Health Business Magazine issue 11.10

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FIRE SAFETY

ENERGY

BARIATRICS

EMERGENCY PLANNING Ensuring service continuity during major incidents RECRUITMENT – Defending the vital role of locum staff PLUS MORE

Training * Train the Trainer * Induction Training * Annual Refresher * E-learning * CPD Workshops

Hygiene Shower Chairs Commode Chairs Raised Toilet Seats Toilet Rails Bath Boards

Manual Handling Sit to Stand Turning in Bed Seated Transfers Horizontal Transfers Repositioning

Living Aids Eating Drinking Reaching Dressing Mobility

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EMERGENCY PLANNING Ensuring service continuity during major incidents RECRUITMENT – Defending the vital role of locum staff PLUS MORE

Comment

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DEAR READER Data breaches in the health sector have been in the spotlight recently. The Information Commissioner Christopher Graham has called for new powers to allow regulators to conduct compulsory data protection audits in local government, the health service and the private sector, as currently the Information Commissioner’s Office has to win consent before an audit can take place. He said at a recent conference that “something is clearly wrong when the regulator has to ask permission from the organisations causing us concern before we can audit their data protection practices.” Of the 47 recent data protection beaches the ICO has assessed, over 40 per cent (19) were in the healthcare sector.

Meanwhile a freedom of information act from Big Brother Watch has revealed that between July 2008 and July 2011 there were at least 806 separate incidents where patient medical records were compromised.

As data breaches in the NHS continue to be a major problem, Russell Harris from the British Security Industry Association suggests some simple ways in which data destruction in healthcare can be improved on page 30.

On a lighter note, it’s that time of year again when attention turns to the Christmas party, and on page 37 we highlight the best festivities and Christmas party ideas in the capital.

Angela Pisanu

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive 12 issues of Health Business magazine for £95 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Health Business website at:

www.healthbusinessuk.net PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED

226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright ASSISTANT EDITOR Angela Pisanu PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION DESIGN Jacqueline Grist PRODUCTION CONTROL Julie White ADVERTISEMENT SALES Jasmina Zaveri, Beverley Sennett, Kim Fouracre, Amanda Frodsham, Ren Brannigan, Jeremy Cox ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich, Alicia Oates SALES SUPERVISOR Marina Grant PUBLISHER Karen Hopps GROUP PUBLISHER Barry Doyle REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

© 2011 Public Sector Information Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1362 - 2541

Volume 11.10 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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to fit the size required The Vario wheelchair makes it easy to have a wheelchair available for a wide variety of users. Vario boasts an adjustable width from 39-50cm, combining 8 wheelchair models into 1 and covering 80% of user requirements.

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Contents

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CONTENTS 07 NEWS

25 EMERGENCY SERVICES

37 CONFERENCES & EVENTS

11 PATIENT SAFETY

A preview of the Emergency Services Show and Conference 2011, the key event for anyone involved in emergency planning, response or recovery

London & Partners shares its insight into the best activities and events happening in the capital over the festive period

The NHS in Scotland has committed to delivering safe care for every patient through its Scottish Patient Safety Programme – with impressive results to date

13 RECRUITMENT A locum workforce is a crucial component in ensuring that patient care does not suffer as a result of understaffing, urges Ed McRandal from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation

15 STRESS MANAGEMENT Ann McCracken, Chair of the International Stress Management Association, gives advice on how to deal with anxiety and stress caused by today’s pressures

17 ENERGY What sort of financial payback can you expect from implementing energy efficiency measures?

21 FIRE SAFETY The Fire Industry Association’s Graham Ellicot explains the importance of using fire protection companies that are third party certificated

23 EMERGENCY PLANNING

27 SIGNAGE The British Sign & Graphics Association’s David Catanach takes a look at the complexity of wayfinding signage and the need to get it right

30 DATA DESTRUCTION

39 BUILT ENVIRONMENT A review of the Future Health & Care Expo, which explored a wide range of issues around the health and care built environment

41 PRODUCTS & SERVICES

If confidential information is stolen from a health sector organisation, the personal details of patients can be put at risk, writes Russell Harris from the British Security Industry Association

33 FINANCE In today’s tough financial environment, leasing can offer access to an alternative source of finance to purchase much needed medical equipment

34 OBESITY MANAGEMENT Sponsored by Philippa Bromley, head of Independent Living at the Disabled Living Foundation, discusses how the specific handling problems of obese patients will become a necessary part of every carer’s skill base

The Business Continuity Institute looks at the health sector’s progress in embedding business continuity management into mainstream strategic and operational planning

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GP REGISTRATION Pilot of new GP registration system to begin in 2012 An arrangement between the government and the British Medical Association will mean some people will be able to change their GP in order to register near their workplace. Several pilot trials to test the arrangement will begin in 2012 and will also enable patients who do not move far away from their original home to remain with their original GP. The pilots will test two models. The first one will enable patients to stay with the GP surgery close to their home and use one close to their work as well. The other one will mean patients have to give up registration with their home GP.

CANCER CARE

Cancer cases to rise 45% by 2030 The number of new cancer cases in the UK could rise by 45 per cent by 2030 to more than 430,000 a year, according to a study by Cancer Research UK and published in the British Journal of Cancer.

The rise is explained almost entirely by the expected increase in the number of people living in the UK and the ageing population. The charity said the NHS must act now to avoid being “overwhelmed” but the Department of Health said it was already responding to the challenge.

PATIENT SAFETY

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NEWS IN BRIEF Artificial blood could be used in 10 years Scientists in the UK are working on artificial blood produced from stem cells and experts believe the artificial blood could be given to patients undergoing transplant operations within the next 10 years.

Clinical trials using blood from adult stem cells could begin with a couple of years and if successful, could become available were real blood is unavailable.

Alternative bloodlike substances are also being developed and these could be used as a stopgap until actual blood is available for transfusion.

Projects are under way at Edinburgh University and Essex University.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

Hospital mortality indicator to improve patient safety New information on mortality rates in NHS hospitals has been published as part of plans to give patients and the public more transparent information about their local NHS. The new Summary Hospital-level Mortality Indicator (SHMI) compares the actual number of patients who die following treatment at a trust with the number who would be expected to die, given the characteristics of the patients treated there. For the first time, it considers all deaths

News

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that take place both in hospital and within 30 days of discharge, offering a more comprehensive picture of deaths following hospital care.

The SHMI shows mortality rates for every acute non-specialist trust in England – providing a single comprehensive indicator that will be used consistently across the NHS. It will also highlight trusts with the lowest mortality which can provide valuable learning on how quality of care can be improved.

www.healthbusinessuk.net/n/025

Spot checks for hospitals Health secretary Andrew Lansley is planning for hundreds of care homes and hospitals to face unannounced spot checks in the next six months because of growing fears that patient care is deteriorating.

Over the summer, the government ordered the first coordinated programme of unannounced spot checks by the Care Quality Commission.

The official inspector, which inspected standards of care for the elderly at 100 hospitals, identified serious problems at the majority of hospitals, where patient dignity was not respected. The Health Secretary was alarmed by the findings and decided to order a dramatic increase in the scale of unannounced inspections.

Public relies on GPs to stop smoking, research finds New research shows that GPs are frequently called upon to help patients with smoking cessation and 96 per cent of them deal with such cases at least a few times a month.

The survey of 877 GPs across the UK found 71 per cent of respondents advised patients on smoking cessation at least a few times a week and 22 per cent did so on a daily basis.

On a regional level, GPs in the northeast of England were more likely to see patients who wanted to quit smoking with 81 per cent saying they did so at least a few times a week.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

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Volume 11.10 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

07

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SPECIALIST CARE

PATIENT TRACKING

More investment in specialist diabetes care will save NHS £600m

Shoes designed to keep track of Alzheimer’s sufferers

More diabetes nurses and extra spending on specialist care for the disease is needed to cut the estimated £600 million overspend on treating the condition in hospitals, a new report says.

Research conducted by NHS Diabetes found that the NHS in England spends in excess of £2.3 billion a year on inpatient care for people with the disease, which is £600 million over what experts

say should be being spent on it.

The report says that there is evidence to suggest that the treatment of people with diabetes by non specialist nurses is often poor, while nurses who do specialise in treating the condition have been proven to shorten the length of stay for people who are admitted with the disease.

The report ‘Inpatient Care for People with Diabetes - the Economic Case for Change’ argues that investing in specialist diabetes nurses makes clear financial sense.

To help those caring for Alzheimer’s sufferers, who often find themselves lost after getting confused and disoriented, the first ever shoe to be fitted with a built-in tracking device has been designed in the US. The £200 shoes are fitted with a miniature GPS system that allows its wearer’s location to be accurately pinpointed.

The GPS system, which is implanted in the heel of what appears to be a normal walking shoe, allows family members or carers to constantly monitor the wearer.

They are even able to set up a designated ‘safe’ area and if the person strayed beyond those boundaries it would trigger an alert. Family members use an app downloaded to a smart phone or computer to find out the location of the missing person. The tracking device for shoes is a joint development between GTX Corp, who make miniature tracking devices, and Aetrex shoes. The first batch of shoes go on sale in the US later this month.

MENTAL HEALTH

DATA PROTECTION

£32m to help children and young people with mental health problems

Patient confidentiality breached five times a week, research finds

The government is investing £32 million in psychological therapies, including talking therapies, for children and young people with mental health problems.

One in ten children aged 5-16 years has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem. At any one time, more than a million children will have a diagnosable mental health disorder and mental illness in childhood and adolescence costs up to £59,000 per child every year.

Giving children the right help early on can set them up for life, reducing the chance of them ending up in prison and making them more likely to get a job when they grow up.

Psychological therapies have been successful in helping adults to recover from anxiety and depression with many going back to work and living

According to a Freedom of Information Act request, between July 2008 and July 2011 there were at least 806 separate incidents where patient medical records were compromised.

Research conducted by privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch revealed 23 incidents of patient information being posted on social networking sites and 91 incidents of NHS staff looking up details of colleagues, while 24 NHS Trusts

more functional lives. It is understood that children and young people have very different needs to adults, therefore developers are taking the successful parts of the adult programme and adapting them for children and young people.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: “This investment in children’s mental health is vital. Talking therapies are proven to work, and so we are expanding services to treat children and young people with the tailored care that they need.

“With one in ten children and young people suffering from a mental health problem, we cannot ignore the issue or hope that existing services for adults will work for children.”

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saw confidential information stolen, lost or left behind by staff.

44 NHS trusts failed to respond to the Freedom of Information request and 55 Trusts refused to release all or some of the information requested.

Despite these breaches of Data Protection policy, just 102 cases resulted in dismissal of staff.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT... www.healthbusinessuk.net/n/028

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Volume 11.10 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Discover how you can improve efficiency and patient safety

Scope Communications UK Ltd launches safety pendant alarms

The Information Standards Board for Health and Social Care recently approved the use of the GS1 coding system as a fundamental NHS standard for AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture), including bar coding.

This standard provides the specification and implementation guidance for achieving accurate AIDC using GS1 international code numbering standards. This means that by 31 May 2012 you will be required to adopt GS1 standards within your hospital.

GS1 standards can help improve patient care and free up valuable time for clinicians by matching the right patient to the right treatment, tracking medication so that patients receive the right dose at the right time, and tackling counterfeit drugs.

GS1 standards save money through improved efficiency

Scope Communications, with a 20 year reputation for the manufacture of high-end radio paging and telemetry systems, is proud to announce the release of its new range of radio pendant transmitters. These are designed for use by both healthcare workers as a panic/assistance alarm and elderly or vulnerable patients as a distress/fall alarm.

The pendants are housed in rugged, waterproof cases which have been designed for ease of use even by people with arthritic hands or other disabilities. They are activated by a simple push button, or by pulling on the unit which will disconnect the safety neck cord. Advanced models also feature a programmable motion/fall sensor and a cancel function activated by magnetic fob. The pendants can also transmit supervisory signals to the receiving equipment to confirm that they are still

by effective tracking of assets and reducing the amount of inaccurate data being shared.

GS1 UK is an independent, not-for-profit body working to make UK organisations more efficient by getting everybody speaking the same language when it comes to patient safety, procurement efficiency and asset tracking.

Contact us to find out how your hospital should implement these new guidelines.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 0808 178 8799 info@gs1uk.org www.gs1uk.org

operational and in range.

Pendants signal either directly to a pocket pager for simple low cost installations or to fixed multizone receivers, which can then be integrated with other Scope equipment or third-party systems to form a complete patient safety monitoring solution.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01803 860700 sales@scope-uk.com www.scope-uk.com

NHS-developed KwickScreen room divider Healthcare waste collection and disposal is an international hit KwickScreen is a portable, retractable, room-divider that provides isolation or privacy solutions in hospitals.

Their tiny footprint makes KwickScreens ideal for storage and use in open-plan wards. They are simple to transport and wipe clean.

KwickScreens enable hospitals to make the best use of available space, offering flexibility to quickly change a room’s layout.

Designed on the NHS Smart Ideas Design Bugs Out Programme in 2009, and drawing on ideas from patients and staff, KwickScreen has been an immediate success since its introduction in 2010.

Already used in numerous scenarios in over 30 NHS trusts, KwickScreen is also solving privacy and infection control problems in Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Customised printed versions are becoming increasingly popular

10

as, depending on the print, they have an immediate visual impact to either stimulate or relax.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, using cutting-edge British material technology, KwickScreen has received a number of awards including the Shell LiveWIRE and the 2011 UK James Dyson Foundation Design awards.

Contact KwickScreen quoting promotional code HBP1011 for a special discounted price or to arrange a free trial.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 75904292 info@kwickscreen.com www.kwickscreen.com

HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

PHS Wastemanagement specialises in the collection, disposal and recycling of healthcare, clinical, dental, pharmaceutical, chemical, hazardous and non-hazardous wastes.

The company is capable of processing waste as diverse as industrial solvents, laboratory chemicals, aerosol cans and fluorescent lighting recycling through to the recovery of silver from dental x-ray waste.

The field of waste management is highly regulated and complex, with new regulations and government guidance issued constantly. Ensuring the legal compliance, both of its own organisation and its customers, is therefore of the highest priority.

For this reason, PHS employs

a network of highly trained and knowledgeable team members.

As well as its dedicated SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) department, responsible for ensuring the safe and legal operation of all services, PHS also employs highly skilled waste experts and qualified chemists, who are always on hand to help navigate the often complex field of waste management.

Visit the website to download the company’s simple legislative guides. You will also find other training and support information, which can be downloaded free of charge.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 02920 809090 services@phs.co.uk www.phswastemanagement.co.uk

HEALTHCARE TRANSFORMATION

CHANGING THE SAFETY CULTURE IN SCOTLAND

Patient Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

The NHS in Scotland has been brave to admit failures in its healthcare system and address these with a commitment to deliver safe care for every patient – with impressive results to date According to worldwide evidence, one in ten healthcare interventions causes harm to patients, and recent reports puts the figure even higher. In Scotland, aside from the personal impact on patients, adverse events are estimated to cost the NHS around £200m each year in providing extra treatment and in lost bed days.

Led and co-ordinated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) started in Scotland in 2007 with the aim to turn this situation around and has produced impressive results.

The starting point of SPSP was an acknowledgement that healthcare professionals do not go to work with the intention of causing harm, but that harm occurs because of failure in the systems within which those professionals work. Aiming to measure outcomes and the reliability of processes, the programme aims to ensure that hospitals in Scotland deliver safe and standardised care for every patient every time.

The application of evidence-based healthcare is widespread amongst health professionals, but turning evidenced-based thinking into the delivery of healthcare is not generally applied in a reliable manner – the programme aims to apply this way of thinking to how healthcare services are delivered in Scotland.

