different models for organising the 111 system. There are different models because 111 is just the public facing point of the system. Key to making this idea effective is to work with other parts of the NHS – including NHS Direct, out of hours services and other care services – to link up care and provide a genuine single point of access that ensures people get the right care. Patients already find accessing out of hours services confusing enough so there is no point adding to that confusion with another access point that doesn’t bring the full range of services together. Work already carried out in the North East shows how the development of an online, real time directory of services held by the Ambulance service can help people to be signposted to the right service rather than the default of A&E.

FOCUSING ON PATIENT OUTCOMESAs part of reforming the system we need to move away from targets based solely on response times and more towards measures

With a new government in place, coupled with the need to make financial savings, now is the time to put forward radical suggestions for reforming the emergency care system

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The restructured NHS ambulance services in England now have turnovers of up to almost £300 million and, as in the case of the North West Ambulance Service, can cover huge geographical patches of up to 5,400 square miles.

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transport and event medical cover, AM Medical Services (South) Ltd is an established company run by professionals for professionals. Our training is provided by experienced staff with years of experience in their own fields and following latest best practice in their subjects. Both interactive and relaxed, our delivery attracts excellent feedback from students – we have taught over 7,800 to date. In the modern NHS, with bedspace at a premium we are also able to offer a dynamic, efficient service tailored to your needs enabling discharge and transfers to be carried out effectively freeing up valuable bedspace. We pride ourselves on being client focused and working with organisations to provide what they require. We provide event medical cover

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them face the particular challenges they face. We are keen for the unique size and scope of ambulance services to be recognised and we are keen to be part of this debate. This might mean considering other forms of ownership such as employee ownership. Successful ‘whole system’ change is to be key to the NHS surviving the economic downturn and delivering a safer and more responsive service for patients which protects and enhances quality. At the Ambulance Service Network we are clear that reform of the urgent and emergency care system – so that different parts of the NHS system are linked up properly and patients get access to the right care in the most appropriate place – is exactly the sort of change that needs to happen. We know that given the scope of the wider change and the pressures the NHS faces, there are considerable challenges, but, crucially, there are also opportunities to improve services in the long term. There is little doubt that the service provided by our ambulance crews and the staff that support them has moved forward considerably in recent years in terms of the time taken to respond to incidents, the quality of care received and the sheer volume of patients seen. The challenges of the next period in the history of this crucial part of the NHS are likely to be around the need to build a smarter more outcome-driven service, which continues to maintain its current levels of public support.

REAL AND LASTING CHANGEThe role of the Ambulance Service Network in helping work through these changes will be to

which include patient outcomes and experience. Again, we are pushing at something of an open door here with the new Secretary of State, but we are keen to do this as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring that there is not a loss of focus on performance and outcomes for patients. Ambulance services have been developing clinical outcome measures for some time and so there is a real opportunity to push this work forward. Performance rewards need to reflect the delivery of good quality clinical care, not simply the speed of response. Underlying this different model of assessing and rewarding performance, we would like to see the commissioning of services become a truly coherent and joined-up activity. While the government is keen to devolve commissioning to GPs, it is widely recognised in the urgent and emergency care sector that some activity will not be appropriate for them to commission. Currently the commissioning of ambulance services is too transactional and based around contractual necessities. We need to make sure that, in the new system, the commissioning of ambulance services takes place at a level which makes sense for the service provided. For some ‘see and treat’ services this may be at GP level, for other services, like trauma, the evidence suggests it needs to be commissioned across a region – which is likely to encompass areas covered by a number of GP consortia. While all these details remain to be worked on, we can not lose sight of the fact that there is a huge opportunity to make ambulance commissioning the specialised, structured activity ambulance services know it needs to be.

FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTIONFinally, we would like to question more closely whether foundation trust status is the right organisational solution for ambulance services. Whilst Trusts have valued the assurance process as a way of strengthening their governance and business development, they cover such large regional areas. The FT model might not be the best one to help

AMBULANCE SERVICES

The challenges of the next period in the history of this crucial part of the NHS are likely to be around the need tobuild a smarter more outcome-driven service, which continues to maintain its current levels of public support

listen to our members, support and inform their work and to engage with government and the wider community about the opportunities and challenges facing the people whose job it is to rescue, assess, treat and care for anyone facing a medical emergency. There are opportunities for real and lasting change and we have a role to play in bringing the best ideas and experiences together, arguing the case for our members and in talking to decision-makers about how to get the best out of the service.

ABOUT THE AMBULANCE SERVICE NETWORK

The Ambulance Service Network represents all ambulance trusts in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Isle of Wight. It was established in January 2007 to provide a distinct voice for the ambulance service. The Network is part of the NHS Confederation. The NHS Confederation represents more than 95 per cent of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, independent providers of NHS services, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England. Members also include trusts and local health boards in Wales, and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.


ON THE FRONTLINE OF THE GREEN AGENDA

YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE (YAS) has taken up the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint. With 60 per cent of emissions caused by its fleet, this was an area that needed much attention. While much of the fuel use is unavoidable due to the nature of the organisation, several areas were identified where carbon savings could be made without compromising the critical nature of the emergency service.

Q. What made Yorkshire Ambulance Service decide to reduce its carbon footprint?Last year the NHS sustainable development unit and the government issued a statement saying that the NHS needs to cut its carbon emissions by ten per cent by 2015. We not only decided to take up the challenge, but wanted to go further and cut our emissions

by 30 per cent by 2015. So we established a carbon management plan in the spring this year to identify how we would achieve it. Our baseline was set at 2007 where we emitted 12,090 tonnes of CO2 overall, with 7,500 tonnes coming from our fleet. Fleet was therefore a significant area that needed attention. Elsewhere within our organisation we will address the carbon footprint of our buildings, waste, IT and lighting.

Q. What measures have you taken to reduce the carbon output of your fleet?We are in the process of assessing our fleet to see how it can be made more efficient. Where we can, we’re upgrading to more

eco friendly models but for vehicles we can’t replace, we’re looking at retrofitting them with green technologies. So we have adapted some of our patient transport vehicles to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) and have also looked at regenerative braking and the aerodynamics of our ambulances. We are also looking at changing our car lease policy, so those wanting a new vehicle have to choose one that emits under 130g per km. Driver training is also a big area where we could see improvements; if staff can learn to be greener in their driving style then we will not only save money but each driver will burn less fuel and emit less CO2. That said, eco driving

Employing over 4,000 staff with over 1,400 vehicles, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust wanted to take responsibility for its environmental impact. Health Business talks to Alexis Keech, the Trust’s environmental and sustainability manager, about their green fleet strategy

FLEET MANAGEMENT


YAS’S TOP TEN TIPS FOR ECO DRIVING

• Reduce drag – only use accessories that you need. Take off unnecessary roof racks, bike carriers and roof boxes as they affect your vehicle’s aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.• Plan your journey – avoid traffic, roadworks and getting lost.• Check your tyre pressures – under inflated tyres are dangerous, increase fuel consumption and wear out quicker. • Check your revs – change gear between 2,000 and 2,500 revs.• Turn off the A/C – it uses more fuel.• Take your foot off the accelerator when you don’t need to accelerate. Staying in gear when going down a hill and not touching the accelerator, uses less fuel than coasting in neutral.• Switch it off – turn off your engine when you are stopped. An idling engine can waste 3 litres of fuel/hr.• Back in, not out. Reversing at slow speed with a cold engine is heavy on fuel. It is best to drive off steadily on a cold engine first thing and rely on backing in with a hot engine later on. • Conduct gentle braking – delaying a gear shift until just before the engine starts to shudder will also save fuel. • Anticipation – gauge distances and come to a stop using existing momentum. If you are stopping, don’t race up and rely on braking at the last minute, but adjust your speed in advance. Anticipate what the traffic lights are likely to do and adjust your speed accordingly.

will not be implemented when the YAS is responding to emergency calls as this is not practical. But it will be implemented at all other times. At the moment we’re trialling 30 vehicles with telematics to identify any driving styles that could be improved. But we won’t use the technology to single out individuals. Instead we’ll do blanket training so that everyone benefits. We also held an eco fleet day earlier this year to introduce driver training in a fun and relaxed way.

Q. Tell us more about your eco fleet day.The aim of the Emergency Services eco fleet day was to engage staff with our green agenda and to train them to drive more fuel efficiently. We also invited all the emergency services across Yorkshire so the benefits would be felt county-wide. So the police, fire brigade and army also joined in. We set up a three mile circuit in an airfield designed to mimic real driving conditions so it included a roundabout, traffic lights and a level crossing. On the first lap, trainers noted how the drivers reacted to the road conditions and took down their fuel consumption when the circuit was completed. The trainers then informed drivers of the various eco driving techniques they could implement to reduce their fuel consumption, such as not braking or accelerating harshly and changing gears at the right time. Before the training, fuel consumption started at around 35-40mpg and improved to as much as 90mpg after implementing the trainer’s advice. On average fuel consumption improved around 32 per cent, which translates as a potential cost saving of over £1.5 million per year. The results were amazing and really showed that you

can make a big difference to your fuel consumption by just introducing simple eco driving techniques. We had really positive feedback from those who took part. Some said that they had implemented the techniques in their own cars and are now achieving up to 70mpg from their usual 40-50mpg.

Q. What will you do with any money saved as a result of these measures?Any money that we save as a result of our carbon efficiency activities gets invested back into the carbon management programme. If you think we consume 4.2 million litres of fuel a year and this costs around £5 million, through eco driving alone we can save around 30 per cent. We can then use this to re-invest into upgrading vehicles.


Visit www.yas.nhs.uk or e-mail [email protected].


FLEET MANAGEMENT


YAS KEY FACTS AND FIGURES

• Serves more than five million people across the county of Yorkshire• Employs over 4,200 staff, over 80 per cent of whom are operational, working on the front line• Has A&E 999 communications centres in York and Wakefield• Received 710,916 emergency calls in 2009- 10 – an average of 1,945 calls per day• Has a Patient Transport Service (PTS) which makes around 1.2 million journeys transporting patients across Yorkshire and neighbouring counties each year• Has a fleet of over 500 emergency vehicles and 460 PTS vehicles

• The most extensive range of healthy snacks and drinks in the UK, available through just one machine!• Cashless payment systems• Telemetry data reporting for total control of stock and cash• Service and maintenance contracts for your peace of mind

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refreshment solutions for over 40 years and have become a leading provider of drink, food and snack refreshments, generating sales in excess of £8m. An independent business owned by the second generation of the Balmforth family, we have established a reputation for quality, timely and trusted service. Our high standards and dedicated workforce have contributed enormously to our success. We can serve all our customers’ needs whether they require a fully operated service or specialised coffee equipment. Supplying a wide range of machines, we also offer a wide range of branded ingredients, such as Kenco, PG tips and Cadburys. Building on our success, we have continued to explore other opportunities. With consumers looking for high street quality drinks at low cost, we launched

Café Amore. A coffee shop concept that includes a vending machine which serves perfectly prepared drinks into a 9/12oz cup – like you would find on the high street. We exhibited at the latest HEFMA exhibition, showcasing how our products and services can fit in healthcare environments, keeping costs down whilst generating a profit. More recently we were awarded as the supplier of hot beverages at the Whittington Hospital, London.


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CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

WORLD-CLASS CAPABILITIES in research and development, and a deep understanding of consumers, help explain why the food and drink manufacturing sector has been able to respond so positively in the ongoing debates about the health of the nation by developing new products and refreshing old favourites to be lower in fat, sugars or salt.

EMBRACING CHANGEChanging the recipes of much-loved British brands is a complex task – and it needs to be done in a way that does not impact a product’s functionality, quality or price. Members of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) – which represents the interests of food and drink manufacturing companies from across the UK – have been voluntarily embracing this particular challenge for a number of years. They are now leading the way when it comes to changing the recipes of popular products – meeting consumer concerns about health in a way that doesn’t make any compromise on taste. However, the scale of the industry’s work is often overlooked, misunderstood, or taken for granted, which is why last year, FDF launched a report called Recipe for Change, which showcases the impressive achievements food and drink companies have made in terms of reformulating their products and creating “better for you” options. This takes into account recipe changes made by companies of all sizes, from the biggest multinational to smaller private operators, operating across every type of product category. The report consists of 16 case studies, including some of Britain’s best-loved brands, and details the significant technical, financial and consumer challenges that need to be overcome with every new product or recipe development. The report also contains a number of opinion pieces from industry experts who provide their perspective on why they believe changes to products are so important, what they think has been achieved to date and the hurdles manufacturers are now facing. Dr Susan Jebb of the Medical Research Council has authored one of the pieces in which she outlines how strengths in nutrition science, combined with greater prominence given to food issues in government, have encouraged the UK food industry to take a leading role globally in product reformulation and innovation, and how real progress has been made in reducing trans fatty acids and salt. And Tim Smith, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency in his essay recognises that UK manufacturers and retailers are now

leading the field and setting trends which others around the world are following. Reassuringly, the report also suggests that the economic downturn has so far not created any measurable “health crunch” when it comes to such innovation. Figures compiled for FDF by research company Mintel GNPD showed that over 700 product lines have been launched with new recipes since January 2007 – the equivalent of nine a week – more than in any other European country. Mintel’s research also suggests that total sales of healthier eating options in some key food and drink categories are now worth £8bn – and in some areas are growing at twice the rate of the market as a whole.

ECONOMIC PRESSURESChange on this scale requires a huge financial commitment by business. The recession is clearly forcing companies to reprioritise their investment decisions, and we do urge policy makers and regulators to be sympathetic to the immediate economic pressures faced by food and drink companies. We also think they need to be more realistic about the pace at which our members can be expected to keep delivering new and expensive innovations in what has become a very competitive, value-driven market. There are issues too in how far companies can keep pushing the technical barriers to further recipe changes without making compromises that consumers will reject. Other consumer trends can also restrict further innovation by companies – demands for natural products, for example, make it hard for manufacturers to swap sugars for artificial sweeteners, and of course the complex restrictions on the marketing of such new or revamped products

create a huge disincentive to reformulation. Dr Steven Walker, director general at Campden BRI, urges a word of caution in his Recipe for Change opinion piece. He says seemingly simple changes to recipes can have significant consequences for product safety, quality and manufacturing. Product reformulation has to anticipate and allow for these changes. It demands of manufacturers and their advisors a full understanding of the science of the product and the technology of its production.

COMMITMENT TO HEALTHAll that said, nobody should be in any doubt that FDF’s members remain totally focused on delivering the best possible products for consumers, and our commitment to healthier recipes is long-standing – in fact, it was a key pillar of the industry’s health and wellbeing action plan first unveiled way back in 2004. Of course, recipe changes are just one of the ways in which the food and drink sector will continue to help address society’s concerns about the health of the nation. Our members are focusing on a range of areas where they know we can make the biggest difference – such as the provision of clearer on-pack nutrition labelling and the introduction of workplace wellbeing schemes. We are also committed to continue working in genuine partnership with government and others to deliver long-term solutions to the issue. We feel these are all important ingredients for any successful public health strategy. That’s our recipe for change.


Web: www.fdf.org.uk

Changing the recipes of much-loved British brands is a complex task, says the Food and Drink Federation

CATERING


BETTER CARE COMES WITH BETTER IMAGING

ALL OVER THE WORLD, hospitals and other medical facilities are using audio visual (AV) technology to improve patient care, make time and efficiency savings, and educate the nurses, doctors and surgeons of the future. Greater colour accuracy, higher brightness, and more complete compatibility with medical imaging standards have all contributed to the greater role played by AV, but other technological developments are also making themselves felt – including the ability to visualise in 3D, to transmit images in real time over long distances, and to store video recordings of surgical procedures as an integral part of a patient’s treatment file.

HOW IT ALL BEGANThe history of AV in medical facilities goes back to the development of PACS in the 1980s. It is now nearly 20 years since London’s Hammersmith Hospital became the first filmless medical facility in the world

– the first of its kind to store all its imaging, whether still photography or video, digitally. Today, the DICOM standard allows patient records to be attached to image files in the form of metadata, and increasing numbers of medical equipment manufacturers have recognised the need to ensure that their products are DICOM-

compatible. This has given AV professionals the opportunity to integrate this equipment into a single system, smoothing the workflows of doctors and administrators alike. It has also enabled hospitals to gain a faster and more complete picture of a patient’s condition and the procedures that have been used to treat it.

