RECENT NEWS

Construction is underway on the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) in Sheffield – described as ‘a pioneering research and technology centre that will tackle some of the biggest challenges in children’s healthcare’.

GP practices across England can now access new technology with the introduction of the first new core IT system for 25 years.

Leading offsite manufacturer, McAvoy, in partnership with University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, has achieved zero landfill waste during the construction of a new Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) extension at Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham.

NHS South East London (NHS SE London) says it has identified the best sites for its first two women’s and girls’ health hubs ‘using innovative spatial analysis’.

Millions of patients will be treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has announced, as – in the words of the Department of Health and Social Care – the Government’s Fit For The Future – 10 Year Health Plan for England, published today (3 July), ‘delivers a brand new era’ for the NHS, and ‘one of the most seismic shifts in care in the history of the health service.’

Willmott Dixon has started a £30 m regeneration programme at Barnes Hospital, recently joining patients, carers, NHS staff, teachers, and local leaders across health and education, in marking the commencement of works to develop an NHS mental health facility and a new Special Educational Needs (SEN) school there.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for ‘urgent action’ to tackle what it calls ‘a global crisis of loneliness and social disconnection’, in a new report informed by the research of Professor Pamela Qualter from The University of Manchester.

New guidance has been published aimed at addressing a key knowledge gap around strategic asset management among UK workplace and facilities managers (WFMs).

Jill Nicholls (pictured) is stepping up from her current role as head of Service Development at The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) to replace Helen Yeulet as the Association’s new director of Competence and Compliance.

Insulation manufacturer, Rockwool, has opened a new global centre of excellence for fire-stopping at Hams Hall, on the outskirts of Birmingham, where it says it will manufacture ‘a new best-in-class range of products’.

NHS Property Services (NHSPS) has released a new NHS Estate Optimisation Guide ‘to help NHS leaders and estate managers navigate one of the most pressing challenges in modern healthcare: making the most of the places and spaces that support patient care’.

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) has held an event to ‘kick-start ‘the next stage of procurement with shortlisted suppliers for the Hospital 2.0 Alliance.

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has unveiled the third iteration of its framework agreement, Modular Buildings 3, to – as it puts it – ‘accelerate the construction of vital infrastructure across the UK’.

The ‘urgent need to re-think how hospitals are designed, built, and maintained, to prevent the ongoing crisis of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs)’, is highlighted in a new report, The Silent Pandemic: Healthcare Infections and the Need for Better Hospital Design, released by the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) this week.

The Delabie Group has announced that it has entered into an agreement with funds advised by Equistone, the majority shareholder of KWC Professional, and with the other minority shareholders, to acquire 100% of the share capital of KWC Professional – formerly known as Franke Water Systems – and its subsidiaries.

With NHS buildings accounting for over 15% of the organisation’s total carbon footprint, and Estates managers under increasing pressure to align infrastructure decisions with stringent sustainability goals, roofing upgrades and sustainable design can help NHS estates meet their environmental obligations through practical, long-lasting solutions.

New research from Trinity College Dublin scientists strongly implies that heatwaves have a major influence on the spread of many diseases – and that many existing predictive models have overlooked this complexity.

New research from Trinity College Dublin scientists strongly implies that heatwaves have a major influence on the spread of many diseases – and that many existing predictive models have overlooked this complexity.

ICS Cool Energy, a specialist in complete temperature control solutions for manufacturing process and facilities applications, has re-located its Birmingham operations to a new, purpose-built facility in Erdington Industrial Park.

As an organisation ‘committed to driving the industry forward and increasing awareness of the importance of building controls and automation’, the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has launched what it describes as ‘an informative and illustrative animated guide’ to building controls.