This level of self-reflection has been supported on all levels across the NHS in Scotland. Very few countries in the world have publically stated that they share the same issues as Scotland, but the NHS in Scotland took the brave step of declaring publicly that its healthcare system causes harm to patients.

Moreover, a commitment to tackling the issue was enshrined in a Quality Strategy produced by the Scottish Government that declared: “There will be no avoidable injury or harm to people from the healthcare they receive, and an appropriate, clean and safe environment will be provided for the delivery of healthcare services at all times.”

ACHIEVING RESULTS Four years on, the results of SPSP are making health authorities across the world sit up and take notice. Across Scotland, there has been a 73 per cent reduction in central line infections, a 43 per cent reduction in ventilator associated pneumonia, and a 72 per cent reduction in critical care C. difficile. There has also been a 14 per cent increase in ward hand hygiene, 58 per cent reduction in ward

C. difficile, and a 31 per cent reduction in blood clotting less than six on the INR scale.

In addition, the programme has seen a 23 per cent increase in safety briefings and a 15 per cent increase in on-time antibiotics.

A prime example of the kind of change being seen in Scotland is Crosshouse Hospital in NHS Ayrshire & Arran. Through visionary leadership and radical system changes, the hospital has witnessed a reduction of 18 per cent in their mortality rates.

Another example is the significant reduction in the number of avoidable infections – many intensive care units across Scotland are reporting reductions in critical care infections. For example, a significant proportion of units have not had a central line associated infection or ventilator-associated pneumonia for more than 400 days. These life-threatening infections were previously accepted as an unfortunate side-effect of delivering intensive care for critically ill patients and we are now demonstrating that they can be avoided, leading to a reduction in the length of stay in intensive care.

CULTURE SHIFT How have these results been achieved?

Fundamentally, the programme is about changing the culture across the NHS in Scotland to ensure that it promotes safety.

It promotes a culture where healthcare professionals actively learn from those occasions when things don’t go according to plan – a culture where there is a plan for making improvements, and that everyone knows not only what the plan is, but their role in delivering it for the benefit of their patient.

But SPSP found that there’s also a culture that surrounds the use of plans within NHS boards. In some systems, the plans will be different depending on who is in charge, or which element of healthcare is being delivered and monitored. Without changing this culture there will still be teams working in the old way, with no real understanding if their system is safe and delivering the best care.

At the beginning of the programme, SPSP explained the problems in healthcare in a stark manner that made the teams involved feel uncomfortable, deliberately unsettling the status quo. Teams looked at the evidence where patients had been harmed – and even killed – by the treatment provided to them.

At the same time, teams were trained in quality improvement techniques – a very

different approach to traditional methods used to improve outcomes for patients. Clinical audit systems were the main focus to identify where improvements were needed. But often the output from these audits would be to tell people to try harder and then to repeat the audit in six months time. Unsurprisingly, many audits found not much would have changed.

The approach now is much different.

Real-time data is reviewed every week and small-scale rapid cycle tests of change are adopted to achieve sustained improvement for the patient. This new approach supports the organisational cultural change, ensuring that staff on the wards think about how to improve the healthcare delivery system by using small-scale tests of change, and measuring the impact of these changes to deliver reliable processes and improve outcomes.

SCORING GOALS SPSP started out with a key goal of reducing hospital mortality by 15 per cent over the five-year first phase of the programme – this would be achieved by concentrating on key aims, such as preventing central line infections, preventing surgical site infections and reducing surgical complications, amongst others.

What’s more, the SPSP aims to drive a change in the safety culture in NHS organisations.

Recognising the complexities involved in delivering modern healthcare, the programme has been designed to standardise approaches to care. There is good research to show which interventions make a difference when it comes to enhancing patient safety, through the programme these are now being implemented.

Such improvements cannot be made without carrying out the right investment in the people.

NHS Scotland has invested in 34 Scottish Fellows, 36 Improvement Advisors, and 125 Improvement Science in Action delegates.

Similarly, the leadership within NHS boards is targeted to ensure that they also understand the changes that are happening at ward level. Within hospitals, leadership teams walk round on a weekly basis, talking to staff and patients about safety and making the changes happen to deliver a safer environment.

In addition, many board meetings have patient safety as a priority agenda item. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.scottishpatientsafetyprogramme. scot.nhs.uk/programme

Volume 11.10 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Specialist recruiting for the health sector

Choose TLA Group for all your staffing solutions

Do managers know whether the staff in their services are sufficient for the standard of care that is to be delivered?

What should the ratio of nurses be to other care staff?

The answer isn’t straightforward. However, if this very delicate balance isn’t correctly addressed; patient outcomes maybe affected.

Service providers face pressure in today’s economic climate to look for savings wherever possible and really ‘cut the meat close to the bone’. A drastic cut in jobs might address the much sought after savings in the short term, but this can often be the wrong decision in some instances; safety maybe compromised, outcomes become inferior and ultimately poorer service quality delivered.

ADK Staffing Limited is a

TLA Group is a provider of professional staff for clients in the health and commercial sectors. The company also offers a portfolio of personal and professional development.

TLA Group supplies specialist staff into the following sectors: Primary Care – GPs, nurses and allied health professionals; Secondary Care – hospital doctors, allied health and health science professionals; Vocational Rehabilitation – case managers, psychologists, occupational and physiotherapists; Organisational Health – physicians, nurses and health screening technicians; Clinical Negligence – legal nurses and physicians.

In addition, as organisations look to grow their businesses out of recession, we provide sales and marketing professionals.

The senior team at TLA Group have extensive experience in the health and commercial recruitment sectors, having worked for large multinational and smaller niche health recruiters. The team have hands-on experience delivering

recruitment consultancy specialising in offering its customers bespoke services. The company listens to clients in order to find you the right candidate, who will be a credit to your team. ADK is committed to saving you valuable time and money by closely assessing the qualities and competencies of each prospective candidate before they are introduced to you.

ADK is a team of experienced practitioners who’ve managed hospitals and therefore know and understand your staffing needs; placing junior to very senior roles.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ADK Staffing Ltd t/a Top Staff Nurse Jobs Tel: 01600 713671 Fax: 01600 775604 www.topstaffnursejobs.co.uk www.adkstaffingltd.co.uk

managed recruitment campaigns (national and international), master vendor recruitment solutions, as well as supporting our clients’ emergency and planned recruitment needs.

Our Personal and Professional Development portfolio includes: Professional Business Skills; Management & Leadership Development; Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP); Motivational Interviewing (MI); Wide range of health professional specific study days; Mentoring & Consultancy services.

TLA Group actively promotes personal and professional development for all of our candidates.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 321 3212 www.tlagroup.co.uk

MERIDIAN | HEALTH THE RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST

Offering a total recruitment solution for NHS Trusts and the private health sector nationally Meridian Health is one of just a few recruitment companies to have been awarded places on the following Government Procurement Services temporary staffing frameworks: Non-Medical, Non-Clinical - CM/AAC/09/5124 Agency Nursing and Care - CM/ANS/08/4961 Meridian Health provides quality, trained and inducted CRB checked staff as part of a service package designed to deliver significant cost savings. We pride ourselves on having embraced the daily challenges of balancing quality against cost, enabling you to manage your budgets whilst never compromising on quality.

Meridian Health understands the challenges faced by the NHS and appreciates the importance of the roles that all staffing groups play.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

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TEMPORARY STAFF

Recruitment

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and healthcare workers on standby to cover these eventualities, this ensures that patient care is not compromised by understaffing.

DANGER, DANGER We can see across the NHS the dangers of an understaffed workforce; in midwifery for instance staff are warning that patient care, particularly out of hours, will drop due to a lack of available staff. Similarly, the recent CQC report identified that many of the hospitals with poor clinical standards suffered problems with understaffing. It is also worrying to see some trusts turn to unqualified healthcare workers to plug the gap, with an estimated 150,000 workers responsible for tasks they are not qualified to perform.

The first priority in staffing decisions should always be clinical, and use of locum staff, often highly specialised and experienced professionals, ensures that understaffing does not have an impact on patient care.

STEPPING IN AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE A locum workforce is not a substitute for permanent staff but is a crucial component in ensuring that patient care does not suffer as a result of understaffing, urges Ed McRandal, healthcare advisor at the Recruitment & Employment Confederation With difficult economic times come tough choices, and in the current climate every penny must be accounted for. The challenge for the NHS is clear; find £20 billion of efficiency savings whilst reforming delivery against the backdrop of an ageing population. No easy task. In order to help drive this change the NHS must understand the benefits of diversifying its workforce.

To navigate these choppy economic waters, NHS managers should recognise the critical role that locum or interim staff play in providing the NHS with a highly trained, cost effective workforce that can step in at a moment’s notice to ensure that staff absence doesn’t lead to a drop in standards.

MEETING THE CHALLENGE In order to meet the ‘Nicholson challenge’ NHS managers are having to look carefully at their budgets, redesigning services to ensure that standards of patient care are

improved in a cost effective manner. As a result, many managers are looking to slash their spend on agency and locum staff, viewing them as an excess cost that can easily be stripped away. This is a false economy. Not only do agency staff actually prove cheaper than hiring a permanent or in house worker, but they provide essential cover for staff shortages and sickness.

Let’s look at the evidence. Hiring locum staff is cheaper than hiring for a full time position as they are only paid for the period in which they work. This means that they directly respond to spikes in clinical demand and, pound for pound, often prove more efficient than hiring full time members of staff. Variations in clinical demand are a core concern for any health manager at this time of year as throughout winter hospitals see, particularly amongst the elderly, a rise in admissions due to injury or sickness. By having a team of expert locum doctors, nurses

It is worrying to see some trusts turn to unqualified healthcare workers to plug the gap, with an estimated 150,000 workers responsible for tasks they are not qualified to perform.

VALUE FOR MONEY Whilst patient care must always be the priority, in the current economic climate it is important to assess which option provides best value for money. Locum doctors, hired through a specialist RECapproved recruitment agency, are not only cheaper than a full time appointment but actually prove cheaper than hiring from an in house bank. To see this we need to look no further than the NHS current in house provider, NHS Professionals. It is estimated that NHS Professionals has proved significantly more expensive than using agencies, largely due to the high set-up and running costs. Furthermore, in house banks don’t have access to the wide pool of candidates agencies have built up and the years of experience they have accrued in placing locums and advising clients on their workforce needs.

When faced with periods of change, like the current moves towards GP-led commissioning, it is crucial that the NHS has back up plans to deal with every eventuality. By accessing a highly skilled and effective locum workforce; you can cover your workforce needs.

A locum workforce is not a substitute for permanent staff, but is a crucial component in ensuring that patient care does not suffer as a result of understaffing. The next few years will test the NHS and will force managers to be innovative and adopt new models of delivery.

It is important that as well as ensuring that they have best value for money, managers must ensure that they have a workforce that can not only serve the patient but also help drive clinical and structural change. In order to achieve this managers must not view locum staff as a disposable cost with which to balance the books, but recognise that not only are they experienced professionals who help drive up standards of patient care, but prove great value for money as well. L

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

If your house was so full of clutter you could hardly move, would you want to bring in more? Would it help to pretend it is not real?

Does your life really need more information, regulation, advice, paperwork, procedures, guidelines, things to remember and worry about?

As Albert Einstein pointed out: “We cannot solve the problems we have created with the same thinking that created them.”

When did you last draw on your personal DNA heritage of 200 million years of success in coping with, and adapting to, potentially fatal pressures and demands?

When did you last have a really good scream, rage, trash, cry or collapse – in good company

and in a safe, confidential and supportive environment?

When did you last move through a ‘stress release’ phase and into a supported ‘replenishment’ phase of re-connecting to your suffocated personal resources of empowerment, good humour, value, competence, ingenuity, initiative, creativity, intuition, inner beauty and personal magic?

Are you ready to let go of your ‘stress hero’, ‘poor me’ or ‘hard done by’ merit badge?

Are you ready to clear out, re-connect and replenish?

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.stress-counselling.co.uk www.sunflower-health.com

Resilience training helps reduce the risk of stress There are two ways to prevent stress at work.

Firstly, create and sustain a working environment that eliminates the risk of stress.

Professor Derek Mowbray (pictured right) has created two white papers to help you achieve this: The Management Standards for a Healthy Organisation – implementing these standards produce a Healthy Organisation and promote Wellbeing and Performance; and; The Manager’s Code of Conduct - which sets out the behaviours that managers need to exhibit to create a working environment based on commitment, trust and engagement.

Establishing commitment and trust is known to prevent stress and will result in a positive work culture defined by innovation, attentiveness, energy and encouragement.

Secondly, it strengthens the psychological immunity of people against stress increasing their resilience.

Resilience is the ability to cope with stress-provoking events without experiencing symptoms of personal stress.

Resilience training helps build personal resilience to

withstand such events without stress-related problems.

Resilience training has probably the most immediate and sustained impact on the primary prevention of stress at work.

Both these approaches to preventing stress at work represent a low cost investment for a high performance dividend.

Contact barbara.leigh@ mas.org.uk for copies of The Management Standards and the Manager’s Code of Conduct plus details of the company’s resilience training programmes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information Contact: Barbara Leigh Tel: 01242 241 882 barbara.leigh@mas.org.uk www.mas.org.uk

STAFF WELLBEING

COPING WITH PRESSURE IN THE MODERN WORLD With budget cuts and staff expected to do more with less, it is understandable if healthcare professionals are feeling anxious.

Ann McCracken, Chair of the International Stress Management Association, gives advice on how to deal with such a situation There can be little doubt that most people in the public sector are feeling anxious and concerned about their future.

Redundancies are on the horizon and those left in position have to do at least the same with less support and less budget.

Let’s focus on redundancy first. Many of us define ourselves and our status by our job, so to loose your job induces fear, anger, humiliation, grief as well as concern over finances and the effect on the family or dependants. Such emotions flood the body with chemicals which can have a negative effect on our health and have recently been identified as ‘physiological dysfunction’. At the very time when we need to be alert, focused, innovative and creative, we feel depressed, anxious or sick and existing conditions like psoriasis, eczema, ulcers, blood pressures and heart conditions flare up. These are the chronic health effects of excessive pressure perceived by the brain. Excessive pressure over a period of time results in the ubiquitous condition called stress. This is not a good state to be in when you need all your faculties to focus on repositioning yourself at work.

TAKE CONTROL Here are a few suggestions to consider if you find yourself in such a situation: assess your health condition honestly; accept that you can influence your health by the choices you make; and assess the lifestyle and identify changes you can make to enhance fitness of mind and body. For serious illness, however, consult your GP or health practitioner.

You could also brainstorm your options, with a few ‘wild cards’ thrown in, rule nothing out and everything in, and assess your life and work skills, as well as your transferable skills.Consider retraining to

upskill in areas you feel you would be more marketable, and network actively using traditional methods and social media.

In other words take control of your current life situation instead of allowing it to control you. It is a cliché that redundancy can be an opportunity but I speak to so many people who reaffirm that statement. People tell me they are now doing something they are passionate about and the satisfaction factor has increased their wellbeing, happiness and contentment. They may not be richer in a monetary sense and may have had to change their expectations but achieving an inner satisfaction and contentment is a state well worth striving for.

BASIC HUMAN NEEDS In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the basic Physiological human needs are shelter, food, water, air and sex. This is followed by safety and security. Redundancy feels as if it challenges the second level which is why it feels so threatening. If we look at both safety and security it may have to be defined more clearly to convince ourselves that although it may be threatened, we can make contingency plans and this helps us to feel more in control. Some people find it helpful to write down action plans with proposed dates for completion as it helps keep them on track.

The third level of human need is love and belonging. Family and friends are a resource which no money can buy and are therefore highly valuable. If this level of need is not nurtured and tended it becomes fragmented, allowing break up, resentment, anger and rejection to flourish.

As above, these emotions create body dysfunction resulting in illness both mental and physical for individuals and families.