Dan Goldstein of InfoComm International outlines the reasons for the growing use of AV technology in modern medical facilities

AUDIO VISUAL


Today, the DICOM standard allows patient records to be attached to image files in the form of metadata, and increasing numbers of medical equipment manufacturers have recognised the need to ensure that their products are DICOM-compatible. This has given AV professionals the opportunity to integrate this equipment into a single system, smoothing the workflows of doctors and administrators alike



IGITAL SIGNAGE is a network of customisable displays that can be

controlled electronically using a computer. This allows content to be changed remotely for the most targeted messaging possible. Next Generation Media provides real-time patient information to GP surgeries and hospital waiting rooms for effective communication to patients, visitors and staff. Endorsed by health professionals across the whole UK, Next Generation Media has located digital screens in the heart of local communities. We are able to place messages in front of people at a time when health is at the forefront of their mind; as they use health services, and just before many visit their local pharmacy. Using state of the art digital signage technology you are able to deploy campaigns and messages to thousands of locations in an instant. You can target the right people in the right place and at the right time. This flexibility lets you take advantage of time and season-specific campaigns, maximising potential during busy periods. You’re in control of campaigns and

message uploads. You can change these in an instant, at any time. Service levels will improve as you will keep visitors entertained and reduce your perceived waiting times, keeping frustrations to a minimum. Our state of the art technology also allows you to purvey your waiting times in live real time to further improve visitor experience. Our screens are a great way to create your own internal communications network and use them for promotional messages. Trim expenditure on paper based marketing collateral such as design, printing and distribution.

Digital Out Of Home signage has become an important and highly influential tool in the world of public information services. NGM’s bespoke system gives you the ability to promote your latest NHS campaigns and public health information in a modern attention-grabbing format. All content is automatically updated and distributed to your screen or network of screens making getting your message across simple and effective. Next Generation Media Group is a forward-thinking organisation providing an end to end service

in multimedia communication and the latest user friendly digital signage software.


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company in the UK and we offer a range of tailor made webcasting solutions, allowing you to connect with a global audience, whatever the event. Webcasts offer an affordable solution for events to expand the viewing audience to anyone that has an internet connection. In the past Stream UK has webcast a variety of events including conferences, trade shows, training, executive announcements in a variety of locations and venues. Stream Connect, our software as a service product is a complete webcast administration tool that allows you to administer a webcast programme yourself. We also offer an end-to-end webcasting service

covering onsite audio and visual production and live delivery on the Stream Connect interface. Stream Connect has a number of interactivity options if administering your own webcast. The webcast control tool allows you to accurately match slide changes to streams in multiple formats. Stream Connect can also be controlled directly by your speaker, thanks to intergration with Interspace Industries cueing system. Other interactivity options also include questions submission, voting, and chat and intergrated social networking platforms.


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Heartbeat system design, Holdoway continues: “While many cardiology conferences have used video to feature live presentations of fluoroscopic-guided procedures by satellite, this is the first time that procedures depending on both Fluoro and EP (Electrophysiology) techniques can be shown in real time at full resolution, and with multiple live images on screen for an entire procedure. “Because all the sound is two-way, the chairman of the meeting is able to discuss procedures with the hospital team as they go. Once several hospitals are equipped to a similar level, it will be possible to allow the chairman to see all the procedures simultaneously and put any one to screen on demand, while conducting a fluent discussion between all sites.” Combining multiple images and data streams to form a wall of knowledge is commonplace in industries such as security and utility production, but relatively new to the medical world because the hardware has only recently been fully compatible with medical calibration standards such as Clearbase and Bluebase. Whether the source is static x-ray or full-motion endoscopy, the need to maintain absolute accuracy of imaging is paramount, and is one of the key reasons why hospitals need to be confident that their AV supplier has sufficient technical knowledge and experience to take on the project. Yet there is more to integrating AV into medical facilities than simply maintaining image quality. For example, the signals emitted by medical scanners are very low-level and can easily be compromised by AV hardware that is not properly shielded. Legacy equipment such as medical monitoring systems is automatically calibrated and cannot be interfered with. And videoconferencing brings with it uniformity, security, and privacy issues that have to be addressed.

BENEFITS TO THE MEDICAL WORLDSo, is it all worth it? In today’s economically challenged world, the short answer is that it has to be. For the enhanced rendition and wider distribution of medical imaging do not just improve patient care – they increase efficiency. Developments such as the Philips Ambient Experience, in which hospital outpatients awaiting an MRi scan get to choose a personalised ambience based on a palette of different sound, lighting and video effects, help to put the patient at ease both mentally and physically. They also reduce the time it takes to complete each scan, thereby increasing efficiency. The technology also helps hospitals to attract patients, and to recruit the best staff.

Dan Goldstein is the International PR manager for InfoComm International.


Web: www.infocomm.org


action formulated – with all relevant images and notes saved in a central PACS database. At the Heartbeat Education Centre, part of the Wessex Cardiothoracic Centre at Southampton University Hospital, AV technology has been used to link five interventional catheter labs, four seminar rooms, a 120-seat lecture theatre and a videoconference suite. The AV integrator for the project was Video South Ltd, using equipment supplied by InfoComm International member RGB Communications Ltd. Alistair Holdoway, managing director of Video South, comments: “The brief from Southampton University Hospital was to provide excellent facilities and a world-class, live procedure demonstration area in the lecture theatre. We equipped the cath labs with transmission of all imaging and two-way sound, while the lecture theatre has HD projection, clinical links and global videoconferencing. The Centre wanted very good display of specialist cardiology – both live motion from the labs and archived MRI/CT scans from PACS. As well as this, they wanted triple-image projection from a range of sources, all on one screen.”

A COMBINATION OF GRAPHIC DISPLAYSIn the finished lecture theatre, doctors have only to touch a small screen for the room to connect to and then operate a graphic representation of the multi-screen layout. They can snap between single, dual and triple image, and choose which image is in which window. These images are a combination of important camera views, fluroscopy at native resolution, and graphic displays. Emphasising the medical benefits of the

In some ways, the most obvious area of success for AV in hospitals is the operating theatre, where a fully integrated room ensures that all images are viewable at the highest quality and resolution possible, despite the proliferation of video standards currently in use by endo-cameras, fluoroscopy machines, monitors and so on. But hospitals have a large number of secondary uses for the imaging that is captured during a surgical procedure, so it is also incumbent on the AV supplier to ensure that all the video data can be accessed properly throughout a given facility.

LIVE COLLABORATIONAt its simplest, this wider distribution of information involves the exchange of audio and video data in real time between the theatre to the pathology lab – which is particularly useful if a procedure requires live collaboration between the two. If the hospital has an educational dimension, lecture rooms can also be linked to the theatre in this way, so that students can view procedures while they are in progress. Beyond the facility itself, a combination of HD (High Definition) video capture, videoconferencing and projection can enable the deployment of a telemedicine solution. This enables medical professionals to provide expert consultancy and diagnosis to patients who may be thousands of miles from the location of that expertise. Patients who are examined in small or portable medical stations can have their data transferred via satellite to a central hospital where the results are assessed, scanned images examined, and a plan of


The enhanced rendition and wider distribution of medical imaging do not just improve patient care – they increase efficiency

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CAN MOBILE HEALTH SAVE THE NHS?

WITH THE ELECTION OVER and the coalition government announcing that it will ring-fence health spending, everyone is beginning to wonder what that means. There’s no indication that demand for health services will stop rising – all of the demographic data indicates exactly the opposite. And it’s unlikely that ring-fencing will mean expansion, rather than limiting the current spend. This means that despite warm words from politicians, the NHS is going to need to tighten its belt and find more efficient ways to spend its money. That’s where mobile health comes in. The mobile industry has been quietly introducing a range of innovative products and services which help health professionals make better use of their time. Mobile health applications face immediate challenges. The current consultations on Liberating the NHS by devolving commissioning to GPs will provide an opportunity to roll-out many new services. But that’s still a few years away. In the interim, there is a danger of stagnation as both PCTs and GPs wait to see how their respective budgets and responsibilities will change. Whilst they do that, I thought it might be interesting to make an optimistic forecast of how mobile health applications can deliver savings and efficiencies, based on reports and initiatives that have been suggested over the years. This is intended to demonstrate the breadth of savings potential. In the next issue, I’ll explore the applications already deployed within the NHS, along with new ones that may help in the transition to GP commissioning.

SIMPLE APPLICATIONSThe first important thing to realise about mHealth is that it doesn’t need to be complex. Although it keeps on getting rebranded by the industry to look new (it’s also been called telehealth, eHealth and wireless health), it’s been around for over ten years. High-tech James Bond stuff that grabs most of the headlines, with upmarket mobile ECGs detecting pending heart attacks, but most of what can be achieved is delivered through better management of resources and improved prevention. Public awareness of simple applications began back in 2005 when The Sunday Telegraph reported that missed appointments cost the NHS £575 million every year. For those that like measuring in non-SI units, that’s enough to pay for another 27,000 nurses or 8,000 doctors. The obvious solution is to send reminders to patient’s phones. Back in

2005, a large percentage of patients didn’t have mobile phones. In the intervening five years that’s changed and companies like iPlato have been successfully rolling out a wide range of SMS based services. The appointment numbers come from research that reappeared in more detail the following year, when Vodafone published a report it had commissioned from the Tanaka Business School. Titled ‘The Role of Mobile Phones in Increasing Accessibility and Efficiency in Healthcare’ it is still well worth reading. One of its interesting findings is the difference in the use of mobile and fixed line phones for calling NHS direct services. The research was done back in 2004, when mobile ownership and usage was nowhere near as widespread (or cheap) as it is today. In the age group 16-44, a group with one of the lowest levels of GP consultations, significantly more calls were made to NHS Direct using mobile phones. The report makes interesting points about the additional access to NHS Direct that a mobile phone gives, particularly during the working week. This suggests that mobile access could be making a major difference in this age group accessing the NHS, which may have a positive knock-on effect on their health in later life. It raises fascinating questions about the way mobile usage of services is changing the patient/GP relationship.

IMPROVING THE LIFE OF PATIENTSAs well as looking at these simple services, the report also provides an indication of the how SMS reminders, coupled with cognitive behaviour programmes could improve the outcomes and quality of life for patients with asthma, TB and diabetes. Here the savings are more difficult to quantify, however, the suggestion is that better management of diabetes could substantially reduce hospital days. It puts the current cost of diabetes to the NHS at around nine per cent of the overall budget, and suggests that this could be cut by a couple of per cent with better SMS based management (and presumably connected measurement and reporting devices), equating to savings of up to two billion pounds. Thankfully TB incidence in the UK is low, at less than 10,000 people. Similar SMS compliance techniques are shown to be beneficial, having the ability to save around £10 million and 2,000 lives. There are fewer apparent savings to the NHS from their asthma studies, but a significant potential for improving patient’s lives. That means a win for the economy, as asthma costs around £1.2 billion a year in lost working days. The report suggests that as few as 30 per cent of asthmatics are believed to be fully compliant with their medication, which costs the NHS £1 billion per year. Hence improving

Nick Hunn, vice chairman of the Mobile Data Association, forecasts how mobile health applications can deliver savings and efficiencies to the NHS

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better to do that than enlist the mobile phone? Whilst doctors are busy at their coffee mornings comparing iPhone apps with parents, it’s worth making sure we take care of the remaining NHS staff who will inevitably end up doing all the work. They’ll be busier than ever in this new regime so it’s important to ensure they’re working at peak efficiency. Last year an independent report by Steve Boorman outlined how NHS organisations could tackle staff health and wellbeing and save up to 3.4 million working days currently lost to sickness within the NHS, equivalent £555 million per year. Once again, a lot of what is suggested can be accomplished through the use of mobile phones, text alerts and a new generation of simple, connected health and fitness devices. STAFF WELLBEINGFor a start, they could walk to work. The Ordnance Survey revealed that it had calculated the benefit of walking. By promoting walking, they believe that people could tackle their weight issues, reducing the incidence of early onset diabetes and saving the NHS half a billion pounds a year. There are already hundred of smartphone apps to help them do that, as well as free maps to stop them getting lost along the way.

You can still save the NHS money by staying at home. A more recent report, ‘Hospital care at home’ by Healthcare at Home Ltd and Dr Foster, has shown that the free provision of home-based hospital care could save the NHS £1.2bn. Most of these services rely on remote sensors – either in the form of assisted living sensors, or more critical connected personal monitors that use a GPRS data connection. mHealth triumphs again. Having made my own calculations based on all of these savings, if we can use mHealth to achieve all of them, it accounts for almost £13 billion pounds a year – more than the NHS spends on drugs. We have to question how real the savings actually are. At the beginning of this item we looked at the £575 million every year that could be saved from getting patients to turn up for appointments. That’s the equivalent of 27,000 nurses or 8,000 doctors. It’s a good, solid application that is already out there and working, unlike many others which are spoken of. There’s no denying that the mobile industry can help to increase efficiency and improve patient satisfaction. In the UK, Orange, Vodafone and O2 have all set up specialist mHealth divisions and are actively involved in piloting new devices and applications. If the government makes the major commissioning changes it is promising, GPs will need these more than ever. How they generate savings for the NHS will need careful work by both politicians and NHS staff to ensure they are properly integrated. What they are already doing is making the NHS more accessible to patients and improving their quality of life. In the next issue we’ll look more closely at how this is already happening.



compliance could reduce the number of deaths from asthma, cut 20 per cent of the NHS medication bill and support the economy. Another way to reduce NHS costs is to persuade people to bypass it for non-critical conditions. According to Lloyds Pharmacies, a new generation of internet savvy and iPhone toting mothers are dispensing with doctors altogether, diagnosing their children themselves and dosing them up at the local pharmacy. In doing so, they’re allegedly saving the NHS £825 million a year in prescription costs. Taking that to the extreme, a recent episode of Channel Five’s Gadget Show compared self diagnosis using health monitors available on the high street, with their television GP, finding self-diagnosis to be just as effective. So Lloyd’s vision may not be so fanciful. NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, has gone even further and thinks that mums and doctors ought to get together to redesign healthcare. It’s a harbinger of the current NHS consultation on Liberating the NHS at a local level. Their report on ‘Patient Designed Services’ states that this could lead to savings of £15 to £20 billion over the next few years. Again, much of this is from simple diagnosis and the use of behavioural techniques to change the way we live. How

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HANDLING SIGNIFICANT DATA GROWTH

DRIVEN BY A RISE in emerging technologies, and regulation and compliance mandates, the healthcare industry is experiencing an explosive growth in data volumes, whether generated by sophisticated digital imaging systems, robust electronic patient records (including retroactive scanning of patient documents) or the increase in use of office productivity and administrative software. Conducted online in early 2010, BridgeHead Software’s International Data Management Healthcheck 2010 survey polled healthcare organisations worldwide in order to assess the healthcare industry’s overall preparedness to handle the massive influx of data. The survey elicited responses from 133 individuals across several countries, predominantly in the UK, Europe and USA. Participants represented facilities of all sizes, from the small (less than 100 beds) to the very large (more than 1,000 beds), with fairly even distribution throughout. Among all respondents, a majority (51.9 per cent) represented public institutions such as state, county, NHS or government agencies. The study reveals that significant data growth has become a key consideration as healthcare IT decision-makers set spending priorities over the next 12-24 months, resulting in many undertaking internal assessments of the effectiveness of their current storage and archiving strategies. Over two-thirds of hospitals surveyed expected their data volumes to increase this year. Topping the list of healthcare IT spending priorities this year are data backup, business continuity and disaster recovery (DR) to ensure that patient information is available to clinicians when and where they need it. DATA GROWTH DRIVES IT INVESTMENTSThe Healthcheck survey speaks volumes about healthcare providers’ greatest needs revealing that significant data growth has become a key consideration for healthcare IT decision-makers as they set spending priorities over the next 12-24 months. There is no question that healthcare data volumes are growing; the only question is how much? A modest 100-bed hospital will generate approximately 60GB of new digital content per-bed per year, requiring an additional six terabytes of storage space annually. This does not even include storage-intensive medical images generated by PACS across a range of departments, from digital radiology and

pathology, through to mammography and ophthalmology (to name a few). Estimated at 300MB per average study, this certainly has a huge impact on current data and storage management. In the future, medical imaging data is projected as the largest growth area in healthcare data as indicated in the survey. The pressures of the conversion from paper-based medical records to electronic (including the retroactive scanning and archiving of patient documents), as well as the upsurge in the number and size of medical images and the rise in office, operations and administrative data, are forcing hospitals to take a closer look at their current data and storage management strategies with an eye towards potential solutions that enable effective access, availability and protection of critical electronic patient information. Tony Cotterill, President and CEO of BridgeHead Software, explained: “Hospitals are largely enacting strict cost-cutting measures to help protect their financial positions. It has become more important than ever to deploy a cost effective technology solution that can handle the greater data loads without derailing the budget.”

WHERE DOES THE DATA RESIDE?Disk remains as the most popular destination for healthcare data, according to the survey results. Nearly 66 per cent of respondents who archive data do so via disk, 32.8 per cent use optical media and 29.9 per cent rely on tape (the survey allowed respondents to choose more than one, hence the total exceeded 100 per cent). The survey reveals healthcare’s tendency to apply expensive disk storage to address its growing data volumes – a strategy that cannot be sustained over the long-term. Cloud storage, an Internet-based architecture that involves storing data on multiple virtual servers that are typically hosted by a third party, is not ready for prime-time, according to healthcare leaders. 70 per cent of respondents to the Healthcheck survey said they are currently not using cloud storage, with 26.4 per cent saying it is “not likely at all” they will adopt it within the next two years, compared to only 27.6 per cent indicating it is “somewhat likely”. Hospitals that are onboard with cloud use the technology primarily for backup and/or archiving of data. The results largely indicate hospitals’ concerns about the

security and availability of healthcare data given the great number of threats, including privacy breaches and identity theft. More than 65 per cent of respondents said it was a reason for not adopting cloud computing. When asked whether their organisations stored data according to its age or value, only 26 per cent of respondents said they had a full migration policy that included archiving data to appropriate, more cost effective storage tiers. Most, 43.8 per cent, indicated that some applications had archiving capabilities. Another 18.8 per cent said they did not have a policy but intended to, while 11.5 per cent admitted they had no plans to implement an age/value data migration policy. Those organisations that did have a migration policy for some applications clearly did not approach their storage strategy holistically. For instance, PACS and document imaging technologies often include some basic archiving functionality; yet these are not integrated into hospital-wide programmes for archiving – resulting in the creation of data silos. Conservatively speaking, at least 80 per cent of a healthcare organisation’s data becomes static after 90 days and is never changed or accessed again. While data used to populate the patient record must be retained for regulation and compliance purposes, it does not require the same storage priority as highly dynamic data generated during a patient’s treatment. It is therefore intriguing why an organisation would choose not to have an archive policy for migrating data from their primary storage facilities onto less expensive media based on its age or value – especially considering the widespread concern among healthcare leaders regarding data protection, data availability and disaster recovery.

PRESSURE ON DISASTER RECOVERYGiven the healthcare industry’s increased reliance on digital records, it should come as no surprise that the constant threat of disaster looms ever larger in healthcare’s collective mind. Natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the 2007 flooding in Yorkshire, or even ‘The Big Freeze’ of 2009-2010 drove home the point that the business of healthcare can become significantly disrupted with little or no notice. More common but no less devastating are routine threats to healthcare data’s integrity, such as viruses, hackers, or outright equipment failures – servers, routers,

The healthcare industry is experiencing an explosive growth in data volumes. BridgeHead Software’s International Data Management Healthcheck 2010 polled healthcare organisations worldwide to find out how ready they are to tackle the problem

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are geared up to securely handle these growing volumes of patient data.

THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTIONThe easiest – and most common – solution to healthcare’s storage management challenges is to simply throw more disk at it. However, this has become a less defensible response due to the costs to acquire, maintain, back up and protect the ever-increasing amounts of information. “When you consider that for every £1 spent on disk, it will cost an additional £15 just to manage it – the cost of placing all your data on more expensive mediums will soon become a major problem for your organisation,” Cotterill said. “Hospitals require more innovative solutions to help lower the cost of storing, managing and making the data available for use.” A multi-tier healthcare storage virtualisation strategy that calls for data to be transferred from primary storage systems after a certain period of time, enabling the organisation to keep multiple copies of the document in different media types, in different locations, has great value. A solution built upon vendor-agnostic technologies will allow healthcare providers to get the most out of their current storage

storage mediums, for example – that occur when power is lost or a device simply breaks. Ensuring continuity of service that minimises potential downtime and speeds recovery time now lies firmly within the healthcare IT department. Managers and executives are clearly conscious of this obligation, as illustrated in the Healthcheck survey in which the majority of professionals indicated that DR was high on their current agenda. Yet many hospitals do not have a firm DR strategy in place. Likewise, many claim to have a workable DR system, but have never tested it. Some hospitals are also struggling to maintain a robust data back-up process, largely due to the sheer volume of information – at some institutions, it is not physically possible to backup the vast amount of data within available time windows, even as an overnight process. The Healthcheck survey highlights the complicated and constantly expanding data environment of the healthcare industry. Data volumes are continuously rising. As a consequence, back-up processes (and their impact on DR) are going to become more challenging. Now is the time for healthcare IT leaders to take charge of the data situation and ensure their hospitals’ storage and data management infrastructures

ABOUT BRIDGEHEAD SOFTWARE

Tony Cotterill is CEO of BridgeHead Software, the Healthcare Storage Virtualisation (HSV) company. HSV is a technology platform that decouples applications from the allocation and management of the physical storage hardware on which the application data resides, giving hospitals more choice, flexibility and control over the way data is accessed, protected and managed.

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THE DRIVE TOWARDS TRANSPARENCY

TRANSPARENCY? OPEN DATA? Linked Data? If you have been following government policy for the last 12 months or so you’ll have a reasonably strong idea of what I’m talking about. Originally driven by the Labour government and now embraced by the incumbent Tory-Lib Dem coalition, the push for government transparency in the form of open data could not be greater. Giving the British public a true picture of what information is being created, collated and stored amongst the walls of both central and local government promises to provide genuine transparency to the services funded by tax payers. The race to open up data is now on and taking place at an impressive rate. The questions remain though; how achievable is this initiative, what are the issues and benefits we all face in trying to meet the utopian view and how do we go about it?

Firstly, where did it all start? In early December 2009, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, announced plans to open up UK government data which included: public services performance data, new transport data and geospatial data. Who better to head up this new initiative than Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt, hired back in June 2009, producing a beta version of what is now known as the data.gov.uk website. This project was underway by September 2009 and since then has developed at quite a pace, launching as a single and easy to use online access point in January 2010, and recently growing to present over 3,500 data sets from all over government. Under the new Prime Minister David Cameron, the drive has increased further. The Conservative ‘Building the Big Society’ paper was a clear

message of continued support for opening up data, encouraging citizens, communities and local government to utilise this information so that they could become more empowered and help to build the Britain that they want. After only a few weeks in office, Cameron set out his commitment to open up government data in a letter to government departments and with some clear deadlines too. The new Public Sector Transparency Board, chaired by Francis Maude, appointed both Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt as board members along with Tom Steinberg, the founder of mysociety. This will help build on achievements already made by data.gov.uk, ensuring that these leading experts continue the drive to open up data and set open data standards across the public sector. At the time of writing, the Transparency Board

As we embark upon the new world of transparency and open data, Terry Blake, technical services director at TSO, explores the challenges and benefits of opening up data

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had just set out its draft principles including that public data will be published in reusable, machine-readable form, using open standards and following relevant recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium.

AN UNTAPPED RESOURCEThe developments over the past few months are really no surprise to those of us who work across central government departments, government agencies and local authorities and those who have been in ICT for the last decade or so. We’ve been aware of the semantic web from Tim Berners-Lee’s speeches back in 1999 and could more recently see the reasoning behind the need for linked data. “I have a dream for the Web [in which computers] become capable of analysing all the data on the Web – the content, links, and transactions between people and computers. A ‘semantic web’, which should make this possible, has yet to emerge, but when it does, the day-to-day mechanisms of trade, bureaucracy and our daily lives will be handled by machines talking to machines. The ‘intelligent agents’ that people have touted for ages will finally materialise.” To create intelligent agents though, we needed data that could act intelligently and with that, slowly but surely, linked open data was born. More recently in January 2010, Tim Berners-Lee told BBC News: “It’s such an untapped resource…government data is something we have already spent the money on... and when it is sitting there on a disk in somebody’s office it is wasted.” If we as individuals, communities, societies and nations are to progress, surely the obvious thing would be to take what was once static information residing either online or in files and utilise the World Wide Web as Tim Berners-Lee intended. So now, over 20 years after its introduction we seem to have evolved our thinking and the ability to really harness the web in a way that can truly benefit us all. But how do we achieve this? There have been two phases to this initiative so far. The initial push was to put up the data that already existed in whatever format was readily available, but that’s really not enough. In order for that data to be reusable it needs

to be unlocked from the usual PDF, Excel and HTML formats and converted into linked, machine readable formats. The second step, the one we’re in now, requires organisations to adopt a series of standards when publishing their data using recommended linked data formats such as RDF. If we’re to build true transparency then data needs to be structured in a way that enables it to be correctly open and interoperable. New data can be captured in ways which makes it easy to transform it into linked data but for existing data your only option may be to retrofit it using advanced techniques to automatically structure and enrich content. Thankfully many organisations, including ours, realise the importance of setting out best practice to provide a sustainable environment to publish data. TSO is working with organisations including the Cabinet Office, the COI and The National Archives to bring this together, establishing the principles for publishing government linked data and helping different people, organisations and departments see exactly what they need to do to deliver upon the open data drive. For instance, reference data sets for common data such as government departments and MPs all need to be created and shared so that all can refer to data in the same way. I can’t emphasis enough how important it is for people to work to a standard to ensure this all pulls together, which will mean that time and funds are not wasted and that everything works as a whole. Finally, making it easy for that data to be accessed through APIs will help to ensure it gets reused. Of course, like Professor Nigel Shadbolt commented earlier this year: “Public bodies have a public duty to publish public data.” You may be wondering what can be done with all this data once it’s been published as linked data? How do the public use it to better empower their decisions on an individual or community basis? It’s fair to assume that the general public won’t access the data from data.gov.uk and will need the data re-presented in a more user-friendly form. This is where projects such as TSO’s OpenUp challenge, www.tso.co.uk/openup and the 4iP fund, www.4ip.org.uk come in. These are simple

competitions, projects and challenges that will help educate and encourage people to interact with the data in a fun but meaningful way.

WHAT’S HAPPENING OVERSEAS?It’s also important to note that we’re not the only country embracing open data. The Obama administration launched data.gov to offer feeds from various departments, and other countries around the world are taking steps to partake in this greater transparency. It appears that finally government and society have evolved to generate something for the greater good, to make all our lives simpler, better informed and above all, to help us all become more responsible citizens. We all expect it, we can now all demand it and if we take the right approach we can deliver it.


Visit www.tso.co.uk and www.tso.co.uk/openup or follow on twitter, www.twitter.com/TSOSolutions



ABOUT TSO

TSO (The Stationery Office) is the leading provider of information management and publishing solutions to the public sector. We are the largest publisher by volume in the UK, publishing more than 8,000 titles a year in print and digital formats. Our experts help to create, structure, capture, transform and deliver some of the most important government information. TSO provides services, consultancy and infrastructure to deliver all aspects of the information lifecycle to the highest standards for our clients. TSO has been at the forefront of

working with public sector clients to open up published data. We create tools and processes to allow data to be created in a structured way; enrich data using text engineering techniques; convert data into formats to publish as linked data on the web and provide and host web environments that allow both humans and machines to access the data. Privatised from HMSO (now The National Archives) in 1996, TSO was acquired in 2007 by Williams Lea, the leading global provider of Corporate Information Solutions.

ICT

you deserve a FREE OKI colour printer...


HOSPITAL HOLDING PUTS PRESSURE ON COSTS

CATHOLIC HOSPITAL GROUP Hospitalvereinigung St. Nikolaus Lippstadt is a regional association of three catholic hospitals in Germany’s western towns of Lippstadt, Erwitte and Geseke. By offering a wide range of medical services for the whole county it has allowed the group to develop a multitude of medical specialties. With three hospital sites housing 580 beds, a total of 1,000 employees take care of an estimated 18,000 inpatients per year. The German hospital organisation has optimised its entire printing infrastructure with OKI Print Optimiser. Now printing at a monthly rate, means costs are transparent and predictable within all departments. Black and white and colour printing is part of the daily “ward round” for the employees, be it in the operating theatres, marketing departments or in the warehouse – the hospital group prints more than 4,000 pages every day. Therefore, capacity and reliability of the printers is key to the organisation. In total, the hospital group achieves a monthly print volume of 127,000 pages, most of this in mono. When the three hospitals merged they came with their own historically developed printer infrastructure. Over three sites, the group had just fewer than 200 printers from four different manufacturers with a variety of technologies. As Jürgen Lammert, head of IT describes: “We were stuck in an equipment maze of 45 different inkjet and laser printers. Ordering and managing the multitude of consumables for all printers was highly time intensive, plus increasing costs of consumables meant older models turned out to be bottomless pits. “The hospital group tried to counter this development by using refills, but this only lowered the print quality, while increasing the number of complaints. With print volumes continuing to rise, the infrastructure could simply not keep up.”

THE SOLUTIONBeing faced with rising print costs and a reduction in productivity, looking for a conclusive output management solution, which promised to optimise costs, infrastructure as well as processes was vital. Christian Larisch, managing director of the hospital holding, decided to implement the OKI Print Optimiser: “Key from my point of view was the cost effectiveness of the OKI solution. In addition, the model consolidated our output infrastructure, so that we now only use two models, but we have managed to increase

our productivity significantly. Not forgetting it is easier to enter a longer term relationship, if you have a partner that you trust.” The OKI Print Optimiser means an efficient output management at a monthly flatrate, with a cost free analysis of all existing printer and copier hardware. During the course of this analysis OKI identified the relevant print requirements in all three hospitals, the space assigned to the equipment as well as the environment and size of the work groups. “OKI compiled a streamlined output concept, specifically tailored to our needs, which did not rely on generic statistics, but on real data gathered onsite,” commented Larisch.

THE RESULTThe implementation of all 196 legacy machines from competitors, were replaced with OKI equipment. The cost for this spring clean was included in the monthly flatrate and the exchange was done at no extra cost to the hospital. Using OKI’s monitoring software PrintSuperVision and connecting the printers via the network facilitates means the entire output infrastructure is being monitored, failures easily detected and passed on to the service partner. They can then interact remotely or send one of their technicians, as necessary. In addition, OKI PrintSuperVision allows IT to monitor productivity and distribution of the printers, augmenting their position where appropriate. Consumables are also closely monitored and stock greatly reduced.

The hospital has been able to reap major benefits from introducing OKI Print Optimiser, as Jürgen Lammert highlights: “Due to the excellent print quality, we can also produce first class marketing collateral at all three sites with our A4 colour printers”.


For further information about the OKI Print Optimiser or any of OKI’s other products or services, visit www.oki.co.uk or call 0800 9176015.

Catholic Hospital Holding St. Nikolaus Lippstadt realises significant savings through OKI’s Print Optimiser


Jurgen Lammert, head of IT, St. Nikolaus Lippstadt

Christian Larisch, managing director of the hospital holding, St. Nikolaus Lippstadt

Only in Scotland

Only in Scotland will your conference be truly inspiring.

Scotland provides a stimulating environment to give new

perspective to your own ideas and spur you on to greater heights.

Some of the world’s oldest universities and modern research

institutes nurture fresh talent to follow in the famous footsteps

of alumni, who have changed the world as we know it.

Given Scotland’s reputation as a leading light in the fields of

science, medicine, finance, energy and technology, it’s no

surprise we have conference facilities to match.