Openness, honesty, respect and working together for the higher good (rather than egos) are essential if teams, sections and departments are to produce the outcomes required.

All people but particularly those fearing redundancy or change in income and status would do well to consolidate these three lower levels of human need to ensure a firm foundation to support changes.

Stress Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

WORK PRESSURES The other situation to explore is being in post but with higher expectation of your work load, less budget and less support – doing ‘less for more’. This situation can have a demoralising effect if not handled well and staff can feel overwhelmed. In this type of situation it is essential for managers to take the lead and prioritise tasks as well as offering flexibility, encouraging creative and innovative methods of getting the job done instead of doing it the same old way. Using a coaching style to explore realistic options within the new budget can be empowering for both managers and their staff. This is a learned skill and a worthwhile addition to a manager’s toolbox.

If a job has too many demands and little control of how, when and in what order they should be done there is a high risk of the employee experiencing continuing excessive pressure which can lead to stress, ill health, absence, mistakes, accidents, poor service, reduced productivity – in other words a downward spiral towards negativity for staff and organisational morale.

Senior staff need to be aware of their responsibilities for this situation as they hold the keys to motivation and development of a positive culture. Mission statements and aspirational targets go down well with trustees and politicians but unless they are seen by employees to be appropriate and relevant they will create an organisational culture of posturing and shallowness.

WORKING TOGETHER At a time when every person counts, staff need to be fit and well to do the new set of tasks required. Openness, honesty, respect and working together for the higher good (rather than egos) are essential if teams, sections and departments are to produce the outcomes required. These qualities are often missing in today’s organisations but are fundamental to inspiring success and wellbeing both of the organisation and the individual.

Staff also have a responsibility to keep themselves fit in both body and mind. This can be achieved by exploring energising lifestyle choices and developing enhanced life skills such as self confidence, assertiveness, sensory communication awareness, stress awareness and effective use of time as well as the personal and family options outlined above.

In summary, we live in a fast changing, sometimes confusing, sometime exhilarating world and both individuals and organisations need to identify and adhere to their values to develop confidence in themselves, the community and the world of business. L

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Energy saving solutions for the NHS At Climate Consulting, we specialise in providing our clients with operational cost saving solutions which reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.

With over 13 years of experience working with public and private sector organisations, we guarantee to deliver excellent results by offering bespoke services, typically we provide the following: • energy auditing • energy /carbon management plans • renewable technology options appraisals • behaviour change programmes We are confident that our services will add value to your Estates Strategy or Carbon Management Plan.

Call us today to discuss your requirements and to receive a quote! t: 020 8633 9803 e: chinasa.uyanna@climate-consulting.co.uk w: www.climate-consulting.co.uk

Worried about the rising cost of oil, gas, electricity or water?

Not sure what to do with energy surveys/advice?

Looking for a realistic energy saving plan from INDEPENDENT experts?

The McCaul Group employs highly experienced and fully accredited energy consultants and building services engineers to provide value-for-money energy saving solutions that will protect your organisation against the rising cost of energy.

We will examine all aspects of your business’s energy consumption and immediately highlight any ‘high impact - low cost’ solutions. Remember, saving energy can release resources to frontline services.

As an engineering consultancy business we don’t manufacture, supply or install energy saving equipment. We are dedicated to providing you with INDEPENDENT engineering solutions that are specifically suited to your organisation and its budgetary needs.

So talk to us now about our innovative Step by Step approach to help YOU achieve a new standard in energy performance for your organisation.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

CARBON REDUCTION

Energy

www.healthbusinessuk.net

ENERGY PAYBACK

Alan Aldridge, executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association, discusses the substantial financial rewards from implementing energy efficiency measures The Greening Government commitments superseded the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) programme in April this year. These new targets included one of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent from a 2009-10 baseline. These savings are to be achieved from “the whole estate and business-related transport.”

Given how notoriously difficult it seems to be to cut transport emissions, it would not be surprising if the main area for savings were the buildings owned or tenanted by government departments. In addition, the central government office estate has to become ‘carbon neutral’ by next year – 2012.

A further 25 per cent on top of savings already achieved is no mean feat, especially given the restrictions on expenditure following the Comprehensive Spending Review. Yet there are a number of options open to the public sector that can achieve a return on investment of more than 30 per cent. Against that background, perhaps the targets are not unattainable after all.

SEEKING BEST VALUE The main options are to cut back on consumption or to invest in renewable energy. Much attention has been given recently to the possibilities of installing onsite renewables. The Feed In Tariffs (FITs) and now the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) offer participants grants or preferable rates in order to reduce the level of investment and decrease the payback period. While renewables are clearly going to form a significant part of our power supply over the coming years, does investment in these technologies today represent best value compared with, say, energy efficiency?

Well, FITs are based on a return on investment (ROI) of just eight per cent, or over 10 years to achieve a simple payback on investment. While the proposals for the RHI are slightly more generous with an ROI

of around 12 per cent, you still will not see a return on the investment before 2020. The comparison with energy efficiency technologies could not be more striking. ESTA members regularly report an ROI of more than 30 per cent on projects they are engaged in.

RETURN ON TECHNOLOGIES Clearly, the payback on different measures will vary according to the complexity and size of the installation. Yet for some basic measures, like automatic Monitoring & Targeting (aM&T) – and without some form of monitoring and targeting system there is no real way to prioritise and measure improvements – payback can often be measured in months rather than years.

Remember that by 2015, virtually all public buildings where the public has access will need annual assessments of energy performance which then have to be on public display in the form of Display Energy Certificates (DECs). Many of the newer aM&T systems can produce these certificates automatically, amortising the cost still further.

While there are a wide range of technologies available, some have fairly universal application. We all need lighting; indeed in many modern buildings lighting is one of the main electricity loads. Now while most organisations will by now have installed E

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Express – the test equipment and thermal imaging hire specialists Express Instrument Hire is the one-stop-solution for all your test and measuring equipment needs. The company offers the widest range of the latest test, measuring and monitoring equipment from all the leading manufacturers.

Express Instrument offers first class service from dedicated and professional staff, competitive pricing and discount structure, advice on choosing the best equipment for your needs, and support during the installation and use of your equipment.

The benefits of hiring from Express include access to the latest equipment, no capital

outlay, no depreciation, short term solutions, calibrated equipment, and the option to hire before buying. Plus all Express Instrument’s equipment is ISO 9001 quality assured.

Our customers include selfemployed contractors, small, medium and larger companies from all industries, along with the services and utilities sector and both government and local authorities. They all benefit from our hire service.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01772 815600 Fax: 01772 815937 sales@expresshire.net www.expresshire.net

Systems that deliver 15 per cent energy savings Switching its domestic hot water and heating from shell-and-tube calorifiers to EasiHeat™ systems from Spirax Sarco has delivered energy savings of at least 15 per cent at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Replacing the hospital’s ageing calorifiers has also saved up to three weeks of maintenance work each year, since the old systems had to be stripped down for regular insurance inspections.

“We made the decision to change because one of the calorifiers was nearing 55 years old,” says Aberdeen Royal Infirmary’s Estates Officer Trevor Stirton. “They were high maintenance and we knew that modern systems would be more energy efficient. We don’t have the new systems metered for steam consumption so we can’t say exactly what they’re saving, but it is estimated to be up to 15 per cent overall for the heating and domestic hot water

applications we have replaced.”

EasiHeat systems use compact plate heat exchangers to provide hot water on demand. This eliminates the need for hot water storage and the resulting reduction in heat losses leads to greater energy efficiency.

“We can’t afford to run out of hot water, so in one area alone we used to store 2,100 gallons (9500 litres approx) of hot water, 24-7,” says Stirton. The removal of hot water storage also saves space and potentially helps eliminate problems associated with Legionella pneumophila contamination, which is a risk in any system that stores hot water.

“We’ve been very pleased with the installation,” adds Stirton.

FOR MORE INFORMATION E-mail: uk.enquiries@ uk.spiraxsarco.com Tel: 01242 535319 www.spiraxsarco.com/uk

Ready for the climate change challenge?

Western Power Distribution’s long established metering business has been refocused to help its customers face the challenges of climate change and increase productivity.

The WPD Smart Metering team provide metering solutions to business customers on a national basis. With a strong reputation for operating HH sites, the company now also offers a national solution for NHH sites to deliver to businesses: • automatic remote meter readings and accurate to the minute billing • energy management data and reporting with notification of overconsumption • a consistent national metering service, e.g. to manage the new connection process • integration of remote

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logging from sub-metering and other utility meters.

When you choose the Western Power Group for your smart metering, you have the confidence of working with a company that has many years’ experience in helping UK organisations manage energy more efficiently.

As an independent company, WPD Smart Metering works with your supplier on behalf of your business to deliver a firstclass service – from low cost installation of the latest smart meter technologies through to full maintenance and support.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 08457 448900 smartmetering@ westernpower.co.uk www.wpdsmart metering.co.uk

HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

Producing residual current circuit breakers for 55 years Under new regulations defined in section 710 of the IEE Wiring regulations, you can only use Type A or Type B Residual Current Circuit Breakers (RCCBs) in medical locations - Group 1 or 2. This is because some types of equipment used in the medical industry, such as MRI Scanners, can affect the operation of standard AC RCCBs currently used in many electrical installations.

This amendment is effective from January 2012 to ensure safety of patients and medical staff in hospitals, private clinics, medical and dental practices, healthcare centres, etc.

Doepke manufacture and stock Type A and Type B RCCBs suitable for use in Group 1 or 2 medical locations.

Doepke has over 55 years experience in the development and manufacture of residual current circuit breakers, with an established reputation as a world specialist in residual

current protection, and their RCCB product range is today the most comprehensive in the world with over 4000 variations manufactured in Germany. Doepke offers full technical and commercial support via its subsidiary Doepke UK Ltd, based in Daventry.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01628 829 133 sales@doepke.co.uk www.doepke.co.uk

CARBON REDUCTION

Financial metrics

Remember that by 2015, virtually all public buildings where the public has access will need annual assessments of energy performance which then have to be on public display in the form of Display Energy Certificates (DECs) E low energy lighting (in the form of compact fluorescents or high efficiency strip lighting) this can still involve waste of energy. Any light that is on unnecessarily is wasting money. The way to ensure that this does not happen is to have an effective system of control. Energy controls vary from simple on/off timeswitches, through presence detectors (for storage areas or intermittently used spaces for example) and daylight sensors to sophisticated zone controls integrated with a Building Energy Management System (BEMS). Once again payback and ROI will vary but there is plenty of evidence from real installations that a comprehensive control system can cut lighting energy by up to 30 per cent.

Another technology that has wide application is the inverter or variable speed drive (VSD). Conventional motors operate best when working flat out; as output is reduced, the efficiency of operation falls too. In fact, most systems involving motors are oversized at the outset to allow for changes in usage and loading over time. So the chances are that the motors in a host of items of equipment, from lifts to air conditioning fans to pumps, are not working as efficiently as they should.

VSDs tackle this problem by matching the motor energy consumption to output. Studies suggest that VSDs achieve simple payback between three to 12 months of installation and are capable of reducing motor energy consumption by up to 70 per cent (as well as

Energy

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

improving the ‘fine control’ of motor load).

They can also ensure longer motor life.

PRESENTING THE CASE The finance departments of many organisations set a standard level of return which proposals must exceed before investment committees will consider them. According to the Carbon Trust, the vast majority of large businesses have an Internal Rate of Return (see box) of under 30 per cent, although a number who were surveyed by the Trust actually approved investments with an IRR of just 12 per cent.

The Trust also calculated that most large organisations have the potential to save at least 15 per cent of their energy. The technologies that will allow them to achieve this typically have IRRs of 48 per cent. So these investments are likely to outperform most of those commonly approved. Yet they are often ignored or rejected. Why? There seems to be a problem of perception amongst senior managers. The same Carbon Trust study interviewed a number of chief financial officers and found that attitudes to energy efficiency were subject to two questionable assumptions. First, most did not see energy as a ‘material cost’ despite the continuing impact on their operations from sharply rising and volatile prices (energy regulator Ofgem suggests that prices could rise by 40 per cent by the end of the decade).

The second reason was that most of them felt

Payback – the amount of time before the savings match the initial investment ROI – The Return on Investment is the benefit (return) divided by the cost of the investment. The result is expressed as a percentage.

IRR – The Internal Rate of Return is the rate of growth a project is expected to generate. While the actual rate of return that a given project ends up generating will often differ from its estimated IRR, a project with a substantially higher IRR than other available options would still provide a much better chance of strong growth NPV – Net Present Value compares the value of a pound spent today to what it would be worth in the future, taking inflation and project returns into account. energy efficiency offered relatively low returns compared to other investment options. When asked to estimate the average IRR of a number of energy efficiency projects, almost two thirds (64 per cent) of the CFOs interviewed gave an average figure of just 20 per cent – way below the 48 per cent in the recommendations commonly offered by Carbon Trust advisers.

The moral is: you have to get your figures straight and be prepared to challenge misinformed assumptions about energy efficiency.

My bank account does not give me a 30 per cent rate of return on my investment – I don’t know of any that do. But energy efficiency will – and it continues to save money year on year. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.esta.org.uk

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

NSI’s 40 year history in regulating fire and security installers The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) is the leading approvals and certification body providing inspection services for UK fire and security companies involved with electronic security installation, fire detection and manned security services.

Whilst working closely with bodies such as the Security Industry Authority, the Police, insurers and the Fire and Rescue Service, NSI is an independent and not-for-profit body with a history dating back 40 years.

Its mission is to raise standards in the interests of the customer.

Every customer, whether a large commercial organisation or an individual householder, is entitled to receive a professional, quality service from their security or fire contractor. Therefore, NSI approved companies are regularly and rigorously inspected by a team of nationwide fulltime inspectors to ensure they comply with the appropriate British and European Standards

Dedicated to delivering the best security service

and NSI Codes of Practice.

NSI’s owl brand is today widely recognised as the benchmark of quality in the fire and security sectors and is a symbol that buyers and specifiers can trust knowing that NSI approval is only granted to those companies that consistently meet exacting standards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01628 637512 www.nsi.org.uk

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We provide a full support package for our customers at every stage of project build, from the initial system design, including client/fire authority consultation, all the way through to the supply, installation, test, commissioning and ongoing maintenance of the fire alarm equipment specified.

Complying with the British Standard BS5839 Part 1, our dedicated maintenance team will arrange for an engineer to visit your premises four times or twice a year, normally once every three or six months, during which time 100% of your building will be tested to ensure all devices are working within the required limits.

Tel 01634 735 465 Email maintenance@multifiremsl.co.uk web www.multifire.co.uk MULTIfire MSL • Suite 2B Beta house • Culpeper Close • Medway City Estate • Rochester • Kent • ME2 4HU

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

intruder alarm systems, CCTV and access control systems all with the option of off-site monitoring and can offer a nationwide service to all its customers.

The company install all systems to: • NACOSS approval • DD243 compliant • EN50131 compliant • Graded equipment • ACPO & insurer compliant FOR MORE INFORMATION Central Fire & Security Services Address: Commercial House, 23 Meadow Road, Netherfield Nottingham NG4 2FR. Tel: 0800 7817274 sales@centralfire-security.com

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Multifire is a long established specialist company providing a nationwide fire alarm service to all industries

Central Fire & Security Services Ltd is dedicated to delivering the UK’s best security services.

The company specialises in providing access control systems, CCTV, EAS tagging, fire alarm systems intruder alarm systems and portable fire extinguishers.

We are BAFE accredited for SP203 - 1 for the design, installation, commissioing/ handover, maintenance and verification of fire detection and alarms, emergency lighting and nurse call systems, and conduct certified fire risk assessments.