And it’s never been easier to get here. So to find out more about

hosting an event in Scotland, log onto conventionscotland.com

Or perhaps that should be unconventional Scotland.

Hi-tech conference centres in stimulating surroundings.You can’t help but be inventive.

5102-VS_SECC_Health_Bus_297x210_Sept09.indd 1 9/6/09 11:37:45

www.healthbusinessuk.comWritten by VisitScotland Business Tourism Unit


THE PERFECT PRESCRIPTION FOR PERFECT CONFERENCES

CONFERENCE ORGANISERS face a plethora of choice when it comes to choosing destinations, but anyone looking for a way of easing the headache could do worse than consider Scotland for their next event. And with a particular focus on showcasing the best of Scottish food and drink throughout 2010, anyone visiting the country this year is sure to have their appetite whetted by a first-class culinary experience. Not only do health and medical conferences abound in Scotland, but throughout the country there are pockets of expertise in a range of medical specialisms, combined with excellent facilities in hotels, academic institutions, state of the art conference centres and even castles and stately homes. New developments are coming on stream constantly, with existing facilities benefiting from refurbishment, redevelopment and extensions. Across the country, significant investment in the business tourism infrastructure is either planned or underway. Just a few examples include a new 12,000 seat arena at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow; doubling of capacity at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre; new five-star hotels in Glasgow; new Missoni and Hotel du Vin hotels in Edinburgh; and major refurbishment of traditional hotels such as Turnberry Resort in Ayrshire, the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, Crieff Hydro in Perthshire and Doubletree by Hilton in Dunblane. A particular favourite for NHS events, and one which is investing heavily in technology to bring the experience of the operating theatre right into the conference room, is the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre. The hotel has already beamed images from the cardiac catheterisation laboratories at the adjoining Golden Jubilee National Hospital into their auditorium and has plans to extend this facility for conference and teaching purposes.

SPECIALIST EVENTSOne of the flagship events due to be held in Scotland this year is the European Association of Osseointegration Congress, which will bring 3,000 delegates from all over the world, with an additional 1,000 trade exhibitors, to Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). Commenting on the choice of Scotland for this specialist dental implant event, congress organiser Paul Stone said: “Scotland has such a rich heritage in medical and scientific innovation, and the country itself is inspirational both in its culture and landscape – not to mention its appeal in terms of whisky and golf – that it was a natural choice for such a global event and one that

With a rich heritage in medical and scientific innovation, Scotland is the ideal destination for medical conferences and events

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

FOOD ON THE AGENDA

A taste of some events planned in 2010 to celebrate Scotland’s culinary excellence include:• eatBute – 10-12 September: Held in the 300 acre Mount Stewart estate on the Isle of Bute, the event highlights the importance of eating food that is “good, clean and fair” and the plethora of local produce from the Isle of Bute and the wider Argyll region.• Whisky Live – Glasgow, 11 September: With a focus on education, education, education, this event returns to its roots in Scotland and brings masterclasses, tastings

and the whisky antiques roadshow• Living Food at Cawdor Castle – 25 September: Now in its fifth year, this celebration of organic and local produce will be opened by Albert Roux OBE and will feature a demonstration from the head chef of Chez Roux• BBC Good Food Show – Glasgow, 22-24 September: Celebrity chefs James Martin and Gordon Ramsay will be the star attractions at this ultimate showcase of Scotland’s rich food and drink heritage and culinary excellence.

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Britannia

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is proving attractive with our members.” Only in Scotland can business and pleasure combine seamlessly. With dynamic cities, glorious scenery, hotels ranging from the traditional to the contemporary and priced to suit every budget, historic exclusive-use venues, endless choice of outdoor activities and team building facilities, the country is well placed to stage memorable and motivational events. VisitScotland’s dedicated Business Tourism Unit (BTU) leads in showcasing Scotland to the rest of world and its success is evidenced by results. On average, Scotland hosts around 330 association events each year, and both Edinburgh and Glasgow are rated in the top three in a list of European cities offering best value for money for association conferences.

HIGH PROFILE GATHERINGSTo give an idea of the scale of the country’s capabilities, here are just a few of the major events for which Scotland has already been the destination of choice are: The European Symposium on Calcified Tissues, when 3,000 delegates attended the SECC in June, plus the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene, which brought 1,800 delegates to the same venue. Future events at the SECC include the Association of Medical Education in Europe which will bring 2,000 visitors, and the World Parkinson Congress with 4,000 attending. Edinburgh’s International Conference Centre will host 1,000 delegates at the International Conference on Shoulder and Elbow Surgery later this year, as well as the Society of Acute Medicine 2010 with 700 attendees. And it’s not just the conference facilities themselves that are ticking all the right boxes, but the range of unique venues and exclusive-use locations that are continually impressing as locations for additional events. The Royal Yacht Britannia is the ultimate venue for an evening reception where guests can be piped aboard; castles, such as Edinburgh and Stirling, are available for gala dinners and ceilidhs; the finest cuisine can be experienced by hosting private dinners at one of the many stately homes, such as Lennoxlove in East Lothian, home of the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton and are ideal for corporate getaways. Catriona Anderson, marketing manager for associations at VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit, is rightfully proud of the quality and choice that Scotland offers event organisers. She says: “We are confident that our range of venues, combined with our passion for our country and all that it offers, as well as our indigenous expertise in sectors such as medicine, bio-technology, education and many more, give us an unbeatable edge over other locations.”


Tel: +44 (0)131 472 2376Web: www.conventionscotland.com




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ICONIC NEW VENUE




IT’S ALL HAPPENING IN LIVERPOOL

THE ONE WORD THAT SPRINGS TO MIND for many who come to visit Liverpool and the surrounding city region is change. From the striking architecture of the new Museum of Liverpool currently being constructed on the waterfront, to the plethora of new hotel projects that are hitting the area, it’s all happening in Liverpool.

NEW YORK, NEW LIVERPOOL?Plans for the creation of two new hotels within the city have been approved including a 140 bedroom three star hotel and a 130 bedroom budget brand which will take its design influence from New York’s contemporary Flatiron building. Designed by Liverpool-based architects Falconer Chester Hall the new hotel will be built by Northern Ireland-based developer Tara House and the first phase is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2011 with the rest of the development planned to finish in 2012. Liverpool has also retained its position as one of the top ten most popular UK city destinations for overseas visitors according to the latest International Passenger Survey. Approximately 453,000 overseas visitors were attracted to the bright lights and

enticing ambience of the city in 2009, making Liverpool sixth most popular. “Liverpool really does just keep on getting better and better,” comments Liverpool Convention Bureau head Carol O’Reilly. “As a city we’ve always had the right mix for leisure and this is now proving to be a vital asset in complementing our conference and events facilities – which are themselves growing and evolving to meet the needs of our clients.”

AN EVENTFUL CITYThe Convention Bureau has itself been busy in the run up to significant events entering the calendar, both in sourcing accommodation for the many thousands of delegates that come into the city, and helping to create social itineraries. Forthcoming conventions include the Liberal Democrat Conference from 18-22 September at ACC Liverpool, which is expected to attract around 4,000 delegates, while the third International Pedagogical Research in Higher Education Conference organised by Liverpool Hope University will take place from the 25-26 October at the University

of Liverpool’s Foresight Centre. Of course, social time after conferences plays a large role in attracting delegates to a city, and Liverpool’s credentials are second to none. Not only does the city boast the biggest number of museums and galleries outside London but it also features a host of interesting attractions and shopping destinations, including the brand new Liverpool One shopping centre.

HEAD FOR HEIGHTSOne of the best ways of seeing the city is from a height and delegates are spoilt for choice. The Liverpool Echo wheel gracing the skyline is a popular attraction located on the Albert Dock close to ACC Liverpool. Alternatively, the fifth floor of Hope Street Hotel has private terraces and huge floor to ceiling windows allowing natural light to flood in which afford the most wonderful views across Liverpool and beyond. While no mention of places to see Liverpool’s ever expanding scenery would be complete without the Panoramic, which is located on the 34th floor and offers a great spot for evening entertaining whether for dinner or just fantastic cocktails.

Culture, style and an ever-changing landscape make Liverpool and the region a first choice destination for conferences and events




announced an impressive number of wins worth millions for the resort, with many events confirmed to return annually right up until 2017. In addition, as a popular destination for government and political conferences, Southport Conferences has recently announced that the Labour Party North West Regional Conference 2010 will be running to the STCC this November for the fourth time, with around 400 delegates expected to attend.

ON YOUR BIKEWith an ever growing number of business visitors, the resort is also working hard to maintain itself as an environmentally friendly destination. In June, Southport Conferences launched a dedicated delegate bike loan scheme, offered as part of the services currently provided by the bureau. The scheme is largely supported by Southport’s Cycling Town status, awarded in 2008, which provides the area with many routes and facilities for cyclists, including dedicated bike parks at local hotels. Tony Corfield, assistant director of Leisure & Tourism Sefton Council explains: “Coupled with the fact that Southport has excellent rail links, it is a great town to reach and explore without the need for a car, both by bike and also on foot. “With the cycle facilities that we already have in place in the resort, it seemed a natural choice to offer the delegate bike scheme service to visiting delegates. We hope it will make strides in demonstrating our commitment to improving Southport’s environmental credentials and in limiting the amount of traffic in the resort.”

A GOLFING DESTINATIONPerhaps Southport’s greenest attributes are its world class golfing facilities, with Sefton Coast boasting the biggest concentration of golf courses in the world. As ‘England’s Golfing Capital’, Southport houses six top courses with an additional 15 within 30 minutes drive from the resort’s centre. Three of the courses, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool and Royal Lytham St Annes are the frequent choice for the Open Championship and are ranked as world class, all popular incentive choices with the corporate visitor. The development and investment in Southport is on-going. It has recently announced that funding has been granted for a £15 million redevelopment of its Grade II-listed arts centre, library and art gallery which will create a brand new arts complex and events space for the resort. Expected to be completed in three years, the ‘Southport Cultural Centre’ situated in the town’s fashionable Lord Street, will encompass a major contemporary art space, a 430 seat theatre and a studio space, capable of hosting meetings and events for up to 600.

additional meetings and events space, as well a direct link to the town’s newest hotel, 133 bedroom Ramada Plaza Hotel. Gaynor Ferguson, acting sales manager at the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre, comments: “The investment has taken the STCC to the next level of conferences and events. We now have the facility to host over 1,600 delegates, making it one of the largest and most flexible venues in the North West. “It demonstrates Southport’s commitment to attract and to deliver large scale exhibitions and conferences with the added advantage of being able to offer multiple breakouts and first class catering for large numbers all under the same roof. With the additional link to the Ramada Plaza Hotel, we can now offer competitive 24 hour packages to meet the highest standards of all our delegates.” She concludes: “We have already seen a rise in sales and our client list grows daily – more importantly we are starting to attract the types of events that the new development was specifically created for.”

AN ARRAY OF VENUESWithin walking distance of the STCC and Ramada Plaza, Southport boasts several conference and events facilities, offering up to 42 meeting rooms, including the luxury Vincent Hotel, Scarisbrick Hotel and traditional Prince of Wales Hotel. In addition, just out of town, Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa offers superb self contained meeting and event facilities in an exquisite setting while the historic Aintree Racecourse, home of the world famous John Smith’s Grand National is a consistently popular venue. The investment in Southport has resulted in a surge of new business wins and new conference interest in the area. Since the beginning of the year, the area’s conference bureau, Southport Conferences has

DELECTABLE DININGFollowing on from restaurants like Chaophraya and Lunya, which have established themselves as culinary “must-eats” in Liverpool, comes news that two TV chefs are to make their mark on the city’s foodie trail. Jamie Oliver has just opened his first North West eatery in the form of Jamie’s Italian, situated in Liverpool One. Marco Pierre White will be creating his third North-West venue, as part of the currently under construction £15m Hotel Indigo, which is to open in Spring 2011. White says: “Liverpool is a fantastic city with an indelible link to international trade and an eclectic flavour of personalities to match. Chapel Street stands testament to everything great about the city, from its glorious past to its bright future, and offers the ideal location for my latest venue.” Clearly Liverpool’s reputation for combining business with pleasure will ensure that Liverpool is the destination of choice for event organisers for many more years to come. 20 miles to the North of Liverpool is the cosmopolitan seaside resort of Southport. In recent years the area has rebranded itself as ‘England’s Classic Resort’ combining boutique hotels, high quality restaurants and world class golf facilities with the popular and traditional aspects of a coastal town.As part of this regeneration, the area has undergone significant investment in its facilities and infrastructure, namely in its business tourism product. The area’s flagship conference and events venue The Southport Theatre and Convention Centre (STCC) has been at the forefront of this regeneration. Following a £40 million transformation completed in 2008, the STCC underwent a complete refurbishment of its suites and amenities and created

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Well

At Brighton Centre we have been playing host to Medical conferences for over 30 years and have been proud to welcome and work with the following conferences recently: International Haematology, International Iymphoedema, British Medical Association, British Haematology society, British Medical Ultrasound, British Geriatric Society, British Orthodontic Society, College of Occupational Therapists, Royal College of General Practitioners. The combination of dedicated management, professional staff and flexible venue right in the heart of the vibrant City of Brighton, within easy walking distance of the City’s hotels shops and restaurants make our venue a favourite with delegates and conference organisers.

n 2,000m2 primary exhibition space n 4,450 plenary meeting capacityn 18 syndicate rooms n Experienced operational team with the abilityto run high security and prestigious international events.

Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2GR. 01273 292671 01273 779980 [email protected] www.brightoncentre.co.uk/conference

The ideal host for your event


A PERFECT MIX IN EAST ANGLIA

SUFFOLK WILL BRING YOUR SENSES to life, offering you an authentic experience in an inspiring setting. Norfolk is an unexpected and refreshingly different destination for your next conference or meeting. Cambridge has venues for all types of events. Let’s go to East Anglia to see what it can offer the event organiser.

DESTINATION CAMBRIDGE Destination Cambridge, the dedicated conference desk situated within Visit Cambridge, the official tourism service for Cambridge, should be your first point of contact when looking for that perfect venue to host your next event. From historic colleges to traditional or modern hotels, museums, purpose built training centres, unique venues and versatile theatres, we can offer facilities for up to 1,400 delegates. For the larger conferences or social events, such as weddings and private parties, we can also set

up a dedicated, personalised accommodation website to enable individual delegates or guests to book and pay, online, making life so much easier for them and the host. The Colleges in Cambridge, primarily educational establishments, are mostly available for residential conferences during vacation time, whilst some are able to offer facilities all year round. The excellent selection of hotels, some with leisure clubs, is constantly being refurbished and upgraded to meet the increasing demand for corporate and private functions. Many venues specialise in themed banquets or we can arrange a gala dinner in a college hall for a special Cambridge-evening. There is a wide range of unusual venues, such as stately homes, a vineyard, or an air museum on the outskirts of the city or short drive away. Cambridge is easy to get to via the superb road network that runs through East Anglia, namely the M11, A14 and A11, which makes

Cambridgeshire one of the most accessible destinations in the East of England. Not only can Destination Cambridge offer a complete venue finding service, an added advantage, as we are situated within the Cambridge Tourist Office, means that we have invaluable information at our fingertips on all the events and what’s on in the area. We can also organise social programmes for delegates or accompanying partners. There are a host of activities for relaxation or team building, be it a walking tour, a punting trip, wine tasting, a chocolate demonstration or even a personal shopper – whatever takes your fancy to make your event memorable. The Destination Cambridge conference desk, working in partnership with all the venues in Cambridge and the surrounding area, prides itself on offering value for money and will endeavour to accommodate all budgets. All the venues offer a quality service and flexibility

East Anglia is the perfect mix of soft and gentle countryside, ancient cities, charming towns, with a very quirky individuality


Forum Plaza, N

orwich

Punting in Cambridge


Whether you prefer a formal set-up or comfy sofas the London Art House is the perfect venue. In each suite fine artists have used special paint effects to create environments which both stimulate your delegates and provide a relaxing atmosphere where office pressures dissipate and focus can be placed solely on your day. Beneath this stunning fascia we are a modern and professional conference venue. We pride ourselves on customer service; before the event we offer step by step event management ensuring attention is paid to every detail; during the day our exceptional operations staff are always on hand to deal with any last minute arrangements allowing your event to run seamlessly.