As a security specialist Central Fire & Security Services Ltd can provide tailored solutions for

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FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS

Fire Safety

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THIRD PARTY REASSURANCE How do you ensure that fire protection systems in healthcare premises are of the highest standard?

Using companies that are third party certificated is the first port of call, urges Graham Ellicott

THIRD PARTY APPROVAL The government acknowledges these and says in Approved Document B (the Fire Safety guidance document) of the Building Regulations of such schemes: ‘Building Control Bodies may accept the certification of products, components, materials or structures under such schemes as evidence of compliance with the relevant standard. Similarly,

Third-party quality assurance can offer great comfort to employers, both as a means of satisfying you that goods and services you have purchased are fit for purpose, and as a means of demonstrating that you have complied with the law.’

Under these schemes the competence of the companies and its operatives to supply, install, and maintain a particular type of fire protection system is assessed.

For new construction work at the end of the installation, the fire protection contractor supplies a ‘Certificate of Conformity’ to his client along with the specification and details of the work done. The FIA believes that any Certificate of Conformity that is not backed by a third party certification scheme should be treated with some caution.

CHECK THE PAPER WORK Since April 2007, this supply of information has been formalised in Building Regulation 38 (formerly 16B); the rationale being that the information can then be used by the Responsible Person as designated in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to operate and maintain the building in reasonable safety.

For routine maintenance work you, as the Responsible Person, should look carefully at the documentation supplied by the fire

Perhaps surprisingly, anybody can set themselves up as a supplier and installer of fire protection systems. All you have to do is get yourself a white van; access to the job; a credit card to purchase products and you’re in business.

Building Control Bodies may accept the certification of the installation or maintenance of products, components, materials or structures under such schemes as evidence of compliance with the relevant standard.’

What is more, within the government guidance documents for existing buildings, published in support of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it stipulates: ‘Third-party certification schemes for fire protection products and related services are an effective means of providing the fullest possible assurances, offering a level of quality, reliability and safety that non-certificated products may lack. This does not mean goods and services that are not third-party approved are less reliable, but there is no obvious way in which this can be demonstrated.

protection company to see if it references a Third Party Certification Scheme. If it doesn’t then you should ask why not.

As a building gets older, occupiers will make changes and these may mean that the fire safety measures are weakened. A new tenant may, for example, increase the fire load in a certain part of the building or put in new offices that require extra smoke detectors.

In theory all of these changes should be documented in the CDM (Construction, Design and Management) file. This provides a record of all matters to do with the health and safety of those concerned in the construction, management and use of a building.

The FIA doesn’t just believe in the highest standards for the installers and maintainers of fire safety systems. The Fire Safety Order

2005 requires that a ‘competent’ person carries out a fire risk assessment. Therefore the association believes that the Responsible Person should feel confident that anyone/ company they contract to carry out their fire risk assessment is competent to do so.

REGISTERS FOR FIRE RISK ASSESSORS Currently there are a number of registers that deal with fire risk assessors. However, they are for the individual risk assessor and, in my opinion, both the individual and the company needs to prove their competence.

In an effort to maintain the highest standards in this area of fire safety management, the FIA set up the Fire Risk Assessors (FRA) Register for companies (organisations) two years ago. Then, on 1 April 2011, the FIA FRA Council tightened the membership criteria for the FIA Fire Risk Assessors Register.

The association’s new FRA Register criteria states that all member companies must employ individuals who are competent and registered to, or in the process of joining, one of the existing registers mentioned above.

It was decided that the risk assessment companies on the association’s register must also be assessed on competency because they could put pressure on an individual risk assessor to carry out ‘poor’ work, for example; or the work may be complex and would need individuals with different fire backgrounds.

In the event of a failure, it’s the risk assessment company that would be held responsible; having signed a contract with the Responsible Person they’re working for.

In addition, a company would probably carry higher levels of Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) and a hospital for example, would want this higher amount. Typically an individual might carry up to £1m PII, whereas a company could have £10m.

Written by Graham Ellicott, CEO, Fire Industry Association

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has long chosen to set its sights on increasing the standard of fire protection installations in the UK so that they are raised to the highest possible level and become the automatic choice for clients and specifiers.

But what does it take to be a fire protection company? Well, perhaps surprisingly, anybody can set themselves up as a supplier and installer of fire protection systems. All you have to do is get yourself a white van; access to the job; a credit card to purchase products and you’re in business. The one other thing that you will need, of course, is a computer so that you can print your own certificates that infer your work is of the highest standard.

But how do you assure that the fire protection systems in healthcare premises are of the highest standard? In the UK there is Third Party Certification for suppliers, installers and maintainers of fire protection systems.

LOW RISK PREMISES If your premises is considered a low fire risk, you will still need to carry out a fire risk assessment; the Responsible Person could either do it themselves using the Government’s Guidance Docs or they could contract a ‘registered’ individual fire risk assessor. If your premises isn’t considered a low risk, you’d be wise to contract a company that can prove its competence such as those on the FIA’s FRA register.

In summary, the FIA believes that the highest possible standard of fire protection is the only acceptable choice for all involved in the design, construction, maintenance, and risk assessment of the UK’s healthcare premises. L

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Biscon – adding resilience to the health sector

First choice supplier for quality rescue equipment

Business continuity is a legal requirement for NHS Trusts, but it also makes good business sense. Reviewing what you do, how you do it and the resources you require will enable you not only to put recovery strategies in place but also to identify synergies/duplication in day-to-day activities.

Biscon is a specialist business continuity consultancy with specific experience of dealing with NHS Trusts. The company can supplement your existing resource in anything from data collection through plan delivery to exercising. Equally, we can

Safequip is one of the leading suppliers of technical rescue equipment to the emergency services, utility, and resilience sectors in the UK and overseas.

We offer a wide range of equipment and PPE for use in fire, water, and technical rescue environments, and have become the first choice supplier to many of the UK’s professional rescue services.

With the increased risks posed from terror threats, coupled with the increase in volatile weather patterns resulting in serious flooding, Safequip has developed many products that are widely used by the rescue services, providing the rescuer with the appropriate equipment

provide cost effective solutions if you feel it is something better outsourced, through our innovative managed service model. All work is delivered in line with the NHS specific version of the British Standard for Business Continuity, BS25999.

Call Biscon today to arrange a free business continuity ‘healthcheck’ and to discuss how our services can benefit your Trust.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 076 5637 Fax: 01453 889250 jimnield@biscon.co.uk www.biscon.co.uk

HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

and protection they require to operate safety and effectively in these high risk environments.

Our customers include UK fire and rescue services, NHS trusts, police services, ambulance HART, maritime coastguard, RNLI, local authorities and many search and rescue and resilience organisations around the UK and abroad.

An area of business we like to pride ourselves on is expert advice and support we can provide to our customers, so that they can make the right decision when purchasing rescue equipment.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01259 727835 sales@safequip.co.uk www.safequip.co.uk

BUSINESS CONTINUITY

DEALING WITH DISRUPTION

Emergency Planning

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

There has been a major push in the NHS to embed business continuity into mainstream strategic and operational planning, but changes to the structure of the NHS is threatening to hinder progress

EMERGENCY STANDARDS BS25999-1 was picked up by the National Health and re-published with just some supplementary notes as a standard that could be adopted throughout the NHS. It was not surprising that a standard designed primarily

in a meaningful way.” A different point of view has been expressed by others however, who feel it is too far reaching, it tries to encompass too many things and has a danger of failing through its over ambition.

The Business Continuity Institute has around 2.5 per cent of its entire global membership from this sector, and BCM is starting to be recognised as an important discipline by management. There has been a major push in the NHS to embed business continuity into mainstream strategic and operational planning, but threatened and imminent changes to the structure of the NHS (in particular the primary care configuration) is hindering progress as is lack of direction and funding for non-medical activities.

However, according to Liza-Marie Turner, business continuity officer for NHS Salford, an area covering 230,000 people, progress has been good. The Salford programme has benefited from chief executive level support and sufficient resource investment with a dedicated role for business continuity. In Greater Manchester there are 10 Primary Care Trusts, all sharing common services, which

The transition of PCT responsibilities to GP consortia holds a degree of risk in terms of which entity will carry the statutory obligation to implement and maintain BCM. for wide general business acceptance gave problems of interruption for the health service. To make it more in line with standard practice, additional work was undertaken which gave rise to the development of the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2015 in 2009. This document recommends techniques for improving and maintaining resilience for NHS-funded organisations that build on the activities that are already in progress.

All NHS-funded organisations are required to plan and implement emergency plans, including business continuity plans, as though they were Category 1 or 2 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. This includes ensuring that arrangements made are appropriate to local circumstances, and built on risk assessment, cooperation, emergency planning, sharing information and communication with the public.

It is probably too early to say how effective this model can be and the jury is still out.

Mike Lees, resilience manager at Barnsley Hospital Trust is an enthusiastic supporter, saying “it does what BS NHS25999 failed to really achieve – it talks the language of health professionals. They can see their world in it and consequently can implement

enables much closer cooperation to address business continuity issues. In this model, one of the PCTs is assigned as the Lead PCT to ensure that the resilience agenda is progressed in each Trust. Liza is the appointed business continuity officer in the Greater Manchester region and therefore able to focus solely on business continuity management. There is a high level business continuity plan that sits as an umbrella over the directorate and site.

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS CONTINUITY Two key success factors in BCM are making sure those with business continuity roles are trained appropriately, and secondly raising awareness of the need for and benefit of business continuity planning. A simple checklist as part of their awareness raising activities is recommended. As a start, you need to be aware of your key services and the activities and resources needed to deliver these services.

One of the original reasons for emphasis on business continuity planning in the NHS related to ensuring that the NHS was able to continue to deliver its services even if impacted by the same incident that had

generated the civil emergency. This has tended to explain the reason why business continuity and emergency planning functions have often been combined. However, while they share common objectives, the two disciplines are quite different. Lee Glendon, head of campaigns at the Business Continuity Institute explains: “For a start, BCM is not just about dealing with major incidents; there are plenty of other sources of disruption that are not emergency-related. This partly explains, for example, why many organisations developed pandemic plans as separate activities to business continuity programmes. Emergency Planning may not be an automatic stakeholder in certain business decisions, where business continuity thinking would be essential.”

Written by the Business Continuity Institute

In 2004 when the Civil Contingencies Act came into force it is probably true to assume that very few organisations had any formal business continuity management (BCM) in place. This is now changing. Following the publication of the British Standard for Business Continuity published in 2006 (BS25999-1) the health profession has recognised the need for a more standardised approach to what in the past was seen as an off-shoot of emergency planning.

The health sector has always had in place crisis management mentality and the ability to deal with a major incident scenario. As such, it is entirely logical that business continuity took a back-seat and that when it did get raised in seemed to fit in the conventional emergency management portfolio.

OUTSOURCING “Outsourcing is one reason why supply chain resilience is such a hot topic in BCM. Most organisations have some level of dependency on suppliers and BCM is an excellent method to identify and qualify the importance of specific suppliers, not just in terms of spend but also in terms of validating where your organisation’s needs fit in their priorities, should they face a disruption.”

With the additional responsibilities likely to be given to GPs, it is a concern that BCM might be neglected. GPs are not under any obligation to have business continuity plans, a problem which has been flagged up as an issue within the NHS. One of the challenges is that many GP practices are quite small and GPs do not have the staff or time to develop BCM arrangements; many GP practices also host other health and social care services from the same building and they may not have a good overview of how these other services may be affected by their own business continuity decisions.

So the transition of PCT responsibilities to GP consortia holds a degree of risk in terms of which entity will carry the statutory obligation to implement and maintain BCM. In conclusion, good progress has been made with introducing BCM into the NHS. Some of the ‘gaps’ identified in the past, such as GPs practices not being obliged to have business continuity plans, need to be tackled. The proposed changes to commissioning which involve a transfer of BCM responsibilities from PCTs to GP consortia might be an issue, given the immaturity of GPs in matters related to business continuity. As the process of change unfolds, vigilance is required to ensure that the good work and investment in BCM is not lost in transition. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.thebci.org

Volume 11.10 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Phoenix Private Ambulance Service Ltd

Type Approved complete accessible conversions Patented vehicle access ramps Hydraulic lowering suspension systems Innovative Side Steps and Winch-Assists Blue-light and bespoke services available www.lateraldc.co.uk Tel No +44 (0)1535 66 22 44 info@lateraldc.co.uk

Specialised Passenger Transport Based in Warwickshire we provide a uniformed and specialised private ambulance service to meet the needs of those with impaired mobility for whom safe and comfortable travel is difficult.

This includes stretcher and wheelchair passengers.

For example: n Transfers to and from hospital outpatient appointments n Transfers to or discharges from hospitals n Moves to and from care, retirement or nursing homes

readily accessible products

n Local and long distance disabled and patient transport nationwide Our CRB checked team pride themselves on providing a careful, understanding, prompt and comfortable service and we have gained a reputation for providing consistently high standards.

We are registered with the Care Quality Commission, our vehicles are regularly inspected and are maintained to a high standard. Our stretchers and lock systems are tested to meet BS EN 1789:2000 standards and wheelchair restraints conform to the dynamic test requirements of ISO 10542.

Our fleet is based in Leamington Spa and although most of our work is centred around the Midlands we are able to provide transport anywhere in the UK.

www.lateraldc.co.uk

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

For more information go to www.phoenix-ambulance.co.uk or call 01788 816192.

EVENT PREVIEW

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

Taking place 23-24 November at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, the Emergency Services Show and Conference is the key event for anyone involved in emergency planning, response or recovery Disasters whether natural or manmade, focus the spotlight on the roles of the health professionals who respond to these circumstances. The challenges faced by personnel looking to deliver efficient and effective clinical care in these situations places professionals under enormous strain, however this stress can be minimised.

Whilst health services in the UK are thankfully not faced with large scale disasters and events on a regular basis, the ongoing professional development of staff delivering medical services and the utilisation of the latest equipment and services is pivotal to the safety and treatment of patients. Whether everyday incidents or larger disasters, health professionals need the correct equipment and services to ensure public safety is not compromised.

Now in its sixth year, the Emergency Services Show is a firmly established annual show that promotes multi-agency collaboration by bringing together all stakeholders involved in an emergency – from the strategic planners and first responders, to the manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and services used by these leading professionals. With over 380 exhibitors and approximately 4,000 visitors attending the successful show last year, the Emergency Services Show’s overall aim is to improve public safety.

Relevant to everyone involved in the health service from emergency responders through to Primary Care Trusts, NHS Acute Trusts, Ambulance Trusts, Foundation Hospitals,

Strategic Health Authorities, Government Departments and Independent Hospitals and Clinics, this unique event brings together everyone involved in emergency situations.

“The best show of its kind in the UK – a not to be missed event for professional and voluntary emergency service teams,” said Ronald C Gee, director of nursing, clinical care & training, East Sussex Medical Events & Training Service.

DOING MORE WITH LESS At a time when budgets are being squeezed, this free to attend exhibition provides the perfect opportunity for health professionals to research methods of how to do more with less.

David Brown, show organiser, Emergency Services (MMC) Ltd, comments: “In these uncertain times it is more important than ever for all emergency professionals and associated agencies to communicate with one another, this may allow resources to be shared and budgets to be maximised.

The Emergency Services Show offers the unique opportunity to meet with specialist equipment and service suppliers from the UK and abroad to facilitate mutually beneficial buying arrangements and discuss new important innovations and products.”

The products and services on display include medical equipment, personal protective equipment, communications and IT, first response equipment, station equipment, training and education, vehicles and vehicle equipment, business continuity and

outsourcing. Many exhibitors will also be carrying out a number of live demonstrations.

Brown, remarks: “As well as allowing exhibitors to showcase their latest products and services, the exhibition provides an ideal way for professionals to discuss co-operation, ideas and initiatives and learn from each other in preparation for major events over the coming years.”

There will also be approximately 100 end users exhibiting within the Emergency Response Zone. This zone (essential for operational staff and emergency planning officers) is made up of category 1 and 2 responders, professional, government and voluntary organisations, and hence offers perfect networking opportunities to affiliated organisations. There is also a dedicated UK Search and Rescue Zone including Mountain Rescue and the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue (ALSAR).

Emergency Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

ON-SITE EVENTS TO DISCOVER A number of exhibitors will be carrying out live demonstrations and product launches throughout the two days. The British Red Cross will be showcasing its new communications vehicle that has been designed to enhance the charity’s emergency response capabilities; whilst the College of Paramedics will be running a series of CPD accredited events throughout the show. Visitors can also witness a number of live demonstrations from Amputees in Action showcasing their ability to put the ‘shock factor’ into simulations designed for all aspects of medical training.

The conference on 23 November will include high profile speakers covering a number of challenging subjects, with a choice of sessions aimed at senior management and all professional and non-professional operational emergency responders involved in facilitating the planning, response and recovery process in multi agency incidents.

The conference is CPD certified. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.emergencyuk.com

Lateral vehicle access equipment and specialist compact conversions Lateral is all things to vehicle access. The company offers a diverse range of innovative, durable and cost-effective access products and specialist conversions, designed to solve the problems of loading people and goods in and out of vehicles, whilst minimising manual effort, and maximising operator & passenger ergonomics, safety and ease of use.

Its range of precision engineered ramps and lowering suspension systems offer optimal access for walk-on, wheelchair and stretcher passengers. Lateral products are fail-safe and inexpensive to operate, without need for costly repeat certification.

Lateral has served the emergency services

since 2001 when it produced its first ambulance ‘Wedge Cassette’ ramps. The company now offers the complete access equipment package for specialist vehicles, with the latest range including ingeniously designed side step and winch-assist devices.

The state of the art design and manufacturing facility offers fast, dimensionally perfect production. New products are developed using advanced computer aided design and CNC rapid

prototyping techniques, all rigorously tested to latest industry standards.

At the Emergency Services Show 2011 Lateral will be exhibiting exciting new products, including the next generation Wedge, designed for even greater durability, its inventive new side steps, and its new multi-role ‘Compact PTS’ vehicle.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01535 66 22 44 info@lateraldc.co.uk www. lateraldc.co.uk

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

Signage

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

WAYFINDING

ARE YOU LOST? The British Sign & Graphics Association’s David Catanach takes a look at the complexity of wayfinding signage and the need to get it right first time to get people where they need to go There’s nothing worse than wandering round a building looking for a particular location, only to miss it because the sign that tells you that you’ve arrived had been sited on a door and somebody has left the door wide open.

I’ve always considered wayfinding as a real specialisation within the scope of signing overall. It’s a specialisation that’s really dangerous to dabble in whether you’re the manufacturer of the components comprising a way-finding system, or the practitioner who designs and installs them. You have to be really into it, to do it at all well. There are so many factors the end product needs to satisfy and letting any one of them dominate, at the expense of another, leaves you with the ruin of a wayfinding scheme to deal with.

STATIC SIGNS Signs that relate to generally static chunks of infrastructure, such as places Aberdeen or Penzance, have a life span that’s largely a function of the materials they’re made from. When the weather has done its work, the sign will be replaced, in all likelihood with something pretty much identical. That’s because, unless something really unusual happens, Aberdeen and Penzance will always be where they are now but the system will still have to work as there will always be first time visitors needing guidance. Some wayfinding schemes though, usually point the way to things that are anything but static. People get promoted. Radiology gets a new machine and moves to a bigger room. A new MD is installed and he’s a sales driven animal, so finance is consigned to a new home in a Portacabin by the bins.

A wayfinding scheme has to be updatable to reflect these changes.

AESTHETICS GONE WRONG I was given to believe that there are forty shades of green. Try telling that to whoever was responsible for the directory in a Nottingham department store I visited. Every little component in the system had been stove enamelled, or painted, in a shade of green close, but not close enough, to its neighbour.

Every time a change was made, a new shade of green would find its way into the directory.

Eventually, it lost its way completely.

A case of aesthetics shot to pieces!

How about the provincial theatre that wanted its wayfinding ‘in character’? No room here for the crisply rendered, get-it-at-

a-glance quality of a sharply contrasting sans-serif face and unmistakeable dinstandard arrows. Try brown lettering on gold anodised aluminium (one of the most difficult colours to match every time in the anodising process) and, as if that’s not enough, make sure the lettering is Olde English and forget that it has a lower case too. A case of legibility shot ot pieces!

LEARNING FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES Thankfully, wayfinding done well is an absolute joy to behold and there’s quite a bit of it around. Airports, on the whole, get it right. They spend a small fortune on signing because they’re in the business of herding people from one place to another, and their system would simply grind to an excruciating halt if they didn’t do it well. The British road traffic signing scheme is just about the best in the world and, let’s face it, we get plenty of time to admire it at close quarters. You can’t talk wayfinding and transport without mentioning the London Underground.

Its wayfinding scheme is an exemplar of best practice in signing and, in its way, a thing of beauty too.

Wayfinding done well is a deep design specialisation.

It draws upon knowledge of how type works and how things distilled to the barest essence actually function. The very fact that it’s not a discretionary involvement of the user with the sign, but something closer to necessity, confers upon it a responsibility to do its job and to do it well.

No one goal in wayfinding is seconded to another.

Whether the scheme sets out to counterpoint the architecture that is its host, or to work with it, it must do so in a manner that sits comfortably with its need to direct and inform. Give legibility its head though, and you may have won in the functional stakes, but you’ll also have blighted the venue with the aesthetics of a car crash. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.bsga.co.uk

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Clear signage solutions from Modus Visual Media The hospital environment requires well planned, clear, legible signage which serves to inform and direct patients, visitors, healthcare staff and contractors efficiently through the hospital site.

Modus Visual Media can work closely with facilities management to gain a clear understanding of the often complex hospital layout and develop modern wayfinding solutions based on a common design protocol.

MVM can survey, plan, manufacture and install a wide range of signage systems to suit all budgets. The company always accepts major projects and one-off orders with the same gratitude and enthusiasm, and aims to provide the right solution for its client’s requirements within budget and on time.

MVM, established in 2007 and based in Wythenshawe, Manchester, was recently nominated in the ‘Pride of Manchester Awards’ for ‘Business in the Community’. The company

is among a small group of forward thinking UK businesses selected to take part in the 10,000 Small Business Growth Programme funded by Goldman Sachs, devised by Oxford Said Business School and Manchester Metropolitan University.

MVM is a proud member of the British Sign and Graphics Association.

An innovative way to communicate with staff and visitors Digital signage is a system that offers a dynamic, exciting method of communicating with your staff, patients and visitors, making it easy to connect to them.

With a few mouse clicks, the digital signage software takes your news and information to the right audience, at the right place, at the right time via a network of screens installed on your premises.

The system can be used to inform your different audiences in a timely manner about topics relevant to them. It can reduce perceived wait time, as the displayed information helps to create a more enjoyable, more informative environment.

It can also promote the institution’s services without incurring extra advertising costs;

Partners’ products can also be displayed to generate advertising revenue. digitalsignage.NET enables you to: • Schedule messages to play according to the time of day or day of week; • Allow different levels of access to different members of staff; • Show different messages on different screens according to their location.

The company offers a fully functional 30 day free trial along with email support, all so you start communicating smarter not harder.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01254 503666 info@digitalsignage.net www.digitalsignage.net

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Damian Faulkner 0161 436 7770 damian@modusvisualmedia.co.uk

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Design JD – designing clarity in wayfinding Design JD creates clarity for every user’s journey through healthcare centres, by developing a uniformed wayfinding system to grow with the needs and requirements of the health sector. This helps decrease missed appointments, delayed treatment and stress.

The company is an established wayfinding consultation and design studio, based in London.

It has collaborated with awarded-winning architectural practices, interior designers and building contractors to create wayfinding master plans that emulate the style of the building and identity of the organisation.

Design JD’s approach is based on an effective and innovative design strategy. Initially the company undertakes consultation meetings with all parties, learning about and analysing the requirements to develop a long-term sustainable strategy for addressing the needs of all

users. This approach is based on a detailed understanding of showing people the way through the built environment.

Design JD prides itself on designing accessible wayfinding schemes. These respond to the needs of a wide range of users and how they interact with their surroundings and visual influences.

Its design encompasses materials, colours and lighting to enable navigation of the entire site.

Implementing this design approach will provide a solution, which is easily maintained, flexible and lasting.

Hospital signage is complex.

Ensuring patients and staff can find their way around the site as efficiently as possible helps enormously in an already stressful environment. With the use of bold, clear lettering Eberhardt Signs ensures their signs are understood at a glance.

The company has a history spanning over 100 years – at the turn of the century Mr Eberhardt’s grandfather was in London making individual light bulbs and Geissler tubes – the forerunner to neon. In 1887, for an exhibition commemorating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, he assisted with a display of Geissler tubes.

Since the 1950s he has

specialised in neon manufacture, expanding the Portsmouth based business to include illuminated and non illuminated signs, health and safety signs, interior signage, metal and plastic fabrication, corporate identity programmes and engraving on all materials.

The company understands the importance of easy to read signage in complicated environments and has previous experience supplying hospitals with their internal signage.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 023 92 824 624 Fax: 023 92 818 746 info@eberhardtsigns.com www.eberhardtsigns.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 8123 3551 info@designjd.co.uk www.designjd.co.uk

Architecture, space planning and strategic space management The practice has over 13 years experience working in-house for large public and private sector institutions across London and the South East.

We are equally at home preparing briefs, feasibilities and detailed proposals for any size of project, however large or small, and have the capability to manage complex, multi-sited property portfolios between 500 and 500,000 sq ft.

We pride ourselves in a professional and timely delivery of high quality information in a variety of formats to suit individual organisational technology platforms and communication methods.

Benefits to an organisation of this working model can be summarised across rapid response and refinement of proposals, on-call service delivery and economic, high quality delivery.

Eberhardt understands the importance of easy to read way finding signage

Professional and trade body affilliations include RIBA Chartered Practice Federation of Small Businesses Approved Contractor – Chelmer Housing Partnership and Chelmsford Approved Contractor – St Georges Community Housing, Basildon.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Glynn Williams Tel: 01245 222692 Fax: 01245 222692 Mob: 07973 835067 glynn.williams@tesco.net www.glynnwilliams architects.com

Lasting Impressions – signage that gets noticed As one of only a few manufacturers within the Health and Safety Sign Association, Lasting Impressions can guarantee that its range of over 2,000 different signs will not only fully comply with all relevant legislation, but will also protect you and your company from any nasty surprises.

Lasting Impressions has taken every step to ensure that both your patients and colleagues are protected from unnecessary harm. This includes rounding the corners of every sign to eliminate sharp and dangerous corners which, says the company, also improves

the appearance of the sign.

Is your signage frequently ignored? Great signage is noticed, read and understood; Lasting Impressions offers clear, concise lettering on a striking backdrop in order to make sure your message is received loud and clear every time. The company believes that its first class service will leave you with a Lasting Impression.

FOR MORE INFORMATION To browse our range of products or request a copy of our brochure, please visit www.lastingimpressions online.co.uk or call our sales team on 01308 456721.

Volume 11.10 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Data Destruction

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

INFORMATION SECURITY

MAKING DATA BREACHES A THING OF THE PAST Russell Harris, chairman of the Information Destruction Section at the British Security Industry Association suggests some simple ways in which data destruction in healthcare can be improved With National Identity Fraud Prevention Week in October, and the Information Commissioner recently branding health sector data security as a “systemic problem” there has hardly been a more appropriate time to talk about the way confidential waste is handled in health organisations.

Identify fraud is an issue that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years and can have a huge effect on businesses. If confidential information is stolen from a health sector organisation, the personal details of patients and customers can also be put at risk. Furthermore, health care establishments are running the risk of significant losses, not to mention the loss of reputation and patient confidence if

more than 100 breaches due to stolen data or hardware, 87 due to lost data or hardware and 43 cases due to error. Since then, the ICO has called for tightened data disposal procedures. However, with both public and private sector facing considerable financial pressure, the risk that waste management strategies may be overlooked in an effort to save money, is a very real one.

INFORMATION SECURITY AND THE LAW Under the Data Protection Act, the law imposes obligations on any organisation that processes personal information, whether this relates to employees, customers or members of the public. The act essentially does two things: it tells organisations what types of

Data breaches can have serious financial implications. Each individual record lost cost UK organisations an average of £64 in 2009. they are not taking preventative measures to protect their business’ confidential information during the disposal process.

Internally, there are a number of steps that organisations can take to improve the way sensitive information is managed. UK data protection regulation also imposes strict laws as to how data should be handled, and reliable information destruction companies will meet the regulation’s requirements, and also comply with National and European standards.

A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM The health sector holds heaps of patient and customer information, and sadly has a long history of data breaches, with the Information Commissioner recently branding its approach to data security as a “systemic problem” following the exposure of a further five breaches involving the disclosure of personal information. Moreover, according to a report published by the ICO in the summer of 2010, the NHS topped the list of security breaches reported involving the loss of personal data since November 2007. The publicly-funded healthcare system reported

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information they may hold and how it must be safeguarded. It does this through key principles for data protection, including the need for data to be processed and kept securely. The data must be accurate, updated where necessary and kept no longer than needed. These principles also include the use of effective means to prevent misuse by destroying personal information at the point of disposal.

Many infringements of the act relate to the way in which data is disposed of. The problem can only be overcome by treating all personal information in the same way as sensitive financial or medical records, by employing a professional information destruction service. Despite the stark realities behind identify theft and misuse of information, only a small fraction of the annual tonnage of paper waste and data processing products such as hard drives, CDs, memory sticks and DVDs, is destroyed by professional information destruction companies. By far the majority of such material continues to be disposed of via municipal refuse collection or waste paper reprocessing.

The law governing the destruction of

confidential information is becoming tougher.

Changes to the law in 2010 gave additional enforcement powers to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which can now issue penalty fines of up to £500,000 for breaches of the Data Protection Act, meaning that all organisations in both public and private sectors should be looking towards the services of a professional information destruction company more often, in order to avoid such incidents.

COUNTING THE COST Almost any kind of personal information is valuable to criminals whether it be residents’ records, financial reports, payroll information and personnel data. The unlawful use of such information contributes to identity theft crimes, which allows criminals to obtain goods, credit or services in someone else’s name. Offenders target both public and private sector providers, including the use of stolen identities to fraudulently obtain prescription medicines and state benefits.

Data breaches can not only have a negative impact on consumer confidence, but also have serious financial implications. Each individual record lost cost UK organisations an average of £64 in 2009, according to the third annual UK study sponsored by data protection firm, PGP Corporation. According to an annual study by the Ponemon Institute, the cost of UK data breaches increased by seven per cent between 2008 and 2009, and has risen by a staggering 36 per cent in the past two years. Furthermore, an experiment carried out by IT consultancy Navigant Consulting revealed that second-hand PCs contain enough personal data to be a security threat to the previous owner. Data found on secondhand PCs included names, addresses and photos; staff budgets and payroll schedules including names and salary details, bank account standing order payments and receipts.

Patients and customers, as well as businesses, face hefty financial consequences when their personal data security is breached, as well as having to deal with the expensive and time-consuming process of safeguarding or restoring finances and credit ratings.

WHAT CAN BE DONE INTERNALLY? Thankfully, there are a few simple internal steps that can be taken by organisations to reduce the risk of data breaches occurring.

Measures include ensuring all unwanted documents, CDs and DVDs are being properly shredded, wiping clean the information held on old computers before disposing of them, and regularly changing network as well as PC passwords. However, leaving shredding to individuals can compromise security as the document is not always thoroughly destroyed and can often be pieced together.