Looking for an unusual

venue for your conferences,

meetings, receptions and

banquets?

T: 020 3227 3200 | F: 020 3227 3255 | [email protected] Art House | 2-18 Britannia Row Islington | London | N1 8PA

www.londonarthouse.com

With two hotels in Kinross you’ll be spoilt for choice.

You will find a range of conference rooms, ideal for Conferences, Meetings, Training Courses, Product Launches, Dinners, Team Building and Weddings.

We also have two 18-hole golf courses ideal for your next golf outing.

· Meeting rooms for between 2 & 250 theatre style

· One mile from Jct 6 M90 motorway only 30 minutes north of Edinburgh Airport

· Two 18 hole golf courses, Curling Rink, Team Building with Teammania

· Gravity Leisure Club and beauty treatments

For more information call Anne on 01577 863467 or email [email protected]

The Green Hotel The Windlestrae Hotel2 The Muirs, Kinross KY13 8AS The Muirs, Kinross KY13 8ASwww.green-hotel.com www.windlestraehotel.com

Location, Location, Location

020 7874 7020bmahouse.org.uk

• Home of the British Medical Association

• Available to hire for Conferences, Banqueting,Exhibitions and Special Events

• Located in Tavistock Square with close proximity tothe new Eurostar terminal and Euston Station

Visit us at Square Meal Exhibition, stand E34

BMA House - Conferencesand Events in a stunningGrade II listed building

51063 C+T advert BMA House:Layout 1 9/6/10 15:57 Page 1




is key, with the motto of “The answer is yes, what’s the question“ being a priority. To ensure your delegates get the most out of their time in Cambridge, we can supply maps, guide books and souvenirs, definitely making Destination Cambridge (www.destinationcambridge.org) the one stop shop for all your conference requirements. Don’t forget that the business traveller can also book accommodation online by clicking on the official tourism website www.visitcambridge.org.

CONFERENCE CAMBRIDGEConference Cambridge, the official free venue finding service for the University of Cambridge, offers a wide range of unique venues that are ideal for one-day meetings or training days. Some of our venues include: The Pitt Building, an imposing venue, commissioned in honour of William Pitt the Younger, was completed in 1833. For over 100 years it housed the printing and publishing offices of Cambridge University Press and the Oriel Room is still used today by the Syndicate. Since 2004, following an elegant renovation, the venue has been offering its facilities for conferences and meetings. A superb new meeting room – The Perceval Room – has recently been added to the portfolio. Refurbished to the highest modern standards, it is proving a very popular addition to the existing meeting facilities at The Pitt Building. Accommodating up to 70 people, the room is of generous proportions and offers built-in widescreen projection equipment with Blu-Ray capabilities, Videoconferencing, Wi-Fi internet access, magnetic walls for displays, black-out facilities and a dedicated multi-drinks station with lounge facilities. Newnham College’s graceful series of buildings were designed in a Queen Anne style of mellow brick with white woodwork, between 1875 and 1910 and are grouped round spacious gardens with tree-studded lawns opening onto playing fields and tennis courts. The Lucia Windsor Room is a versatile, flat-floored space, which can be sub-divided into two rooms by means of solid oak folding panels. Equipped with the very latest in AV, the room can accommodate groups of 100 theatre style or 150 for receptions. Dividing the room into two creates a more intimate setting, which is perfect for smaller groups, training sessions or private dining. With a tempered air system, Wi-Fi, controllable variable lighting and disabled access, the room is suitable for a range of events. Outside the room there is an elegant foyer area that can be used for registration and refreshments. The oldest of the graduate colleges, and situated close to the train station, Hughes Hall offers a range of meeting and training rooms including the Garden Lecture Room, which is set in the middle of the attractive gardens and can be used for lectures for up to 40 people or meetings for 25. There’s also

the Pavillion Room, which can accommodate 80 people for a lecture or 40 for a meeting. The Hughes Hall Conference suite contains three meeting rooms of varying size that open onto a foyer with informal seating, its own entrance and cloakrooms, which means you have your own self-contained space. Last year, Clare College opened a new 150-seat conference facility – the Gillespie Centre – offering light and flexible meeting rooms, fully equipped with wireless connectivity and modern AV facilities, as well as 34 new executive bedrooms. The Gillespie Centre is built to the highest standards of sustainability, using solar thermal panels and a Ground Source Heat Pump for efficient heating and cooling. This contemporary facility is set within Clare College, the second oldest of the Cambridge Colleges, founded in 1326 and situated just a short walk away from the centre of the City, in a peaceful location with extensive riverside frontage. For further details or to book a showround, please contact Conference Cambridge on 01223 740768 www.conferencecambridge.com.

NORWICH & NORFOLKNorwich, on the shortlist to be the UK’s first Capital of Culture, offers exceptional modern meeting and conference venues, set in one of England’s most impressive medieval citys, which also happens to be a top 10 retail destination. The city is on the doorstep of the wetland paradise of the Norfolk Broads and is just a short drive or train journey from the North Norfolk Coast or the hustle and bustle of Great Yarmouth. The Hostry – opened November 2009 – is Norwich’s newest venue. Set in the peaceful Cathedral close and just a short walk from the railway station, The Hostry is a contemporary space built adjacent to the 11th century Norwich Cathedral.

Bedford Lodge

The Curve Auditorium, Norwich

The Hostry

The Gillespie Centre

Punting in Cambridge

• Main meeting room hire & one syndicate room• Unlimited tea, coffee, fruit & biscuits• LCD projector, screen, 2 x flip charts, TV & DVD• Water station, pads, pens & mints• Free car parking & Wi Fi• 3 course hot & cold buffet lunch• 3 course table d'hote dinner• En suite accommodation• Full Scottish breakfast• Use of leisure facilities

Why not book your next meeting or conference at Barony Castleand take advantage of this amazing offer

24hr Rate of £120.00 inc VAT pp, Valid for 2010 & inclusive of:(terms & conditions apply)

to book please contact Lynne Haining& quote GBM on 01721 730 395 or email

Barony Castle OfferMEET WITH US AT BARONY CASTLE, Nr EDINBURGH

[email protected]

A2 poster 25/7/09 14:14 Page 1

If you are looking for a first class venue for your next meeting orevent then you will find everything you need with us. Situated just2.5 miles from the City Centre and the East Coast mainline trainstation and five minutes drive from the A1M, we are in the perfectlocation for both the business and leisure traveller.

With very competitive rates starting from just £25 per person DDRand £99 per person 24 hour, you can’t ask for more.

Conference facilities don’t come much better than this:• 17 air-conditioned rooms that can cater for 2 to 450 delegates• 133 contemporary bedrooms• An AllinOne meetings package with enhanced

booking bonuses• All our meeting rooms come with a

range of services and facilitiesincluding LCD projectors andwi-fi throughout

• Complimentary Conference Café• Complimentary car parking for

250 cars• Leisure facilities including a

swimming pool and gymnasium

Holiday Inn Peterborough West ��Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE3 6SGwww.holidayinn.com/p’borough-west

BE INSPIRED AT HOLIDAY INNPETERBOROUGH WEST

To find out more call us on 01733 289900 quoting‘Government’ or email [email protected]

134054 - peterborough conf advert:Layout 1 15/6/10 16:52 Page 1

For conferences, dinners, exhibitions, parties, awards, and events exec Peterborough is

‘the most versatile regional venue’.

The sky’s the limit

www.exec.org.uk01733 234451

The East of England Showground, Peterborough PE2 6XE

exec peterborough advert.indd 1 04/06/2010 13:04:47

Ramada LivingstonSituated on the M8 off Junction 3, just 35 minutes from Glasgow and 20 minutes from Edinburgh, the hotel is the ideal location for conference and corporate events alike. At Ramada Livingston, the Summit Conference Centre comprises 9 conference rooms suitable for hosting discreet boardroom meetings or conferences for up to 130 delegates. 120 Ensuite bedrooms with flat screen LCD TV. The Ramada Livingston also has a Sebastian Coe Health Club and complimentary car parking. Free WiFi in meeting rooms and public areas.

Government rate for accommodation is from just £78 per person inclusive of Bed, Breakfast & VAT @ 17.5%. Day delegate rates are from £28 per person and 24 hr rates are from just £125 per person.

Organisers - Ask about Your addvantage package privileges. Free 8 or 24 hour delegate place for organiser or lead delegate, £30 off additional food & beverage spend, bedroom upgrade and spouse stays FREE are just some of the benefits of you can enjoy. Full terms & conditions available on request. To Book…Telephone - Dedicated Government Line on: 0844 815 9092Web – www.ramadjarvis.co.uk/govmeet2010-05-27 Email - [email protected]

With 7 locations in Scotland – you’ll be spoilt for choice! BB 24Hr DDRamada Ayr (SC) & Golf Simulator £66 £119 £25Ramada Edinburgh £75 £129 £29Ramada Glasgow City £79 £129 £30Ramada Glasgow Airport £69 £109 £25Ramada Inverness (SC) £78 £125 £28Ramada Livingston (SC) £78 £125 £28Ramada Perth £75 £125 £28SC – Sebastian Coe Health Club




On the first floor, the venue seats 150 in the main conference room, a flat-floored space with complete flexibility. The ground level has a 90sq m of exhibition space, which is also ideal for breaks and networking. The Cathedral’s Refectory, serving freshly prepared food, from business breakfasts to private three course dinners is nearby. Special guided tours of the Cathedral are on offer, introducing delegates to the history of this 900-year-old building. The Forum, Norwich’s landmark Millennium building designed by Sir Michael Hopkins, is one of the UK’s most striking examples of 20th century architecture. The Forum also offers some of the most inspiring spaces in the UK which are available to hire for a range of business and community occasions, including The Curve – a state-of-the-art auditorium with full high definition technology, video conferencing and tiered seating for 120 people. Conference organisers can use Fusion, a giant digital screen gallery, the largest in Europe – perfect for a special reception – to captivate delegates with film, image and sound. Allied to this is The Forum’s 400 sq m main atrium, which can be used for dinners, exhibitions, large receptions and other special events. In addition, tours of BBC East’s studios (located at The Forum) are available. There is a fantastic variety of venues across the county ranging from luxurious country house hotels, with golf and spa facilities, to contemporary business accommodation and boutique hotels. With more attractions than most counties, Norfolk can offer a relaxing and different social and partner programme to complement any event. Budgets for events in London, Manchester or Edinburgh stretch much further in Norfolk. Day delegate rates for 2010 in top venues average £30-£40 and 24-hour rates are on a comparable level. Norwich has its own international airport with daily flights to the major European hub in Schipol, while Stansted is just a 90-minute drive away. There are two direct trains an hour to London Liverpool Street from Norwich. Journeys to London King’s Cross from King’s Lynn in the west of the county take under two hours. For organisers interested in discovering more about the county, the Norwich and Norfolk Conference Bureau provides a free venue finding service and impartial advice to help in planning an event. Bureau manager Virginia Edwards is available on [email protected]. You can also find a list of services and venues on www.conferencenorfolk.co.uk.

SUFFOLKSuffolk is an inspirational place. Offering wide open skies, quiet coastal retreats and tranquil rural countryside, visitors discover a county that gives them the room to breathe and the space to think. Then there is Suffolk’s rich history and heritage, cultural connections, passionate

Claire College

producers of fresh local food and excellent accommodation. It all adds up to a highly attractive proposition that is easily accessible from the capital and further afield. Just under an hour away from the M25 and close to Stansted and Norwich airports, the county also has good road connections to London and the Midlands via the A12 and A14. By rail, the county benefits from an excellent service by National Express from London Liverpool Street and Stratford to Ipswich, with good connections on to Suffolk’s other main towns. It’s also a great travel choice for sitting back and soaking up the gentle landscape that gave inspiration to the likes of such celebrated Suffolk artists as Constable, Gainsborough and Britten. It’s no wonder then, that the county is high on the list of destinations for corporate businesses looking to host events that combine premier accommodation and services within a location that has a very special charm. Located just outside the county’s capital town of Ipswich, Trinity Park Conference and Events Centre has taken advantage of the growth in conference business. An award-winning building, specifically designed to offer state-of-the-art events facilities in a flexible space, the Centre can be arranged as a single space, seating 1,000 theatre-style or 400 for dinner. Moveable walls can also divide the room into six separate areas to host smaller business events, such as team briefings and breakfast meetings or lunches. At Ufford Park Hotel, Golf and Spa, located just outside of the attractive market town of Woodbridge, visitors are able to mix business with a little pleasure. The hotel has nine

modern air-conditioned meeting/function rooms, with many enjoying panoramic views over the fabulous golf course, and the largest accommodating up to 200 guests seated theatre-style. A little R&R, of course, is also key to Ufford’s appeal. The venue’s 18-hole, Par 71 golf course spreads across 120 acres of unspoilt Suffolk countryside, while luxurious spa facilities provide a highly relaxing experience, from head to toe. In the west of Suffolk, Bedford Lodge Hotel blends contemporary chic with traditional charm. The venue hosts a range of conference, corporate events, away days, team events and business seminars, and is ideally positioned close to the A11, A14 and M11, alongside the international home of horseracing in Newmarket. With six dedicated advanced conference and events rooms, facilities include wireless internet access, air conditioning systems and individual ISDN lines. The historic town of Bury St Edmunds is home to The Angel Hotel, where Georgian elegance is enhanced by contemporary design elements. The luxury 4-star Suffolk hotel remains at the hub of this neat little market town and its three stylish meeting rooms offer the leading edge facilities demanded by modern businesses. Suffolk has it all – an accessible escape to places that combine real character with cutting edge hospitality, coastal areas and peaceful countryside, luxury and charm, and venues where the emphasis is on quality service and ensuring business is a real pleasure. More information can be found about these and the county’s other business venues at www.visitsuffolk.com.