Moreover, it has been known for fraud to be committed as an ‘inside job’ by staff or ex-employee, so confidential waste must therefore be handled by reliable information E

E destruction companies, and placed in a lockable bin with a paper slot or a tamperproof coded sack. An information destruction supplier should be able to provide sacks that cannot be tampered with and bins to match your office furniture that can only be accessed by key. To provide further protection, each collection and sack should contain a unique code so that customers can access a full audit trail of their paper once it has left the building.

THE ROLE OF EUROPEAN STANDARDS Compliance to European standards such as EN15713 is a basic thing to look for in prospective information destruction providers.

Only by using a compliant information destruction company will customers be able to rest assured that their confidential material is in safe hands. The BSIA was at the forefront of developing this standard, and BSIA members were among the first to work to it.

The EN15713 standard requires that material is destroyed to specific shred sizes, that providers should install a monitored intruder alarm and CCTV systems to protect the data while on their premises, security vetting of all staff members, and the security of collection vehicles and on-site data destruction vehicles and machinery.

When selecting a data destruction provider,

procurers should also ensure that suppliers have procedures in place to safeguard data throughout its whole life cycle.

Despite the economic downturn, environmental issues and corporate social responsibility remain high on the national business agenda, while cost savings within the public sector are of particular importance. Recycling plays a huge part in delivering both of these priorities, and plays an essential part in demonstrating an organisation’s green credentials.

A new scheme, pioneered by a BSIA member, ensures compliance with data protection regulation while implementing sustainable waste management services that can result in multiple business benefits, not least significant cost savings. The scheme, known as ‘closed loop recycling’, ensures ultimate data security by returning recycled paper back to the client after processing.

Closed loop recycling works like this: the information destruction company collects confidential waste paper from the client, shreds it and bails it. Next, the paper is sent to a collaborating paper mill, where it is recycled and turned into ‘new’ office paper. This is then sold back to the client company at a competitive rate.

The success of the scheme is largely due to

the positive cooperation between all parties, and to date 325 tonnes of paper have been shredded and recycled, saving 5,514 trees and helping 729m3 of waste avoid landfill.

Moreover, the client company is granted peace of mind, knowing that its waste is being handled in line with European and UK regulation, and is benefiting from considerable return on investment due to the savings made by buying back the original paper once it has been recycled.

More than half of the paper used by the client firm’s 2,500 partners and staff in its London office is now in fact recycled paper acquired through this scheme.

CHOOSING A QUALITY PROVIDER It becomes apparent, therefore, how to avoid making costly mistakes. Health sector organisations should choose a trusted information destruction supplier who will dispose of their data correctly and in accordance with current laws.

Members of the BSIA’s Information Destruction section adhere to strict quality standards, such as EN15713, and are inspected to ISO:9001. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.bsia.co.uk

Secure destruction and disposal of confidential information from SITD

XPO IT Services – secure and compliant hard drive & media destruction

Having a data leak for most organisations can be catastrophic both in terms of cost and in reputation. Making sure your data is destroyed correctly can be very time consuming and costly.

The SITD solution is a single source, high security solution for all asset disposal and data destruction requirements.

The company is very confident that it will exceed your internal security policy requirements and all government legislation. This is quite a claim, however the company can back it up with the highest accreditations in Europe, underpinned by a robust ISO 27001 (information security management) accreditation, and multiple government approvals.

All services are available onsite and off, and include physical or electronic destruction. This includes physical destruction of all types of device, including hard

XPO IT Services Ltd are specialists in on and offsite hard drive, media and data shredding and destruction. We are also experts in the recycling of IT and Waste Electronic & Electrical Equipment (WEEE).

We understand the importance of data security when disposing and destroying redundant IT equipment. As such, we use a hard drive and media shredder, as well as a hard drive crusher that we can take onsite and destroy drives and media in an office environment if required.

We also offer a secure, ethical and legislation compliant solution for the recycling of all ten categories of WEEE. We can shred whole units of electrical waste using our state of the art WEEE recycling plant.

XPO IT Services are ISO 27001

drives to 6mm and magnetic tape to 2mm particles. Operating from a high security approved premises with capacity for 600,000 items of IT hardware and 1 million items of data per annum, all UK requirements can be accommodated. All processes are completed by security cleared personnel with DV cleared project managers in place.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0121 421 8431 enquiries@sitd.co.uk www.sitd.co.uk

Data Destruction

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

(Information Security Management Standard) and IS0 9001 (Quality Management Standard) registered, with an Environmental Permit (formally know as a Waste Management Licence) from the Environment Agency.

We are also an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF) for the handling and recycling of electrical waste. This allows us to issue evidence notes to show that a certain tonnage and category of WEEE has been re-used, recycled or recovered by us. XPO IT Services also purchase IT & Telecoms equipment that is still in working order.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01952 608908 Fax: 01952 608913 info@xpoitservices.co.uk www.xpoitservices.co.uk

Volume 11.10 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Take a closer look

at the real drivers of efficiency Leasing new medical equipment can be far more affordable than you might think, with rewards that are fast and far reaching.

We believe that efficiency comes from having the right equipment in place, with exceptional uptime that drives results and ultimately delivers the very best patient care.

It is a philosophy we have adhered to since the inception of operating leasing in 1996 and, why over 70% of NHS Trusts lease with Singers.

Our offering includes: • •

•

To arrange a no-obligation meeting, please contact:

Louise Hamilton or Tina Sander on Freephone

0800 032 3638

Find out more at:

www.singershf.co.uk

A range of finance options to suit your timetable and budget The flexibility to add to, or upgrade, your equipment while still paying a fixed regular amount The support from a team dedicated solely to healthcare finance

LEASING

Finance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

HOW CAN A TRUST GAIN ACCESS TO ALTERNATIVES TO CAPITAL FUNDING? In today’s tough financial environment, where capital budgets are under enormous pressure, leasing can offer access to an alternative source of finance to purchase much needed new medical equipment In recent editions we have discussed the leasing of both medical and non-medical equipment, used within the hospital environment, as a viable and approved option for NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts. In today’s tough financial environment, where capital budgets are under enormous pressure, leasing can offer access to an alternative source of finance to purchase much needed new medical equipment.

When a trust opts to lease equipment a third party, usually a bank or finance company (known as a Lessor), will buy the equipment the trust requires, paying the supplier invoice in full, meaning the trust avoids a capital purchase.

A standard, approved contract is then signed between the trust and the Lessor, granting the trust full use of the equipment at their site, and the Lessor effectively hires the equipment back to the trust for an agreed rental stream. As leasing is deemed a service, in many instances trusts pay for the rentals out of their revenue budgets. It provides a genuine alternative option to trusts who have many competing needs for their hard-pressed capital budget.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES Indeed leasing can often be the most sensible equipment financing choice within the NHS as technological advances often outpace the life of the equipment. NHS trusts are able to procure the most up-to-date medical equipment without any initial capital outlay.

Once an asset is on a lease it offers the option for trusts to upgrade this agreement to procure additional equipment or a newer model, should the need arise, by flexing the lease. This would again be funded via revenue budgets and therefore not require the use of capital funds, provided that the lease complies with the trust’s accounting requirements.

Given, as already mentioned, that leasing is deemed a service, it is important to remember that EU tender thresholds apply just as they do with procuring equipment. So if a trust wishes to consider a lease then the same threshold of £101,323.000 (125,000 Euros) applies.

Some trusts may have internal rules that mean that the threshold where a tender is required is lower for both equipment and leasing.

Many trusts do already seek a leasing option during the procurement process, but for some trusts it is a new consideration. So how can a trust access leasing if they are

interested in considering it as an alternative to capital purchase of equipment?

Leasing has been an approved option for trusts since 1996, but as the leasing market has evolved over the years, so too have the ways for trusts to access leasing. Some trusts may in the past have been put off the idea of leasing because of the perceived complexity and lengthy timescales involved in the tendering process, but these issues have progressed in terms of options available to help trusts manage any leasing requirements.

Today trusts can still choose to run their own tender evaluation, and use the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). This entails very specific rules and timescales that need to be observed in order to run a successful tender process, and expertise in European procurement rules is a key requisite for trusts considering this option. However, there is now a range of leasing frameworks available which trusts can use to secure lease finance via much shorter timescales whilst still ensuring full compliance with EU procurement regulations.

Many established Lessors have been appointed to the different frameworks open to trusts to use. Lessors are also able to work directly with trusts and offer leasing options on equipment that falls below the tender threshold. Most lessors employ people with significant expertise and experience in funding NHS equipment, and should be able to support trusts in furthering their understanding of how leasing works.

Some trusts may wish for comprehensive support with the management of their leasing requirements, and there are several companies who work as specialist leasing advisors. They contract with trusts and offer a range of options to support them in the sourcing of new leasing arrangements. One of the key services they offer is the execution of procurement exercises, enacting associated administrative tasks such as the writing and issuing of tenders, as well as carrying out a full appraisal of the responses and reporting this to the trust. This can help trusts understand the costs associated with new equipment acquisitions. They can also assist in the negotiation of expiring leases, and management of a trusts portfolio of leases.

Companies which offer the full range of these services include Sector Treasury Services, Chrystal Consulting and Leaseguard. These

companies operate various leasing frameworks in conjunction with several NHS trusts and procurement hubs, all of which have appointed approved Lessors. This enables trusts to access a range of Lessors via mini-competitions, and compare a number of bids to seek best value on the leasing of many types of equipment, ranging from an individual asset up to projects which require large amounts of equipment.

NHS SUPPLY CHAIN Another choice for trusts looking to utilise lease finance when procuring equipment is offered by NHS Supply Chain, which was formed from the NHS Logistics Authority and parts of NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA).

It is operated by DHL (Excel Europe Ltd) on behalf of the NHS Business Services Authority.

PASA, which was dissolved in 2009, were heavily involved in the developing of the leasing offer for trusts, establishing a National Leasing Framework, and working with the industry to establish an approved contract for the lease of goods.

In April 2010 NHS Supply Chain launched their own leasing framework, comprising a number of approved leasing providers.

Whilst they do not carry out appraisals of the submitted bids or make recommendations to trusts, they do offer administrative support by completing all procurement mini-competitions and the necessary paperwork. NHS Supply Chain also runs frameworks for equipment and maintenance, so the addition of leasing offers trusts a way to consider leasing options when looking at procuring equipment.

So there are clearly a number of ways that trusts can become involved in leasing, offering varying levels of support dependent on what the trust requires. Leasing is still seen by some as being enshrouded in mystery, and can be considered a difficult or confusing option. By using the offerings out there, either directly from the Lessors, or working with an Intermediary, it is in fact much more straightforward and accessible than trusts may think. L FOR MORE INFORMATION Louise Hamilton Head of NHS Sales & Marketing Singers Healthcare Finance Freephone: 0800 032 3638 www.singershf.co.uk

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Obesity Management Written by Philippa Bromley, head of Independent Living, the Disabled Living Foundation

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

PATIENT HANDLING

BARIATRIC HANDLING – A CASE OF UNDERSTANDING As the population of obese people grows, education and training in how to understand and deal with their specific handling problems will become a necessary part of every carer’s skill base Not all people are patients, but all patients are people, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and cultures, shades of skin, genders, preferences, attitudes, and beliefs. Some of them have impairments which occurred at birth or are acquired through age, disease, or accident.

Moreover, some of them have attributes that lead to impairment, e.g. their physical size.

One of the biggest problems of the developed world is an abnormal approach to food, with a move from eating to live towards living to eat, surrounded by a society with conflicting values about body weight and appearance, especially where women are concerned. Food advertising is prevalent on television, with high-fat and high-sugar products being given peak airings during children’s programmes.

FOOD FOCUS This ever-present food focus is enhanced by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Literature of the 18th and 19th century reflects the amount of walking being done, simply as a means of transport or as a leisure activity among those who did not work. People now do not walk as default and spend a great majority of their time in sitting.

So the advent of an increasing number of people in society whose body mass (weight) is extremely large is not surprising. The World Health Organisation defines a BMI (body mass index) of over 25 as being overweight, with a BMI in excess of 30 classed as obese.

To simplify matters, large people who weigh more than 25 stone (148kg) are often placed in this category, as 25 stone is a common SWL (safe working load) for much of the standard care equipment in the UK. ‘Bariatrics’ is the term used to cover all aspects of care management for the obese. The term comes from the Greek ‘baros’ meaning ‘pressure’ – the mechanical basis of big people’s problems. And the Greeks were the first to recognise obesity as a medical disorder; Hippocrates wrote that ‘Corpulence is not only a disease itself, but the harbinger of others’.

HEALTH CONCERNS OF OBESE PATIENTS Big people have difficulties long before they begin to manifest the more severe medical problems that may eventually bring them to gastric surgery, as mechanically their excessive mass creates practical problems in all areas of day-to-day life. Large mass not only interferes with normal movement, it

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

The operation of specialised bariatric equipment can be easily learned and taught, but moving and handling people does not just involve techniques or manoeuvres; ergonomics is all about designing for comfort, whether it be physical or psychological, for all the humans involved. also puts disproportionate force through the weight-bearing joints, leading to pain and stiffness and contributing to even more limited mobility. Many big people suffer routinely from sleep deprivation caused by sleep apnoea, and skin conditions are prevalent due to their increased skin folds and large abdomens. They take extended time to heal from even minor injuries due to impaired circulation, and their weight inevitably induces different movement and gait patterns from smaller humans. As time goes on, their physiological problems will increase to include a raft of associated disorders - cardiac,

endocrine, dermatological, neurological, urinary, respiratory, rheumatological, gastrointestinal, and oncological. Therefore, by the time big people reach hospital care, whether electively or not, they present complex cases for assisted movement.

MOVING AND HANDLING BIG PEOPLE In common with other people with mobility problems, big people need help to move on many occasions whether they are in their own homes or in hospital. The handling of people is covered by the same basic legislation as the handling of loads 11 where a risk assessment E

E becomes not only a legal requirement but a common sense approach.

The factors that contribute to the risk in the existing situation are noted with a view to considering whether they are alterable in the short or long term, thus reducing the risk as far as reasonably practicable.

This is of course an ergonomic assessment as it deals not only with system designs inherent in the physical environment and the organisational protocols and outcomes, but also with the intrinsic and inescapable human factors – either in the operator alone, or in the case of handling people, both the operator and the person being assisted.

Moving people in a community setting often presents a scenario where the risks are mostly unalterable (especially in the short term); people living in their own homes are not in a controlled environment but are used to their own individual methods, expectations and outcomes.

Solving these handling problems requires firstly an empathetic assessment tailored to the individual and their needs, followed by consultation, communication, compromise, and problem-solving skills on the part of the handler, coupled with an appreciation of ‘positive risk’.

The UK government is very much in favour of people becoming independent with support within their own homes, bringing ethical, social and financial benefits, and many organisations are working to help people with problems to locate equipment that would assist them in their daily lives; for example the Disabled Living Foundation, an independent charity, with its award-winning website available free for all.

MOVING BIG PEOPLE AS PATIENTS Within the hospital scenario, the obese person is often of very limited mobility, as they either have significant medical problems and/or have had surgery. As with all immobile patients that need assistance, they require handling equipment that will move them safely, comfortably, and with the most dignity possible, whatever their destination. The advent of equipment that has a higher safe working load (SWL) and a bigger surface area has become necessary so that bigger people will be able to use it in safety and comfort, and there are many companies now manufacturing larger versions of assistive designs, including crutches, walking frames, beds, commodes, hoists, chairs, and trolleys. It should be remembered that having these items increases the numbers of people that can be handled in safety; it does not preclude the equipment from being used by people of smaller dimensions.

However, the answers to successful moving and handling do not only lie in the use of equipment. In order to provide effective bariatric management, service providers need to link a number of associated components together. These include clear operational procedures, including identification of processes and responsibilities, and competent patient assessment with realistic outcomes.

Patient handling guidance for specific tasks need to encompass all possible situations, and thought also needs to be given to environmental considerations, such as physical space requirements, staff training, and service evaluation and development.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION The operation of specialised bariatric equipment can be easily learned and taught, but moving and handling people does not just involve techniques or manoeuvres; ergonomics is all about designing for comfort, whether it be physical or psychological, for all the humans involved.

In order to move people with safety, dignity and respect, carers need to have some understanding not only the physical problems but also the psychological problems that influence people. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the handling and moving of big people. People hold very negative stereotypes about the obese and they are actively discriminated against, for example, in the employment market.

Training courses dealing with bariatric care therefore need to include understanding of the complex problems facing big people, including social, physiological, and psychological aspects, an appreciation of the vast importance of skin viability and pressure for these patients, and a working knowledge of the equipment involved, including ergonomic considerations of the concomitant space and personnel requirements.

One place to find such courses with these vital components is DLF Training, a nationally-recognised provider specialising in

About the Author

Obesity Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Philippa Bromley (prev. Leggett) MSC PGD PGC MCSP is Head of Independent Living at the Disabled Living Foundation, an independent London charity providing advice, help and information about equipment and assistive technology for people who experience and manage disability. She is an ergonomist, physiotherapist and nationally and internationally known manual handling consultant. Further details of training courses can be found at www.dlf.org. uk/training or by calling DLF on 0207 432 8010. realistic and practically-orientated accredited training to assist those dealing with impairment and disability at all levels. Within their extensive programme, they provide a structured pathway of people-moving training and education from basic to advanced and including specialist workshops in paediatrics and bariatrics. All DLF moving and handling trainers are expert experienced personnel who are Registered Members of National Back Exchange.

CONCLUSION The field of bariatric patient handling is moving at an increasing pace to keep up with the exponential increase of the numbers of big people that require care in the UK. As the population of obese people grows within all sections of society, education and training in how to understand and deal with their specific handling problems will become a necessary part of every carer’s skill base. L

5 Things that set Nightingale 24:7 Hire apart from our competitors

Nightingale operate a 24hr 365day service which means you can always speak to a member of the Nightingale team if you have a problem or question and receive equipment when you need it.

We deliver Nationwide from our two depots enabling us to deliver, on average, well within our 4 hour target.

Average delivery times are published monthly on our website.

Nightingale offer reduced rates on long term hires and excellent value for money with our Ultimate Bariatric Package. Hire the ProAxisplus and select additional equipment from our range and pay a maximum of £140 per day.

At Nightingale there are no hidden costs. Two slings are included with every hoist hired and all beds include pressure area care. In addition we do not charge a 48hr cancellation fee.

Nightingale provides Decontamination & Safety Testing Certificates with rental equipment. Cleaning products are certified and CE marked in accordance with the Medical Device Directive. Slings are disinfected in accordance with BSEN:1276 & BSEN:13727.

So why not give us a try, you have nothing to lose.

Contact Nightingale 24:7 on 01978 660810

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net 86by125_251011.pdf 25/10/11 14:30:57 CONFERENCE ADVERT white_Layout 1 10/10/2011 12:20 Page 1

COVENTRY TRANSPORT MUSEUM

Gear Up For Your Next Meeting If you’re looking for a unique, interesting and inspiring venue for your next event, look no further.

Coventry Transport Museum’s dedicated facilities can cater for small meetings, large conferences, gala dinners and top class product launches, for 10-500 delegates or guests.

Tel: 024 7623 4296 www.transport-museum.com/events

Strand Palace Hotel

Quite literally dominating the Strand and a perfect backdrop to Covent Garden, the Strand Palace Hotel offers stylish Club and Executive bedrooms equipped with state of the art technology, and provides an excellent service with five restaurants and bars. Additionally for meetings & events, we have eleven impressive spaces to host the most prestigious occasions, for up to 200 guests. Situated in the heart of the West End we are the perfect base to enjoy the capital!

Where the City meets the West End

For more information, please contact Strand Conference & Events: 372 Strand, London WC2R 0JJ | t: 020 7497 4737 | f: 020 7497 4161

www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

LONDON

CHRISTMAS IN THE CAPITAL London & Partners shares its insight into the best activities and events happening in the city over the festive period and explains why London really knows how to host a very memorable staff party

Christmas in London is truly enchanting.

Ice skating in the shadow of a medieval tower, sipping mulled wine and cheesetasting in Borough Market, gazing at the dazzling Oxford Street lights while browsing for that special gift – there are literally hundreds of magical experiences waiting to be discovered in the UK’s capital.

For healthcare organisations looking to plan a fantastic festive celebration, the choices are as diverse as they are plentiful.

A WATERY WONDERLAND Instead of huddling by a fire – why not get active and outdoors and wrap up warm for a high speed adventure with London RIB Voyages’ Jingle Bell Blast. Take your team to sing along to Classic Christmas carols during this festive mixture of fast speed, fun style and fabulous storytelling. Thames RIB Experience is offering free Santa hats, mulled wine and Christmas carols for bookings on the ‘Canary Wharf Experience’ throughout December.

Treat your group to an outing with Festive City Cruises. Their special Christmas Showboat will welcome guests on-board with a drink and four course meal with wine along with live entertainment and plenty of dancing.

Or get into practice before the big day with the annual Santa Cruise down the River Lee. Complete with mulled wine and mince pies, it’s the perfect opportunity to ditch the diet and start the festivities early.

For a quieter affair, step aboard the Restaurant Ship Hispaniola, permanently moored opposite the EDF Energy London Eye, or treat your taste buds with a delicious Christmas voyage with Woods’ Silver Fleet aboard the luxurious Silver Sturgeon, catered

by Jamie Oliver’s new event food team.

SKATING ON THIN ICE There’s no better (and healthier) Christmas incentive than to get your teams out on the ice over the festive period. And there’s no better place than London to take them for a magical turn around one of the many famous rinks on offer. Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park will feature a spectacular rink this year alongside

the rides and market stalls, under a canopy of over 100,000 festive lights. ‘Eyeskate’ at the EDF Energy London Eye will invite guests to glide across the ice under the silhouette of London’s most iconic landmark. Combine with a London Eye experience complete with mulled wine and mince pies for the perfect festive treat.

Skate in the shadow of some of London’s stunning historical buildings. The ice rinks at Hampton Court Palace, the Natural History Museum, and the Tower of London will all return for a season of splendid skating. For something extra special, head to Somerset House Ice Rink, presented by Tiffany & Co. for a turn around the ice followed by a Tiffany teatime treat with a hot chocolate or tea, and a glass of champagne for adults. Or work up an appetite and head to Tom’s Skate Lounge brought to you

by Michelin starred chef Tom Aikens.

QUIRKY IDEAS Looking for something a little different?

Head to Kempton Park Racecourse and see live reindeer racing at the all-weather racing, business and entertainment venue.

Or for an Oktoberfest-style Christmas Party Package, Bavarian Beerhouse offers mouth-watering Bavarian specialties such as sausages, Schnitzel and Munich pork roast, at their Old Street and Tower Hill locations.

The National Army Museum will play host to a ‘Blitz Christmas’ where visitors can finish off a 40s day of fun by dusting off their dancing shoes for an evening’s entertainment at Jingle Bell Jive.

Step back further in time for a Tudor Christmas at Hampton Court Palace where Henry VIII and his new young wife, Catherine Howard, will celebrate her first Christmas as queen with stories, songs and a splendid feast. Or for something a little more medieval, head inside the Tower of London where King Edward I and his court will celebrate Christmas like its 1284.

FESTIVITIES FOR FOODIES If it’s a yuletide lunch you’re in the market for, London has hundreds of options to whet your appetite. Home to some of the best restaurants

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

in the world, and cuisines from all over the globe, you won’t be short for choice when looking for that perfect Christmas lunch venue.

For something a little special, head to the Mandarin Oriental, home to the acclaimed Bar Boulud, which will be serving up French festive fare, as well as the famed Dinner

by Heston Blumenthal – sure to give your team a real treat. If healthy eating is a must on the menu, head to one of the many Giraffe locations for some great value, healthy dining options. Bigger groups can book out a whole restaurant for a night of global mini appetizers, wines & cocktails.

Enjoy a whole host of festive goodies at Kew Gardens this Christmas, including a free, guided Winter Evergreen walk with Kew’s expert guides and hands-on festive cookery sessions. Roasted chestnuts and mulled wine will be available outside the south end of the Princess of Wales conservatory, or you could choose from the special festive menu, at one of four onsite restaurants.

With three atmospheric bars set around the stage and dance floor, great French/ Mediterranean cuisine together with live music and DJs, the award winning Dover Street Restaurant & Bar has it all. During the Christmas period, Dover Street offers an excellent seasonal menu together with two sets from one of the top bands followed by the resident DJ who will keep the dance floor full until 3.00am with a great selection of dance tracks to suit all tastes. For a quieter affair, enjoy a delicious seasonal dinner at the elegant restaurant, Langtry’s, situated in the heart of Knightsbridge. There are three British festive menus with a modern twist to choose from, including the Oscar menu, Lillie’s menu and the Christmas Day Lunch menu.

The home of cricket Lord’s Cricket Ground is also offering a sumptuous afternoon tea in the Long Room to celebrate the festive period. Enjoy mince pies, carol singers and mulled wine as well as our delicious, traditional cricketing tea and a tour of the Pavilion and museum.

And if you want your pamper your palette with more festive goodies then head to E

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Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

LONDON E ExCeL London between the 2-4 December 2011 and treat yourself to an indulgent day out at Taste of Christmas, where some of the capital’s top restaurants and renowned foodies will be on hand to educate and inspire with an array of seasonal activity.

And what better place to celebrate the Spirit of Christmas than with a dinner inside a church. Enjoy a three course meal in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral – the largest Crypt in Europe, or head to St Martin’s in the Field for a Christmas-themed afternoon tea with mulled wine and mince pies, before heading out to see the stunning Trafalgar Square tree.

VAMP IT UP WITH A TOP LONDON VENUE London’s venue options for private parties are as diverse as they are plentiful, and top spaces across the capital are pulling out all the stops to ensure your evening is a magical one.

Blue Fin Venue is London’s stunning new event space with a double storey glass Wintergarden and views over St Paul’s Cathedral and Tate Modern. The venue has put together a Wintergarden Wonder package which includes hire of the festively decorated Wintergarden, champagne cocktails on arrival, a five course bowl food feast and a festive four drinks per person. Organisers can also choose two great ‘stocking fillers’ including a DJ, magician, photo booth, saxophonists, caricaturist, silhouette artist, solo pianist, casino table and jazz duo.

Many of London’s top hotels are offering

fantastic value Christmas party packages.

Select from a range of Hilton Hotels, each offering a different bespoke package, all at great prices, or head to Dukes for some private dining and a specially created bespoke menu. Park Plaza Westminster Bridge will be hosting parties in the acclaimed Brasserie Joel, with live music and cocktails at Primo Bar, accompanied by perhaps one of the best views in London of the House of Parliament.

H10 London Waterloo has recently opened their elegant Circus Lounge, where partygoers can enjoy a drink before dinner in the stylish 302 restaurant. Their Spanish chef will be happy to create delicious dishes combining the most traditional English cuisine with the best Spanish signature dishes.

For an uninterrupted, 360° view of London, Altitude London is the place to be. The tallest Riverside building on the Thames is a fantastic option for something truly breathtaking this Christmas. Or for something completely off the wall, head to London’s famed Ministry of Sound for an evening of decadence and dancing – private hire of the space is available with fantastic Christmas party options.

GREAT SHOPPING DEALS The world’s largest traffic-free shopping event returns to London’s West End for a Christmas celebration and shopping extravaganza. Oxford Street and Regent Street will be closed to traffic across the weekend to celebrate the American Express Shop

The University of Winchester The perfect conference solution in Hampshire

Longer summer availability from May 2012

• Less than one hour from London • Over 70 fully-equipped meeting and lecture rooms seating 5-320 • 1200 Bedrooms • Menus which are free range, organic and local

Email: conferences@winchester.ac.uk Telephone: 01962 827322 Web: winchester.ac.uk/conferences

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

West End VIP (Very Important Pedestrians) Weekend. This year will see more festivities than ever before, with an extra day of traffic free streets and entertainment for West End shoppers (10-11 December 2011).

Or maybe you’re dreaming of a Chic Christmas – which could be at the beautiful One New Change – the City of London’s newest mall. Similar to walking through a Dickensian novel, the historic City of London provides the perfect backdrop for a winter shopping spree. With over 60 stores open seven days a week, finding gifts under one roof has never been easier. The unique mall is home to many of the nation’s favourite fashion, beauty and gift stores as well as top new restaurants from both Jamie Oliver (Barbecoa) and Gordon Ramsay (Bread Street Kitchen). The sixth floor boasts a spectacular public roof terrace from which the capital’s panoramic skyline sparkles. Successful shoppers can wind down with a visit to one of the famous carol services at St Paul’s.

The Blue Badge Tourist Guides offer a 2012 Games walk which starts at Bromleyby-Bow tube station and goes through to the new Olympic Park. The Daily Olympic Walk operates as ever, right through the Christmas holidays and every day until the Games. For more information contact www.toursof2012sites.com L FOR MORE INFORMATION londonandpartners.com/convention-bureau

A warm welcome awaits you at Hinsley Hall Conference Centre, Leeds In several acres of landscaped grounds just off the main road to Otley and the Dales, and only 2.5 miles from Leeds City centre, Hinsley Hall offers a comfortable cost-effective venue for all.

The attractive, listed building, set in the Headingley conservation area, underwent a complete internal refurbishment whilst carefully retaining many of the original features. Hinsley Hall has 50 refurbished en-suite bedrooms, and 11 well-appointed meeting rooms completely equipped with AV services. The meeting rooms are suitable for groups of various sizes from four to 90 and all rooms have large windows, giving lots of natural daylight.

Hinsley Hall also has a library, bookshop and chapel with free wi-fi available throughout the building. With ample free parking facilities, a well stocked bar, comfortable lounges to relax in and good food and true Yorkshire

hospitality, Hinsley Hall is the perfect choice for your event.

The company offers very competitive rates for day meetings and residential conferences. Its experienced and friendly staff are here to relieve you of the burden of organising your meeting/ conference. Their help and expertise will ensure a successful event and an enjoyable stay.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0113 261 8000 Fax: 0113 224 2406 info@hinsley-hall.co.uk www.hinsley-hall.co.uk

EVENT REVIEW

THE FUTURE OF THE NHS

Built Environment

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Future Health & Care Expo 2011 helps the industry face the future of the national health service Written by Andrew Stuart, brand director, UBM Built Environment

On 12 October, the NHS Bill received its second reading in the House of Lords, clearing the way for it to enter the committee stages, and ultimately enter the statute books. With the parliamentary session ending in April 2012, the government will be aiming to have the Bill turned into law by this time.

It is clear that the entire health sector in the UK is going to have to get used to the reforms and what may end up being a long and difficult implementation process.

CHANGE The inaugural Future Health & Care Expo on 3-4 October was the perfect forum for an industry gearing up to adapt to the changes in the NHS. With the abolition of PCTs over the next couple of years, and the introduction of GP Commissioning Consortia to take their place, the way in which health and care facilities and services are provisioned and delivered is going to change dramatically.

Built environment professionals working in the health sector will need to keep an open mind around how they interact with the NHS and the way they generate revenue from this relationship. In addition, the types of services and facilities being provided will have to adapt to changes in healthcare needs and demands from the wider public.

The discussions, keynotes and seminars at Future Health & Care Expo 2011 covered a whole range of issues affecting the health and care built environment. However, there were a couple of discussions which identified the main areas that the industry is going to have to think about over the coming years.