The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service

1st Call Mobility 42

360 Is Us 50

Acting Out 82

Action Assist 42

Acute Ambulance & Medical Services 100

Adas UK 76

Advance ITSM 117

Aid Call 58

Aintree Racecourse 132

Allan Dyson 71

Allgood 17

AM Medical 100

AM Support Services 88

Ambius 80

Ambulance Parts 100

Aqua Engineering 27

ARCA 68

Argyll 50

As For Print 118

Asckey 82

Bartrams Healthcare 42

BBL Technical Recruitment 41

BettaClean (UK) 88

Bonzer 104

Brenmoor 32, 47

Britspace 78

Burke & Clemens 90

Business Furniture Online 16

Care Fusion 33

Cherwell Software 120

Citroën 8

Clarks Archive Storage OBC

Claude Lyons 76

Cordtape Environmental Services 70

Courtney-Thorne 28

Dairy Crest IFC

DDC Dolphin 32

De Vere Venues 136

Devon Medical 32

DM Wood Medical 16

E-Co 14

Ecosan 16

EHS 18

Elcomponent 74

Elliott Fastrack 71

Enertec 76

Envex 26

Environmental Water Systems 16

Equanet 112

Eurotech Fire Systems 94, 96

Evac + Chair 94

Exec Peterborough 136

Farsight 34

FDS Consult 96

Fire Lining Systems 97

Floral Pavilion 128

Focus for Change 34

Forget about IT 116

Gemini Data Loggers 75

GID-Quantor 116

Graphite Energy Management 77

Group Call 110

Haydon Mechanical & Electrical 78

Health Surveillance 50

Holiday Inn Peterborough West 136

Hospital Aids 97

Hospital Services 108

i2i Develop Solutions 34

Indepth Hygiene Services 96

Indigo Art 85

Induced Energy 74

Institute of Credit Management 54

IP User Group 60

ITopia 114

JJ & B Projects 80

JJ Food Service 85

Keyspace 70

LAK Locums 38

Lancer UK 17

Lasker 54

Lavazza iTierra 10

Learning Industries 37

Linea Group 40

Maintain A Build 85

MaxTag 30, 58

McCaul Group 77

Medicare Medical Equipment 68

Meridian Health 38

Milecastle 50

Monodraught 12

MRG Systems 93

My Touch 52

npower 72

Nalco 22

NGM Display 80, 108

Nightingale Beds 44

Nursing Solutions 40

Notice Board Company 85

OKI 122

Pamper Cleaning 86

Panther Interiors 70

ParAid Medical 98

Zallys 82

Pass Training Consultancy 6

People Opportunities 34

Phoenix Building Systems 62

Phoenix Private Ambulance Service 100

Power Perfector 77

Premier Life Skills IBC

Prism Medical UK 44

Procter and Gamble UK 20

ProMinent Fluid 24

Rainbow Brite Cleaning Services 88

Ramada Jarvis Livingston 136

Red Professional Locums 36

Refreshment Systems 104

Renault 56

Rentokil 26, 90

RHG Consult 48

Rhodar 71

Robyland Environmental 64

Roxym Consultancy 48

Rugged Mobile 113

SCS Hygiene Consultants 88

Securicare 58

Siemens Financial Services 54

Singers Healthcare finance 57

Slingsby 82

Smarter Travel Planning 83

Socomec Sicon 118

Solent Scales 44

Something Abstract 106

Spacebuilder 68

Starlight Employment Agency 40

Static Systems Group 11

Stratacache 106

Stream UK 108

Systematic Energy 74

Teknomek Industries 83

The Brighton Centre 132

The Green Hotel 134

The Healthy Vending Company 104

Elmo-IT 76

The London Art House 134

TR Lawman 48

Transcend Group 48

UK Plumbing Supplies 77

Village Hotels 130

VisitScotland 124

WEEE London 66

Woodgreen Enterprises 126

Yani Montoya Consultants 70

Zeag 103

ADVERTISERS INDEX

ADMIN/FINANCE & LEGALAsset ManagementSiemens Financial [email protected]

BankingBarclays Bank PLC1 Church PlaceLondonE14 5HP07775 541779www.barclaysassetandsalesfinance.co.uk

Business ContinuityAdvanced Power Technology Ltd0845 [email protected]

Inoni0845 [email protected]

Change ManagementCummins-Allison Ltd0800 0186484www.cumminsallison.co.uk

Complaints ManagementCEDR020 75366000www.cedr.com/nhs

Credit ManagementInstitute Of Credit Management01780 [email protected]

Criminal Record ChecksFirst Standard01434 [email protected]

Debt RecoveryLasker020 [email protected]

Equipment LeasingDe Lage Landen01923 810905www.delagelanden.com

FLA020 [email protected]

NHS Supply ChainWest WayCotes Park Industrial EstateAlfretonDerbyshireDE55 4QJ07850 931583www.supplychain.nhs.uk/capital

Singers Healthcare Finance LtdSingers HouseDorking Business ParkStation RoadDorkingRH4 1HJ01306 [email protected]

Management ConsultancyNHS South Coast Audit01424 776750www.scaudit.nhs.uk

Market Research360 Is Us01202 [email protected]

Elucidation020 74191565www.elucidationresearch.co.uk

Health Nutrition and Research UK Ltd07737 396948www.healthnutritionandresearch.co.uk

NHS Information Centre0845 [email protected]

Planing Above and beyond01992 421047www.planningaboveandbeyond.com

Public Perspectives07984 927526www.publicperspectives.co.uk

QPSMR01491 [email protected]

PayrollTimesheet Xpress0870 [email protected]

Printing and DesignHarveyboard Print & Digital0161 [email protected]

Risk ManagementActividentity020 [email protected]

Greenstreet Berman Ltd020 31022110www.greenstreet.co.uk

Haymarket Management Services Limited6-7 Queen StreetLondon EC4N 1SP020 78012400www.haymarketco.com

TranscriptionCare Technology India020 79934945www.caretechnologies.biz

Take A Letter Ltd0845 [email protected]

Translation ServicesData Supplies0845 6445070www.dictationsupplies.com

Dictate Now0845 [email protected]

Global LingoInterantional House1-6 Yarmouth PlaceLondon W1J 7BU020 [email protected]

Language Line Services0800 1692879www.languageline.co.uk

LTC020 85492359www.langtec.co.uk

McGowan Transcriptions0700 893215www.mcgowantranscriptions.co.uk

Network Languages01344 [email protected]

Olympuswww.olympusproline.co.uk

Rosetta Translation47 Fleet StreetLondon EC4Y 1BJ0800 [email protected]

Studiobusca+39 [email protected]

T&I Services0845 6008150www.tiserivesuk.com

Tongue Tied01273 [email protected]

AUDIO VISUALMultimediaStream UK020 [email protected]

Presentation EquipmentFREEmags0800 0198450www.freemags-sites.co.uk

My-Touch SolutionsChelsea Harbour StudiosUnit 9, 20A Querrin StreetLondon SW6 2SJ020 [email protected]

Roche AVwww.rocheav.co.uk

Something Abstract01256 [email protected]

CATERINGDrinks SuppliersHuhtamaki02392 512434www.huhtamaki.com

Lavazza Coffee (UK) Ltd36 Windsor StreetUxbridge Middlesex UB8 1AB01895 [email protected]

Refreshment Systems31 Bolling RoadBradford BD4 7HN0800 [email protected]

Tudor31-35 Thurrock Commercial CentrePurfleet Industrial EstateAveleyEssex RM15 4YD01708 [email protected]

VanHoutenwww.vanhoutendrinks.com

Vendia0800 [email protected]

EquipmentBonzer0845 0177488www.bonzer.co.uk

Cafe BarRonac HouseSelinas LaneRomford RM8 1QH0800 2300097www.cafebar.co.uk

Electrolux0822 9882809www.electrolux.co.uk/foodservice

Holmes Catering Group LtdSutton HouseThe Industrial EstateFull SuttonYorkYO41 1HS01759 [email protected]

Induced Energy01280 [email protected]


ADMIN/FINANCE&LEGAL 139 HEALTH&SAFETY 142

AUDIOVISUAL 139 HEALTHCAREPRODUCTS 143

CATERING 139 HUMANRESOURCES 143

CONFERENCES&EVENTS 140 INFECTIONCONTROL 144

EMERGENCY 140 IT/TELECOMS 145

ENVIRONMENTAL 140 SECURITY 145

FACILITIESMANAGEMENT 141 TRANSPORT 125


Labcold0870 3001001www.labcold.com

Steelite International0800 78335483www.steelite.com

Testo Ltd01420 566815www.testo.co.uk/[email protected]

Food SuppliersDairy Crest0845 7811118www.dairycrestfoodservice.co.uk

Find Us Care Cuisine0800 132096

Hagesud Bosse (UK) Ltd01989 [email protected]

JJ Food Service01992 [email protected]

Muller01630 698571www.mullerdairy.co.uk

The Low Sodium Sea Salt Company020 [email protected]

Vending MachinesThe Healthy Vending Company01442 768595www.thehealthyvendingcompany.co.ukinfo@thehealthyvendingcompany.co.uk

CONFERENCES & EVENTSDestinationsVisit Scotlandwww.conventionscotland.com

EventsBritish Academy Of Film And Television Arts020 72925801www.195piccadilly.co.uk

Friends House173 Euston RoadLondonNW1 2BJ020 [email protected]

Nimlok01933 [email protected]

VenuesAintree RacecourseOrmskirk RoadAintreeLiverpoolL9 5AS0151 [email protected]

Brighton CentreKinds GroadBrightonEast SussexBN1 2GR01273 292671www.brightoncentre.co.uk/conference

Cheltenham Racecourse01242 539538www.cheltenham.co.uk

Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms020 77660134www.iwm.org.uk/[email protected]

Coventry Transport Museum024 [email protected]

De Vere Venues01721 730395www.devere.co.uk

Exec PeterboroughThe East Of England ShowgroundPeterborough PE2 6XE01733 234451www.exec.org.uk

Floral PavillionMarine PromenadeNew BrightonWirral CH45 [email protected]

Glamorgan Conference Services01443 [email protected]

Holiday Inn Peterborough West Thorpe WoodPeterboroughCambridgeshire PE3 6SG01733 289900www.holidayinn.com/p’[email protected]

InterContinental Hotels Groupwww.crownplaza.co.uk/meetingspackage

London Art House2-18 Britannia RowIslington, London N1 8PA020 [email protected]

Malmaison0845 3654247www.malmaison.com

McMillanHotels.co.ukwww.mcmillanhotels.co.uk

National Coal Mining Museum01924 848806www.ncm.org.uk

Odyssey Arena2 Queen’s QuayBelfast BT3 9QQ028 [email protected]

Ramada Livingston044 8159092www.ramadajarvis.co.uk/[email protected]

Royal Horticultural Halls & Conference Centre0845 [email protected]

The Belfry0870 9000066www.thebeltry.com

The Green Hotel2 The MuirsKinross KY13 8AS01577 [email protected]

The Legacy Oaklands Country House HotelBarton StreetLacebyNr GrimsbyDN37 7LF0844 [email protected]

The Priory Rooms Meeting & Conference CentreQuaker Meeting House40 Bull StreetBirminghamB4 6AF0121 [email protected]

The Roof Gardens020 73683971www.roofgardens.virgin.com/eventsoffers

The Royal Borough Of Kensington And Chelsea020 73612220www.rbkc.gov.uk/[email protected]

University Of Essex01206 872358www.essex.ac.uk/[email protected]

Venue Select08703 502577www.venue-select.co.uk

Village HotelsTempus DriveTempus TenWalsallWest MidlandsWS2 8TJ0844 9800047www.village-hotels.co.ukfixedpricemeetings@village-hotels.com

Wood Green Enterprises LtdWood Green Animal SheltersLondon RoadGodmanchesterCambsPE29 2NH0844 [email protected]

EMERGENCYAir Ambulance ServicesBond Air Serviceswww.bondairservices.com

Planning SolutionsNBC Group0845 [email protected]

OutReach Rescue01248 [email protected]

ENVIRONMENTAsbestos ControlAbsolute Asbestos Ltd0800 0141819www.absoluteasbestosltd.co.ukinfo@absoluteasbestosltd.co.uk

ACAD01325 734133www.tica-acad.co.uk

Ai Solutions Ltd01525 850080www.aisolutions.co.uk/asbestos-management

Allan Dyson Asbestos Services01522 681394www.allandsyson-asbestos.co.uklincoln@allandyson-asbestos.co.uk

AMITYAmicus HouseLynch HillStanton HarcourtWitney OxonOX29 5BB0800 [email protected]

AntecUnit 2 AshwellthorpeIndustrial EstateAshwellthorpeNorffolkNR16 1ER01508 [email protected]

ARCA01283 531126www.arca.org.uk

Ark EnvironmentUnit 8B GatehouseTrading EstateLichfield RoadBrownhills,Walsall WS8 6JZ01543 [email protected]

Asbestos Abatement Services Ltd01922 644712www.asbestosonline.co.uk

Asbestos Training Providers01582 [email protected]

ASM Ltd12 Devon PlaceNewportNP2 4NN01633 [email protected]

CIPFA01244 [email protected]

Cordtape EnvironmentalServices Ltd0800 [email protected]

DDS Demolition01843 [email protected]

Elite Enevironmental (UK) Ltdwww.elite-enviro.co.uk

ForeFront Training01472 [email protected]

Global Environmental Consultancey01268 753680www.globalenvironmentalconsultancy.co.uk

Gully Howard Technical Ltd023 9272 8040www.gullyhowardtechnical.com

KAD Environmental Consultancy Ltd365 Hamstel RoadSouthend On SeaEssexSS2 4LE01702 308438www.kadec.co.uk

Lar0161 [email protected]

Malrod Insulations Ltd01942 [email protected]

Medway Safety01634 [email protected]

MIS Environmental0845 0020165www.mis-environment.co.uk

NATAS Environmental0870 [email protected]

ngNine Ltd7 FriarsdeneLanark ML11 9EL0870 [email protected]

Nichol Associates0191 4385432

Plansafe Solutions Ltd49 Buccleuch StreetDumfries GD1 2AB01387 [email protected]

PV Surveys0845 [email protected]

RhodarUnit CAstra ParkParkside LaneLeeds LS11 5SZ0113 [email protected]

Robyland Environmental Ltd65 High RoadWormleyHertsEN10 6JJ01992 [email protected]

ROSPA0121 2482233www.rospa.com/[email protected]

RSK Group Plc024 76236816

RSP Safety Services Ltd01733 [email protected]

SMTS Ltd01642 [email protected]

Sykes Waterfield Taylor12 Devon PlaceNewportNP20 4NN01633 [email protected]

Tersus0121 [email protected]

ConsultancyBarron Evers Ltd0141 3535020www.barronevers.com

Energy Intelligence & Marketing Research192 Sandyford RoadNewcastle Upon TyneNE2 1RN0191 2615274

Environmental Resources Management (ERM)020 32065336www.erm.com

MJM Energy0845 [email protected]

NIFES Consulting Group0115 [email protected]



OHS0800 [email protected]

Emissions ControlCarbon Control Software01224 224235www.carboncontrolsoftware.cominfo@carboncontrolsoftware.com

Environ01884 842010www.environcorp.com

Sustainable Futures01752 [email protected]

TransfloStation RoadStaplehurstKentTN12 0QD01580 [email protected]

Pest ControlPiedPiper Northern Ltd01229 [email protected]

Recycling: Electrical WasteBruce R.I.D Recycling Ltd0114 2433637www.weee-recycler.co.uk

Jade Stone Recycling Specialists01983 [email protected]

Technology Converation Group1-877 9268824www.tcgrecycling.com

Weee London0845 [email protected]

Waste ManagementCraemer UK LtdCraemer HouseHortonwood 1TelfordShropshire TF1 7GN01952 607800www.craemer.com

Grundon0870 [email protected]

PHS Waste Management029 [email protected]

Shred On Site0800 [email protected]

SRCL0845 [email protected]

FACILITIES MANAGEMENTAir ConditioningDX Electrica Ltd020 [email protected]

Air PurificationBaxx UK LtdTudor House18 Manor RoadHarrogateNorth YorkshireHG2 0HP01423 540664www.baxxuk.com

Danfoss VLTCapswood, Oxford RoadDenham, Bucks, UB9 4LH01895 [email protected]

Virus Washer65 Riverside 3RochesterKentME2 4BH0800 434270www.virus-washer.co.uk

ArtworkIndigo ArtBrunswick PlaceLiverpool L20 8DT0151 [email protected]

AssociationsBIFM0845 [email protected]

Building ConsultancyPremier Interlink (Waco UK Ltd)0800 3160888www.waco.co.uk

CleaningAM Support Services0845 [email protected]

BettaClean (UK) Ltd01925 [email protected]

Burke & Clemens020 868111819www.burke-clemens.co.uk

ISS0845 0576300www.uk.issworld.com

Pamper Cleaning Services Ltd020 7978881www.pampercleaning.com

Rainbow Brite Cleaning Services Ltd,Dragon House, Traston Road,Newport Gwent NP19 4RQ01633 [email protected]

SCS Hygiene Consultants LTD01903 [email protected]

Cleaning: Laundry ManagementP&G Professional0800 716854www.pgprof.com

Design and BuildAmbius0800 0370128www.ambius.co.uk/wellbeing

Britspace01430 444400www.britspace.com

BWA020 [email protected]

CLC Group PLC023 [email protected]

CorrigendaUnit 3 Michelle CloseSegensworth EastFarehamHampshirePO15 5SE01489 [email protected]

Easibathe & EasiaccessIndependence HouseFederation WayLancaster RoadDunston, Tyne & WearNE11 9JR0191 [email protected]

Elliott Off-Site Building Solutions01274 863221www.elliottfasttrack.co.uk

Future-Tech0845 9000127www.future-tech.co.uk

George Boyd0845 6013547www.george-boyd.co.uk

Giffordwww.gifford.uk.com

Haydon Mechanical & Electricalwww.haydonme.co.uk

JJ&B Projects Ltd01772 [email protected]

Keyspace Hire01482 [email protected]

Maintain A Build020 72317778www.maintainabuild.com

O.J. SmithUnit 1Riverside ViewSpellbrook Lane EastBishops Stortford, HertsCM22 7SE01279 723020www.ojsmithltd.co.uk