PERFECT STORM The first day of the show commenced with a keynote from former health secretary Alan Milburn, who described the challenges facing the NHS as a ‘perfect storm’. He said that they include an ageing population, a growing number of patients with chronic diseases, advances in technology and its delivery, patient demand and a tightening of health budgets. While any one of these conditions is serious enough, Milburn went on to explain how taken together, these factors have the capacity to plunge the NHS into a crisis.

While Milburn suggested a range of approaches that the NHS and the current government could adopt to ensure that health and care standards continue to be maintained, his main emphasis was on ensuring that the health service works out how to do more with less. He also discussed how investment should be focused less on hospitals and more on community care schemes, with more being done to encourage the population to

With the abolition of PCTs over the next couple of years, and the introduction of GP Commissioning Consortia to take their place, the way in which health and care facilities and services are provisioned and delivered is going to change dramatically. take more responsibility for their health.

Later the same day, attendees were given the opportunity to attend a panel debate discussing the future of healthcare funding.

The main theme was whether or not it is now the end of the road for procurement initiatives such as PFI, LIFT and Pro21+.

With panelists from Ryhurst, Lloyds Banking Group and Bevan Brittan, there was a range of strong opinions expressed, but there did seem to be some consensus that the current procurement initiatives had some life left in them and shouldn’t be abandoned completely.

Gershon Cohen from Lloyds Banking Group made the point that we should be taking the best from what existing procurement initiatives have achieved over the last few years and making them better, rather than starting from scratch with new funding strategies. There was also debate as to whether decision-making should be at a local or central level. The point was made that although politicians might talk about localism, decisions on how to spend the money will ultimately remain at a central government level while the Treasury still holds

the purse strings. It was also suggested the UK should look at some of the work being conducted by partnerships at a local level in Scotland, where there has been some success so far.

CUTTING COSTS Certainly, in the current economic climate, the need to cut costs in the NHS will no doubt continue to be hotly debated. While it was difficult to go into much detail on what is a hugely complex topic, the session raised lots of interesting questions about healthcare funding and it will be fascinating to see how the debate plays out over the coming years.

The second day of the Future Health & Care Expo 2011 was started with a keynote from the former chief executive of the NHS, Lord Nigel Crisp, who stated that one of the major healthcare challenges we face in the UK is the long-term chronically ill.

Lord Crisp said that he believes this is an issue that needs to be addressed at a community level. Whereas in the past healthcare in the UK has centred on hospitals, in the future it will need to be much more E

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Built Environment

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

EVENT REVIEW

The types of services and facilities being provided will have to adapt to changes in healthcare needs and demands from the wider public.

E community driven, which would entail additional decision making at a local level and more integration between the NHS and other organisations, such as local authorities.

Another issue Lord Crisp touched on was that of efficiency and the government’s drive to substantially cut costs. He commented that the danger is that cuts will be made by attrition and result in a degeneration of healthcare services. He believes however, that this does not necessarily need to be the case and argues that positive changes can be made, particularly in the area of staffing, which is currently the NHS’s biggest cost centre. He called for the construction industry to be more intelligent in the way it designs buildings and to consider whether buildings can be built in such a way that means they require less staff to run them.

INNOVATION Continuing the theme of efficiency and intelligent design, Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden used her discussion to declare that innovation is ‘a culture and a mindset’ that can be applied to the health sector. While recognising that this is a difficult time for the industry, with immense pressure to cut costs and tighten belts, Deborah cautioned that this should not be done at the expense of innovation. With regards to how this should be achieved, her belief is that the healthcare sector must engender a culture of innovation throughout, and that innovation must not only be valued but recognised and acted upon. As an example, Deborah suggested the introduction of a forum where new ideas and best practices could be shared to ensure that innovation becomes an integral part of the culture of the organisation, rather than being seen as something separate and driven by a different department.

She finished by emphasising that there has never been a better time for the NHS to look at its human capital and find better ways to innovate, but cautioned that this will only be achieved if innovation is encouraged at all levels of the organisation.

Anyone involved in the health and care built environment had the opportunity to discuss any number of issues with like-minded industry professionals at Future Health Care & Expo 2011. Despite this broad range of conversations and themes, it is clear that there are some key issues that everyone in the

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industry needs to start thinking about. While the show may have been focussed on the built environment, the impact of patients on this industry should never be underestimated. As Lord Crisp discussed, the care patients need is changing, calling for a completely different way in which care is delivered. A change in the built environment is clearly necessary in order to effectively deliver this new type of care.

Of course, how this care is paid for is the crux of the matter. As the future of healthcare funding panel established, it might be a better idea to keep and adapt existing funding models to ensure that the mechanisms are in place to provide much needed new healthcare facilities. However, the question of funding will remain a controversial subject. Ultimately, health and care facilities will need to adopt and adapt Deborah Meaden’s innovation mindset to ensure that they are able to make the most of their limited resources.

BUILT ENVIRONMENT The health and care built environment is the foundation from which vital services are delivered. Never before has there been such a state of flux around the way that these services are provisioned and delivered. As the years and months roll by, the situation will start to become clearer, and the industry can start to focus on delivering the best possible level of facilities, rather than trying to work out what the landscape of the new NHS will look like. However, when Future Health & Care Expo 2012 takes place, there will be plenty to discuss around how the industry is learning to interact with the new NHS. L FOR MORE INFORMATION UBM Built Environment Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road London SE1 9UY. www.futurehealthexpo.com

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Delivering change through effective NHS leadership

Eclipse-fm ­– a complete facilities and asset management system

What makes someone a good ‘leader’ at a time of change?

Using cutting-edge cognitive neuroscience that reveals how individuals interpret and respond to what they see and hear, has focused the work of the leadership communications coaching team at MTM Communication Skills as they work with NHS Trust senior executives, supporting and developing their leadership skills.

“Change happens – and when it does, we look to our organisation’s leaders to help communicate what is changing and why, how that will affect us” reflects Warwick Partington of MTM Communication Skills Training.

“The issue is that many Trust executives are great in their own area of expertise, but less effective at engaging their teams to deliver change. That is where we help, by providing executives with a deep understanding of

Mobile Asset Survey and Project Management are the latest additions to the Eclipse-fm® software management system launched in time for the Autumn exhibition season.

The survey functionality was created in response to the growing requests from trusts to solve the problem of identifying the location and condition of an asset. Phil Wright, Asckey’s NHS account manager, explains: “The addition of further mobile functionality to Eclipse-fm® delivers further options for Trusts that are seeking to improve their efficiency and productivity figures. The functionality allows staff to quickly and simply confirm which assets are in a location with data entry via a bar code scanner or by entering the asset or equipment number, comment on its condition and

how their personality type affects their communication & impact as a leader. We then develop their communication skills to help them engage effectively with a range of stakeholders inside and outside their organisation.”

Partington continued: “We have built up a real understanding of the pressures on NHS leaders and constraints in the communication systems they use. Our leadership development programmes really make a difference in personal impact of Trust leaders.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01386 859664 www.mtmskillstraining.co.uk

Professional security and cleaning from Bs24 Group Bs24 Group is an independent specialist cleaning supplies company in the South East, working primarily in the supplies business sector. The company operates in London, Surrey, Hampshire, Portsmouth, Berks, Swindon, Coventry Oxford, West and East Sussex, and is managed and owned by exarmy and ex-police directors with dedicated staff, who have been delivering successful security and cleaning services solutions to clients for years.

The team at Bs24 Group have between them over 25 years of experience working in managerial positions in the police, royal army and private UK security firms, before deciding to establish a money saving, quality and competitive service company. This experience makes the Bs24 stand out against any competition.

The cleaning department prides itself on its value-added professionalism from reception to dispatch. Personnel are committed to establishing a relationship

with customers to ensure they understand their requirements and do the best to look after their needs – helping to achieve ultimate customer satisfaction.

Technology Business Centers Ltd, for example, has been impressed by the way Bs24 Group has carried out the work and has awarded the company the entire cleaning contract.

Other customers include Kier Group, TA-fisher, and Royal Ascot.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01276 482925 Fax: 01276 482930 www.bs24.co.uk

Products & Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

report any remedial tasks needed – all in a single operation.“ Project Management allows Trusts to combine a number of individual tasks into a single project such as would be needed when refurbishing a ward area. The different trade or contractor tasks involved can be controlled to ensure that all project objectives are managed effectively.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Asckey Data Services Tel: 0845 2707747 www.asckey.com and/or www.hfc.org.uk

90 per cent energy and cost savings with Silent Cubes from GID-Quantor GID-Quantor is part of the G.I.D. Group that also has operations in Europe and North America supplying information management and data archiving solutions.

Our very latest solution is Silent Cubes and is already in daily use at over 60 hospitals/medical centres in Europe for archiving PACS, patient medical records and e-mails. The system is designed to provide the very highest possible security for long-term data storage. It is disk based and offers IT management a very different but non-proprietary solution with which to tackle the challenge of ever increasing volumes and longer data retention periods.

A single Cube of less than 1 cubic foot can store up to 16 terabytes and the system is scaleable from just 2 terabytes to thousands (i.e. petabytes). Compared with other data archiving options, Silent Cubes is lower in cost and delivers up to 93 per cent

savings in energy costs and associated carbon footprint.

Another of our business solutions is OnBase from Hyland Software Inc. which, using its Application Enabler facility, can deliver ECM and document workflow to users by ‘image-enabling’ their existing LOB applications. OnBase is used extensively within healthcare in North America and already by a number of healthcare providers in the UK. FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01444 882258 Fax: 01444 882282 info@gid-quantor.co.uk www.gid-quantor.co.uk

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

Reduce fleet costs and carbon emissions

A sustainable flooring solution for the NHS

Public sector organisations across the country are saving thousands in fuel costs and seeing increased efficiency of their fleets after installing telematics and vehicle management systems. Transport managers within the public sector are able to keep track of the location of their vehicles in real time, via web-based software.

Through this they can observe journey times and routes, re-route drivers to avoid traffic delays if necessary, assess driver behaviour including speed and harsh braking and therefore reduce their carbon footprint. Drivers are also given extra protection as they can’t be falsely accused of speeding, jumping red lights or third party vehicle damage.

F16 Consulting provides totally independent and impartial advice on the most suited telematics, vehicle tracking, PDA and fleet

Building up the surface of the floor – from substrate to finish – Flowcrete UK’s revolutionary green Floorzone concept is a single-source flooring package, which sets out to be the most sustainable and complete flooring solution for the healthcare sector.

The company offers a number of environmentally friendly flooring systems under a single-source manufacturer’s warranty, including seamless resin floor finishes with up to 60 per cent recycled content, Isocrete sub-floor screeds that are free from Ordinary Portland Cement, energy saving underfloor heating, and acoustic insulation.

Choosing fit-for-purpose, quality fixtures and fittings is key to complying with rigorous hygiene standards – particularly when it comes to floors and walls – both of which can act as a vital line of defence in the fight against harmful contaminants.

A hygienic flooring system is the

management solutions to the public sector across the UK. F16 assist in sourcing the best possible solution from the best possible provider that fits the requirements of the client, their budget and payment options, including outright purchase, lease and rental (no contract).

An on-going partnership is then developed to ensure that the customer gets the best out of the system through full training and continued support.

Previous public sector clients have enjoyed a an overall return on investment of 26:1 after having tracking installed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Antony Pennington, Tel: 0115 8781416 Mobile: 07850 439260 antony@f16consulting.co.uk www.f16consulting.co.uk

Electrolux Professional

Don’t expect to see your enemies

When hygiene is critical, put yourself in the hands of the experts.

Electrolux Barrier Washers provide the best defence against the spread of germs bacteria, dust particles and cross contamination.

Electrolux Professional is a worldwide expert in linen hygiene. www.electrolux.co.uk/laundrysystems www.elsinfo@electrolux.co.uk Telephone: 08444 631 261

Products & Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

latest tool in a hospital’s armoury to help fight illness at ground level and ensure a clean, germ free and healthy environment for staff and patients.

Flowcrete has built up over 35 years of experience delivering first class medical grade flooring solutions to a number of the world’s leading hospitals, healthcare institutes, research and development centres and pharmaceutical production facilities. Flowcrete is recognised as the leading performance flooring manufacturer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01270 753 000 uk@flowcrete.com

Ensure compliance with lab services from Latis Latis Scientific is a specialist in the provision of laboratory and technical services within the healthcare industry. It has over 20 years’ experience in various aspects of infection control, such as sterile services, operating theatres, hydrotherapy, dialysis and Legionella control.

Latis’s team of chemists, microbiologists and consultants provide both investigative site work, whilst ensuring compliance with all of the latest guidance, and regulation, including the soon to be published new Health and Technical Memorandums.

The company’s UKAS accredited laboratories are based in central London and it works in conjunction with three partner laboratories across the UK. In order to ensure that samples arrive at the laboratories in a fast, efficient and controlled manner, Latis operates a fleet of

temperature controlled vehicles.

Its laboratories are modern, state-of-the-art facilities with the latest technology, using the most innovative methodology.

Capabilities include the provision of chemical purity assays and the isolation of microbiological contaminants that cause concern within the healthcare industry such as Mycobacterium, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and emerging pathogens such as Ralstonia pickettii.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 88533900 www.latisscientific.co.uk

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Products & Services

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net DDC_HealthBus_1-2p_Layout 1 05/09/2011 12:28 Page 1

Setting new standards in maceration The new improved Pulpmatic+ sets new standards in the maceration of biodegradable pulp product bedpans, bottles, vomit bowls and other similar articles.

• Hands Free Operation • Greater Capacity • Reduced Water Consumption • Automatic Disinfection Cycle • Improved Reliability

PULPMATIC+

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The Unique, Totally Hands-Free Pulp Macerator

The Fulcrum, Vantage Way, Poole, Dorset BH12 4NU telephone: 01202 731555 | fax: 01202 731666 info@ddcdolphin.co.uk | www.sluice.co.uk DDC Dolphin, Pulpmatic and MicrobeSafe are Registered Trade Marks

ADVERTISERS INDEX

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

12

F16 Consulting

45

Nordic Care Services

ADK Staffing

12

Flowcrete

45

Nursing Hygiene

Architectural Symbols & Signs

28

Future-Tech

41

Phoenix Private Ambulance Service

24

Asckey

43

GID Quantor

43

PHS Waste Management

10

Biscon

22

GMC Landscapes

Rocom

44

Bs24 Group

43

GS1 UK

10

Scope Communications UK

10

Charity Gift Vouchers

44

Hinsley Hall

38

Secure IT Disposables

31

Climate Energy

16

Kyocera

Signs of the Time

28

Coventry Transport

36

Lasting Impressions

29

Singers

32

DDC Dolphin

46

Lateral

24

Spirax Sarco

18

Debenhams

42

Latis Scientific

45

Strand Palace

36

Design JD

29

Management Advisory Service

14

Stredia

14

Direct Signs

26

McGee Group

Sunflower Health

14

Doepke

16

Meridian Health

12

Thomson Fire Consultancy

20

Dynamax

28

MIC Hotel & Conference Centre

36

University of Winchester

38

Eberhardt Signs

29

Modus Visual Media

28

Wel Medical

24

Electrolux

45

MTM

43

Western Power

18

XPO IT Services

31

Elliott

46

8

OBC

6

IBC

Multifire Maintenance Services

20

EU Signs

26

National Security Inspectorate

20

Express Instrument Hire

18

Nightingale Care Beds

35

HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 11.10

IFC 4

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fOR hEAlthiER figuRES: thE pREScRiptiOn-REAdy

hEAlthcARE pRintER

With budgets constantly under pressure, small costs soon add up. Reducing the cost of routine activities like printing can release funds to protect vital healthcare services.

So next time you buy a printer, consider Kyocera. Our long-life consumables system means fewer components to replace, so every page costs less to print.

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