Phoenix Building Systems LtdUnit 6 Brookbanks Industrial EstateTower House Lane, Hedon RoadHull, HU12 8EE01482 317260www.phoenixbuildingsystems.com

Spacebuilder0161 601 [email protected]

Yani Montoya [email protected]

Electrical EquipmentForbes Hospital TV0845 [email protected]

Electrical ServicesMetropolitan Electrical Services LtdUnit 23 Greenwich Centre Business Park, 53 Norman RoadLondon, SE10 9QF020 82935582www.metropolitanelectrical.com

EnergyADAS01775 680878www.aplus.adas.co.uk

BIU01253 [email protected]

BRE01923 [email protected] Trust0800 0852005www.carbontrust.co.uk

Earth Wind and Power01474 [email protected]

Eg auditwww.eg-audit.com

ElcomponentUnit 5Southmill Trading CentreBishope StortfordHertfordshireCM23 3DY01279 [email protected]

Elmo-IT0844 8156227www.hanwell.com

Energy Institute020 [email protected]

Energy Monitoring Services Limited02920 880115www.energymonitoringservices.com

Enertec Energy LtdOak Tree CottageShropham RoadGt. HockhamNorfolkIP24 1NJ01953 [email protected]

Gemini Data Loggers (UK) LtdScientific HouseTerminus RoadChirchesterWest SussexPO19 8UJ0123 813000www.geminidataloggers.com

GID Quantor Ltd01444 [email protected]

Graphite Energy Management01483 866021www.graphiteenergy.co.uk

Green Running020 [email protected]

Inenco01253 785000www.inenco.com

Jones Nash0845 [email protected]

McCaul GroupBankmore Business ParkBankmore RoadOmaghCo. TyroneBT79 0BE028 [email protected]

MonodraughtHalifax HouseCressex Business ParkHigh WycombeBuckinghamshireHP12 3SE01494 897700www.monodraught.com

Npower LimitedWindmill Hill Business ParkWhitegill WaySwindonSN5 6PB0800 0720019

Power Efficient Sytems Ltd01695 [email protected]

Powermaster01924 272696www.power-master.co.uk

powerPerfector0845 6014723www.powerperfector.com

PowerSave01992 701556www.powersavetechnology.co.uk

PULS UK03309 [email protected]

Radio Tech01279 [email protected]

Socomec UPSUnit 7A-9ALakeside Business ParkSouth CernceyCirencesterGL7 5XL01285 [email protected]

Spirax-Sarco Limited01242 521361www.spiraxsarco.com/[email protected]

Swan Energy Ltd01484 [email protected]

Systematic Energy70 St Clements RoadBenfleetEssexSS7 5XG0808 1088057

Team Energy Management Solutions (EAA Ltd)01908 [email protected]

UK Biomass Ltd0191 [email protected]

UK Plumbing Supplies0800 6226855www.ukpsupplies.co.uk

Wilson Power Solutions0113 2717588www.wilsonpowersolutions.co.ukinfo@wilsonpowersolutions.co.uk

FlooringBonus Flooring Limited01430 [email protected]

Datum0845 [email protected]

Dura Composites LtdUnit 14 Telford RoadClacton-On-SeaEssexCO15 4LP01255 [email protected]

Truvox023 [email protected]

Heating SystemsAdey Solutions01242 [email protected]

Armstrong0161 [email protected]

Hovalwww.hoval.co.uk



ICS Heat Pumps0845 2417617www.icscommercialheatpumps.co.ukenquires@icsheatpumps.co.uk

Ideal Heatingwww.idealheating.co.uk

LanscapingBaldwin Landscaping01606 783885www.baldwinlandscaping.co.uk

GMC Landscape0800 [email protected]

Town & Country08450 170899www.tacg.co.uk

Your Grounds Care0845 [email protected]

LightingBrandon Medical0113 [email protected]

Healthcare Lighting01302 [email protected]

LED Lighting Suppliers LtdShowroom173-175 Widmore RoadBromleyBR1 3AX020 84600800www.ledlightingsupplier.co.ukenquiries@ledlightingsupplier.co.uk

Medicare GB Ltd01926 730679www.medicare-medicalequipment.co.uksales@medicare-medicalequipment.co.uk

Maintenance ServicesFrirthwood Management ServicesValley House 22Valley RoadRickmansworthhertfordshireWD3 4DSwww.frithwoodmanagement.com

G4Swww.g4s.comwww.g4s.uk.com

GSG01202 331605www.thegsgroup.co.uk

Premier Facilities Maintenance Limited01159 [email protected]

Management SystemsAsckey Data Services Ltd0845 [email protected]

Office ProductsASFORPRINT LtdManchester0161 8643256www.datasafewipeboards.co.uk

JW ProductsPO Box 220EghamSurrey TW20 9WH01784 [email protected]

Parking ManagementANPR International0870 [email protected]

Parking ManagementBemrose Booth01482 371245www.bemrosebooth.com

Nagels07917 [email protected]

Parking Control Services0800 9705109www.parkingcontrolservices.co.ukinfo@parkingcontrolservices.co.uk

Parking SolutionsAnother Level Car ParksTweedale WayOldhamOL9 7LD0845 3453835www.anotherlevelcarpark.cominfo@anotherlevelcarparks.co.uk

EPCN01606 [email protected]

UK Parking Control Ltd0870 [email protected]

WPS01793 541080www.wpsparkingsolutions.com

Zeag17 Deer Park RoadLondonSW19 3XJ020 [email protected]

Patient SafetyBrenmoor LtdSummit HouseRiparian WayCross HillWest YorkshireBD20 7BW01535 633088www.brenmoor.com

Carefusion0800 [email protected]

Devon Medical LtdUnit 6Stile Way Business ParkLower Strode RoadClevedon BS21 6UU0844 [email protected]

Maxtag0118 [email protected]

Static Systems Groupwww.staticsystems.co.uk

Property ManagementDelta Controlswww.deltacontrols.com/hmi

Safevent01925 [email protected]

Refrigeration EquipmentPolestar Cooling Ltd01243 [email protected]

Signs and DisplaysAbbey Distribution LtdAbbey HouseLisle RoadHigh WycombeBuckinghamshireHP13 5SH01494 [email protected]

AllSee Technologies Ltd01224 [email protected]

BioSign01302 [email protected]

Dictate IT020 [email protected]

Direct Signs01325 [email protected]

Dorotape UK Limited01858 [email protected]

GJ Plastics0161 7231374www.gjplastics.co.uk

Mood Creative0161 [email protected]

MRG Systems LimitedWillow CourtBeeches GreenStroudGloucestershireGL5 4BJ01453 [email protected]

Navigator Signing Solutions Limited0191 [email protected]

Noticeboard Company02476 [email protected]

Sedao01271 377977www.sedao.co.uk

Signscape Systems Ltd01934 [email protected]

Stratacache020 3170 5543www.stratacache.co.uk

Triline10 Lyon Road, South WimbledonLondon, SW19 2RL020 [email protected]

Variable Message Signs LtdUnit 1 Monkton Business Park NorthMill Lane, Hebburn, Tyne & WareNE31 2JZ0191 4237070www.vmslimited.co.uk

Software (FM)ECO 3D0845 [email protected]

SoundproofingRockwool0871 2221780www.rockwool.co.uk/[email protected]

Storage EquipmentVitathene Limited - GenusRufford RoadChurchtownSouthportMerseysidePR9 8LA01704 [email protected]

Testing ServicesWessex Test Equipment01934 824000www.wessextestequipment.co.uksales@wessextestequipment.co.uk

Training and QualificationsBradford University School Of ManagementEmm LaneBradfordBD9 4JL01274 [email protected]/management

Cambridge Executive Development0845 [email protected]

Cardinal Security CollegeThe Old Station HouseStation ApproachGreat5 ChesterfordSaffron Walden EssexCB10 1NY0845 6801796

Cranfield University01234 754569www.cranfield.ac.uk/uk/som/gmdp/blp

Qube Vocational Development0844 8002396www.qubevocationaldevelopment.comnvq@qubevocationaldevelopment.com

Spinnaker College023 [email protected]

The University Of Sheffield0114 2222660www.shef.ac.uk/[email protected]

Water PurificationEnvironmental Water Systems (UK) LtdCharwell HouseCheddar Business ParkWedmore RoadCheddarSomerset BS27 3EB01934 [email protected]

HEALTH & SAFETYConsultancyCoal Consultants0113 3971040www.coal-consultancts.co.ukbrighouse@coal-consultants.co.uk

ErgonomicsBackcare-Ergonomics.com0700 [email protected]

BAE Systems0117 3028063www.baesystems.com

ChellGrove Office Chairs01733 245958www.chellgrove.co.uk/[email protected]

Davis Associates01707 663665www.davis-associates.co.uk

Future Facilities020 [email protected]

GS1 UK020 70923512www.gs1uk.org

High and Mighty SeatingRussell House Suite 737 Great Russell StreetLondonWC1B 3PP0800 0960414www.highandmightyseating.comsales@highandmightyseating.com

Human Engineering Limited0117 [email protected]

InterAction Of Bath Ltd01225 [email protected]

IOMResearch Avenue North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP0131 [email protected] www.iom-world.org

MBarron Consulting Ltd0845 [email protected]

Progress Through People01224 666304www.progressthroughpeople.com

Synergy Consultants Ltd015395 36678www.synergyergonomics.co.uk

Vectra Group Ltd01925 [email protected]

Verd01388 [email protected]

Worksout0131 [email protected]

Evacutation EquipmentEvac+Chair0845 [email protected]

Hospital Aids1 Kingsfield CloseDallingtonNorthamptonNN5 7QS01604 586501www.hospitalaids.co.uk

Fire SafetyAmerex01633 [email protected]

Automatic Protection LimitedAPL House7 Park PlaceBiggarLanarkshireML12 6BT01899 [email protected]

Crown Paints LtdPO Box 37Hollins RoadDarwenLancashireBB3 0BQwww.crowntrade.co.uk

DKI Services Ltd0845 [email protected]

Eton Fire Ltd020 75176300www.etonfire.com



Eurotech Systems Ltd19/20 Stratfield ParkElettra Avenue, WaterloovilleHampshire, PO7 7XN020 [email protected]

FDS Consult152-154 London RoadGreenhitheKentDA9 9JW01322 [email protected]

Fire and Risk Management Support Services [email protected]

Firegard01467 [email protected]

Fire Lining Systems Ltd0191 [email protected]

FYR Fyter UK LtdUnit 8A, Renny’s LaneDurham DH1 2RS0845 [email protected]

Gent By [email protected]

GT Fire Protection Ltd07894 [email protected]

Hillmoore Fire Protection Limited01628 [email protected]

Indepth Hygiene Services Limited020 [email protected]

JPro Services Ltd01732 [email protected]

Laurence Webster Forrest Ltd020 [email protected]

PFC Corofil028 [email protected]

Safety Technology International (Europe) Ltd01527 [email protected]

Solid State Security01257 463018www.solidstatesecurity.co.uk

Swift Fire & Security0844 4130181www.swiftfireandsecurity.com

Legionella ControlAqua Engineering Systems Ltd01524 [email protected]

Aquacare Water Hygiene0845 6032152www.aquacarewhs.com

Aquadition Water Treatment023 [email protected]

AquaLog0845 [email protected]

Bradley Environmental20 Stourbridge RoadHalesowenWest MidlandsB63 3US0121 [email protected]

Building Water Solutions Limited15 Frensham WalkFarnham CommonBucksSL2 3QF07904 [email protected]

JAAL Consultants Ltd12 Derwent AvenueLutonBedfordshireLU3 2DX01582 [email protected]

Nalco LtdPO Box 11Winnington AvenueNothwichCheshireCW4 4DX01606 721661www.nalo.com/eu/services/water-risk-management.htm

ProMinent Fluid ControlsResolution RoadAshby-de-la-ZouchLeicesterhsireLE65 1DW01530 [email protected]

Rentokil Specialist Hygiene0800 6020900www.rentolkil-hygiene.co.uk

Sentinel Water LimitedSuit 7BRainham HouseManor WayRainham,EssexRM13 8RH01708 [email protected]

Shower Safe0870 7233420www.shower-safe.co.uk

The Oakleaf Group0845 2937571www.theoakleafgroup.co.uk

Water Treament Technology LtdPO Box 2333SudburySuffolkCO10 7HW01787 [email protected]

Obesity Management1st Call Mobility Ltd01279 [email protected]

Action Assist01977 [email protected]

Bartrams01353 [email protected]

Benmor Medical (UK) Ltd0333 [email protected]

HomeCraft0844 4124330www.homecraft-rolyan.com

Nightingale Beds01978 [email protected]

Prism Medical UK Healthcare DivisionSuite B4, Kestrel Court, Harbour Road, Portishead Quays, Bristol BS20 7AN0844 9802278 [email protected]

Scales Express01204 590231

Solent Scales023 92484558www.solentscalesservices.co.uksales@solentscaleservices.co.uk

Products (Health & Safety)Anglia Composites01787 [email protected]

Arena [email protected]

Jo Bird & Company Ltd01278 [email protected]

MaintecMRO0844 8809294www.maintecmro.com

Onezerosix01582 794171www.allearplugs.com

SetonPO Box 77BanburyOxonOX16 2LS0800 [email protected]

Slingsby0800 2944440www.slingsby.com

Test Equipment Ltd01934 824000www.wessextestequipment.co.uksales@wessextestequipment.co.uk

Wockhardt UK LtdAsh Road NorthWrexham Industrial EstateWrexhamLL13 9UF01978 661261www.wockhardt.co.uk

Risk AssessmentBona Systems01442 [email protected]

DNVwww.dnv.com/focus/[email protected]

Envex0118 9773030www.envexconsultants.co.ukenquiries@envexconsultants.co.uk

Multitone Electronics PlcShortwood Copse LaneKempshottBasingstokeRG23 7NL01506 418198www.multitone.com

Rodal0845 5216966www.rodalantislipfloors.co.ukinfo@rodalantislipfloors.co.uk

SATRAwww.satra.co.uk

SlipAlert3 Homefield Road, Radlett, Herts WD7 8PX01923 [email protected]

T.R LAWMAN LtdUnit17Sanders Lodge Industrial EstateRushdenNorthantsNN10 6BQ01933 [email protected]

HEALTHCARE PRODUCTSClinical Waste DisposalDisposable Medical Instruments Ltd0845 3012007www.disposablemedicalinstruments.co.uksales@disposalblemedicalinstruments.co.uk

Evivewww.evive.co.uk

Greenline Chemical Waste Solutions01733 373360www.greenlinesolutions.co.uk

Polka Crest0845 2300091www.polkacrest.co.uk

Complimentary TherapiesJason Davis Acupunturewww.jasondavies-acupunture.co.uk

Russell Wanless51 Meadowhouse RoadEdinburghEH12 7HW0131 [email protected]

FurnitureBusiness Furniture Online Ltd0118 9411144www.businessfurnitureonline.co.uk

Panther Interiors0845 [email protected]

Play Furniture07872 [email protected]

Plinth 2000 LtdWetheringsett ManorWetheringsettStowmarketSuffolkIP14 5PP01449 [email protected]

Shuttleworth01706 [email protected]

Space Saving Beds07906 646223www.spacesavingbeds.co.uk

Teknomek Ltd01603 [email protected]

Hand-DryersDyson Airblade0800 3457788www.dysonairblade.com

Medical DevicesDiabeticshop.co.uk01924 [email protected]

Draeger Saftey UK LimitedUllswater CloseBlyth Riverside Business ParkBlythNorthumberlandNE24 4RG01670 352891www.draeger.com

Hospital Services Limited028 90381481www.hsl.co.uk

VertecUnit 44 Easter ParkBenyon Road, Silchester, Reading, Berkshire RG7 2PQ01189 702100www.vertec.co.uk

Medical SuppliesETI Ltd01903 202151www.etiltd.com

Patient Handling EquipmentAble Life Products Ltd01268 [email protected]

Patient Monitoring EquipmentCourtney-Thorne0800 0687419www.courtney-thorne.co.uk

Edison Telecomwww.edisontelecom.co.uk

Surgical InstrumentsPierson Surgical Ltd01225 [email protected]

HUMAN RESOURCESBackground CheckingSecurity & Vetting Solutions LtdRidge HouseHawthorn CloseCloden CommonWinchester SO21 1UX0870 1996863www.security-vetting.co.ukenquiries@security-vetting.co.uk

Conflict ManagementArgyll0870 [email protected]

Beyondtheblue0845 [email protected]

David Cutler3 Musketts CourtBirchfield RoadRedditchWorcestershireB97 4NA01527 540678http://business.virgin.net/[email protected]

Defend UK01772 [email protected]

Greater Manchester Police0161 8561195

Management Skills Centre01892 506872www.managementskillscentre.com

Medicologywww.medicology.co.uk

Mulberrydt.com07918 [email protected]



OPP01865 [email protected]

PBA0744 [email protected]

SecuriCare01904 [email protected]

Security and Pesonal Protection Solutions02392 [email protected]

Sky Guard0845 0360999www.skyguardgroup.com

SoloProtect01909 550387www.soloprotect.com/crtnhs

Staff Saftey Solutions0844 8002273www.staffsafetysolutions.co.ukinfo@staffsafetysolutions.co.uk

Veteran Solutions01792 540200www.veteransolutions.co.uk

Wil Plant Raining0845 0095647www.wilplantraining.co.ukinfo@wilplantraining

Personnel ManagementZeal Solutions Ltd020 [email protected]

RecruitmentAdvantage Healthcare Group01952 278318www.advantagehealthcare.com

BBL Technical Limited020 85149124www.bbltechnical.co.uk

Britannic Medical0788 [email protected]

Duttonwww.duttoninternational.com

First Point Healthcare0121 6435675www.firstpointhealthcare.com

Hays020 89246015www.hays.co.uk/[email protected]

Intervewing ServicesUnit 6 Park FarmErmine Street, Buntingford, Herts SG9 9AZ01763 272746

Just One Recruitment & Training0151 7246047www.justone.org.uk

LAK Locums0113 237 [email protected]

Linea Group0845 [email protected]

LocumLink28 Market StreetLurgan.co Armagh N IrelandBT66 6AQ028 [email protected]

Medi Placement0845 2306666www.mediplacements.com

Meridian Health0845 [email protected]

Nursing Solutions Limited01934 [email protected]

PJ Locums0800 [email protected]

ProHealth01202 [email protected]

PSE Solutions0844 [email protected]

RED Professional Locums0845 5390077www.redprofessionallocums.cominfo@redprofessionallocums.com

Sonographers Medical020 85511299www.sonographersmedical.comenquiries@sonographersmedical.co.uk

Starlight Employment Agency Limited07577 959688www.starlightemployment.com

TechNet IT Recruitmentwww.technet-it.co.uk

The Best Organisation0115 9826563www.thebestorganisation.com

The UK Field Company020 75591492www.ukfield.co.uk

Rewards/IncentivesCharity Gift Vouchers01323 [email protected]

Software (Human Resources)Understanding People0845 094384www.understanding-people.co.uk

Staff TrainingActing Out01246 520014www.acting-out.co.uk

Advance ITSM0845 [email protected]

Allan Partnership Limited01902 [email protected]

Amber Consultancy & Training ServicesE-innovation Centre SE002University Of WolvehamptonTelford CampusPriorslee, TelfordTF2 9FT01952 [email protected]

Amputees In Action Ltd01635 [email protected]

Babel Consulting Limited01302 390777www.babelconsulting.co.uk

Bray Leino Broadskill01271 337110www.brayleinobroadskill.co.ukbroadskillenquiries@brayleino.co.uk

C&C Training LtdPo Box 6296Leighton BuzzardBedforshireLU7 2WP01525 [email protected]

Capita Learning & Devlopment0800 [email protected]

CMP Resolutions01763 [email protected]

Development Talent07721 977156www.developingtalent.co.uk

Emergency Response Training Ltd01302 [email protected]

Farsight Inspiring Leaders0161 [email protected]

Fenman01353 865350www.fenman.co.uk

Focus For Change19 South StreetColchester, Essex CO2 7BL01206 [email protected]

Gateway Training & Consultancy0845 [email protected]

Guidinghands Training01709 [email protected]

Health Surveillance Services0161 4565339www.health-surveillance.co.ukinfo@health-surveillance.co.uk

i2i Development Solutions Ltd46 Preston RoadYeovilSomersetBA20 2BN08451 210475www.i2idevelopmentsolutions.cominfo@i2idevelopmentsolutions.com

Ivita07919 [email protected]

JDS Training Ltd0845 [email protected]

Milecastle01697 [email protected]

Motivational Maps01202 [email protected]

Optimum020 [email protected]

Pass Training Consultancy Ltd08453 [email protected]

People Development Team01920 485569www.people-development-team.cominfo@people-development-team.com

People Opportunities0870 7540745www.peopleopportunities.co.ukinfo@peopleopportunities.co.uk

Procentus Total Proformance Development01403 [email protected]

Quantum Group119A Friar agteDerbyDE1 1EX01332 [email protected]

Response Training Services01622 [email protected]

Roxym Consultancy01283 517366

Silvermill07766 [email protected]

Transcend Group Ltd9 Clive House80 Prospect HillRedditchWorcestershire B97 4BS01386 [email protected]

UK Mediation01773 [email protected]

Walking with Leaders07970 007118www.walkingwithleaders.com

Xpert HR020 [email protected]

Stress ManagementAMC Mentoring01788 [email protected]

MindStrengths01634 [email protected]

MRD21 CroftersSawbridgeworthCM21 0DE01279 722637www.mrdnamics.com

Organisation Health0845 [email protected]

Premier Life Skills Ltd13 Woodlinken CloseVerwoodDorsetBH31 6BP07808 [email protected]

Stress Consultants01692 651195www.stressconsultants.co.ukenquiries@stressconsultants.co.uk

StressCHECK Training Ltd01904 413560www.stresstraining.com

INFECTION CONTROLProducts (Infection Control)Allgood Plc020 73879951www.allgood.co.uk

BioCote01902 824450www.biocote.com

Composite Fibreglass Mouldings Ltd01325 246066www.compositesfm.co.uk

DDC DolphinThe FulcrumVantage WayPooolDorsetBH12 4NU01202 [email protected]

DM Wood Medical Ltd0800 [email protected]

DocugardBurneside MillsKendalCumbriaLA9 6PZwww.docugard.co.uk

E-Co020 [email protected]

Ecosan01903 [email protected]

EHS65 Riverside 3Medway City EstateRochesterKent ME2 4BH0800 [email protected]

Formicawww.formica.co.uk

Haigh01989 [email protected]

Harfield Tableware0161 [email protected]

Lancer01223 [email protected]

Lift Store01352 [email protected]

MediSaversHarrier ParkSouthgate WayOrton SouthgatePeterboroughPE2 6YQ01733 [email protected]

Proventec Healthcare0845 [email protected]

Sefton Transmail01603 [email protected]



Semperit Industrial Products LtdSempermed Division25 Cottesbrooke ParkHeartlandsDaventryNN11 8YL01327 [email protected]

IT/TELECOMSBarcode LabelsEDP Europe Ltd43 Redhills RoadSouth WoodhamFerrers, Essex CM3 5UL01245 [email protected]

The Barcode Warehouse LimitedTelford DriveNewarkNottsNG24 2DX01636 602036www.thebarcodewarehouse.co.uksolutions@thebarcodewarehouse.co.uk

Call Centre SolutionsConnectionsOxford01865 [email protected]

Cybertech01732 [email protected]

EWA Bespoke Communications01245 [email protected]

Nuance0845 0037197www.nuance.com

Percepta0141 5713400www.percepta.com/[email protected]

Consultancy (IT)Outsourcerywww.outsourcery.co.uk

Data RecoveryAltirium Ltd01296 [email protected]

Document ManagementAcando01928 796800www.acando.co.uk/healthcare

Capita0845 6040080www.capita-tds.co.uk

Clarks Archive StorageStour Valley Business CentreBrundon LaneSudburySuffolkCO10 7GB0845 [email protected]

CygnetWatermanweg 1003067 GG RotterdamNL+31 (0)10 [email protected]

Pinnula01709 [email protected]

Quantor01543 [email protected]

E-LearningLearning Industries Limited029 [email protected]

RHG Consult Ltd0845 [email protected]

SkillSoftCompass House207-215 London RoadCamberleyGU15 3EY0127 6401950www.skillsoft.com/emea

Enterprise Content ManagementZyLab UK Limited4 The DeansBridge RoadBagshotSurreyGU19 5AT01276 [email protected]

Handheld SystemsAnotowww.anoto.com

Handheldwww.handheldeurope.com

Launch X431 Ltd01709 591834www.x431ltd.co.uk

Peak01489 [email protected]

HardwareFujitsuhttp://emea.fujitsu.com/scanners

Kodakwww.kodak.com/go/docimaging

Nexans Cabling Solutions UK2 Faraday Office ParkFaraday RoadBasingstokeRG24 8QQ01256 486640www.nexans.co.uk/LANsystems

Plantronics0800 0855 655www.myofficeheadset.com

Hardware: LeasingCSI Leasing UK0784 1677241www.csileasing.co.uk

Laser PrintersOKI Print Solutionswww.oki100freeprinters.co.uk

Managed ServicesAdapt [email protected]

Airwave Solutions LtdCharter Court50 Windsor RoadSloughBerkshireSL1 2EJ0800 [email protected]

Austin Hughes01794 [email protected]

The ITopia GroupGalaxy House32 Leonard StreetLondonEC2A 4LZ020 30093300www.itopiaconsulting.com

Verizonwww.verizonbusiness.com

Mobile SolutionsGroup Call Alert020 33284601www.groupcall.com/[email protected]

PageOne0844 8110070www.pagerone.co.uk

Rugged Mobile Systems Ltd0845 [email protected]

Networks: WirelessAIT Partnership Group Ltd0845 0177018www.lanpartnership.co.uk

Lan2lan5 Genesis Business ParkWokingSurreyGU21 5RW0870 7874001www.lan2lan.com/congrego

SecurityCarefxwww.carefx.com

Mind Your IT0333 4440000www.mindyourit.co.uk

Novellwww.novell.com

Salvation Ltd0845 [email protected]

Service Providers1st Class Secretarial0131 [email protected]

Equanet0844 8712745www.equanet.co.uk

Footprint01903 [email protected]

Forget About IT0870 7572924www.uk.forgetaboutit.net

SoftwareCherwell Software01793 858181www.cherwellsoftware.com

CSAM Plexus10 Greycoat PlaceVictoriaLondonSW1P 1SB020 79606033www.csamhealth.com

Intellect Enterprises Ltdwww.intellectenterprises.co.ukescrow@intellectenterprises.co.uk

IRIS Healthcare Solutions0844 8155660www.iris.co.uk/healthbusiness

NetSupport Software01778 [email protected]

Symtrax020 [email protected]

TrainingBYTSYZ e-Learning0800 [email protected]

LRQA TrainngHiramfordMiddlemarch Office VillageSiskin DriveCoventryCV3 4FJ0800 [email protected]

Matrix Software Training Ltd01452 387002

Web ResourcesBMJ Evidence Centrewww.evidencecentre.bmj.com

Xenzone0845 3307090www.xenzone.com

SECURITYAccess ControlAccess 20191 2150530www.access2.com/page/[email protected]

Access Security01908 613326www.accesssecurity.com

Kaba Door [email protected]

TDSI01202 [email protected]

Alarm SystemsAidcall0800 0523616www.aidcall.co.uk/healthcare

Certification ServicesThe Security Watchdog Advisory BureauChiltlee ManorHaslemere RoadLiphookHampshireGU30 7AZ01428 728735www.securitywatchdog.org.uk/immigrationwatch

Document DisposalShredall0845 3302330www.shredall.co.uk

Manned GuardingG4Swww.g4s.comwww.g4s.uk.com

Monitoring ServicesFoxglovewww.foxgloveservices.com

TRANSPORTComponentsISLA Components LtdUnit 5/6 Court Farm Business ParkBishops FromeWorcesterWR6 5AY01885 [email protected]

Driver SafetyEyedrive Systems0845 4757778www.eyedrivesystems.com

F.S Fleet Driving Solutions Ltd01925 763928www.fleetdrivingtraining.org.ukenquiries@fleetdrivingtraining.org.uk

TMS024 [email protected]

Driver TrainingFleetmaster07884 45007107729 [email protected]

Fleet ManagementTTC Auto MotiveHadley ParkTelfordTF1 6QJ0333 8000222www.ttcautomotive.co.uk

Patient AmbulancesAcute Ambulance & Medical ServicesArrows Business Centre39a Barton RoadBeltchleyBucksMK2 3HW0845 6860301www.aams-amb.co.uk

Ambulance Parts Ltd01772 785132www.ambulanceparts.co.uk

Excelerate Technology LtdWillow HousePascal CloseSt MellonsCardiffCF3 0LW0845 6585747www.excelerate.info

Medical Rescue InternationalBerkshire01962 [email protected]

ParAid MedicalParAid HouseWeston LaneBirminghamB11 3RS0845 [email protected]

Phoenix Private Ambulance Service01788 [email protected]

Patient Transfer SolutionsAM Medical Services (South) Ltd0800 0832035www.ammedicalservices.co.ukenquiries@ammendicalservices.co.uk

Smarter Travel Planning0845 8723456www.smartertravelplanning.cominfo@smartertravelplanning.com

Vehicle LeasingBurnt Tree01743 457600www.burnt-tree.co.uk

ING0870 4028242www.ingcarlease.co.uk

VehiclesATS0870 0663623www.atseuromaster.com

Citroën08457 940940www.citroen.co.uk/fleet

Renault0845 0500138www.renaultbusiness.co.uk

Volvo08457 300140www.volvocars.co.uk/fleet

Zallys UK05600 [email protected]




NOTES


A healthy future

Premier Life Skills Ltd is dedicated to promotingwellbeing and managing stress. We help managers andemployees to respond positively to challenges, buildingresilience to enable staff to perform effectively andproductively. We can help to build and sustain a healthyfuture for organisations and their employees.

We have more than 12 years’ experience of dealing withstress related problems and issues affecting eitherindividuals or organisations. All our trainers are stressmanagement experts from relevant professionalbackgrounds, including health and education.

We run a range of public and in-house programmesdesigned specifically to tackle issues of stress in the workplace and to support the work of stressprofessionals working on a one-to-one basis with clients.

Bespoke in-house training can be provided for all staffat all levels, along with consultancy, advice and trainingin healthy living and lifestyles.

We are the only stress training company offering theCounselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) accredited training courses in stressmanagement and stress coaching.

CoursesTackling stress at work for managers

An essential workshop for managers – everythingmanagers need to know about preventing and managingstress in the workplace

Developing wellbeing and performance at work

A workshop for employees to provide individuals withtechniques and skills to combat the impact of stress,

thus enabling them to build healthier lifestyles

CPCAB – Level 5 Diploma in stress management

The diploma gives you a formal qualification todemonstrate your competence in delivering thetraining programme in stress and wellbeing to groupsor on a one-to-one basis with individuals.

CPCAB – Level 5 Diploma in stress coaching

The diploma gives you a formal qualification todemonstrate your competence to coach clientsregarding work or personal stress.

Measuring and managing stress – the risk assessmentapproach

This programme enables employers and externalconsultants to develop and demonstrate competencein risk assessment for stress at an organisational level.

Premier Life Skills can also provide other trainingprogrammes for manager and employee development.

Premier Life Skills Ltd13 Woodlinken Close

VerwoodDorset BH31 6BP

Tel: +44 (0)7808 215674+44 (0)1202 821751

[email protected]@premierlifeskills.co.ukwww.premierlifeskills.co.uk

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At Clarks Archive Storage all customers receive personal attention, no matter how large or small. Our commitment is to offer the highest level of customer service and attention within the document storage and archiving industry.

Our company is happy to provide document storage services for national and even international clients. We offer highly competitive prices and we have a sizeable amount of experience within the industry. We are highly dependable and we can tailor our service to suit your individual requirements, so call us today and we can adapt the pricing of our services accordingly.

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Documents

Health Business Specifiers Index 2010/11