Opinions please -

Lean thinking - can anyone see a problem with us ebme types working alongside the Estates electricians, or even incorporating the duties of both trades into one entity?

Cheers
Mark

LEAN issues apart ... have your Electricians wised up a bit since I last chatted with them, then?

Historically, many UK EBME departments were staffed by clued-up electricians from Estates when they were first set up. It was a natural progression, after all. But (I think we can all agree that) medical equipment has, shall we say, moved on a bit since those days.

In short, many biomeds could do the work of Estates electricians, I should imagine. But not the reverse. On the other hand, I happen to know a number of ex-Estates people who have retrained as biomeds (and now work in the biomed department). That's fair enough, but I don't think that's what you're getting at is it? Do I detect another "bright idea" (at saving money) by your management?

Sorry Mark, but it's the big "thumbs down", I would say. And, don't you have more than enough work on already?

I can see one slight problem here.....

One group does ELECTRONICS.....

the other does not !

Ok, it's a simplisitic veiw and could a, as Geoff says, clued up sparky make it in biomed, yes, probably., but I would much rather take someone from TV/video or other electronics arena and teach them the medical side of things than go down this other path.

Is there cross over, perhaps, but, I think it better not to cross the line, there are enough areas of grey between biomed and maintenance are there not?

Yes Geoff, I have more than enough to do at the moment.

The funding for the NHS is dropping off and, dare I say, a new government is on its way in.

So, before the crap hits the fan, we are being encouraged to think outside the box in an attempt to secure our future - hit the ground running now, so that we are in a stronger position for the near future.

Cheers
Mark

Just to play out my usual role (that of Devil's Advocate) ... some Estates "sparkies" do get involved with electronics to a certain extent (control gear, and stuff like that).

But, two further points, if I may:-

1) Perhaps it would help if Mark furnished us with an example of what such convergence would actually mean (they must have something in mind down at Taunton, after all).

2) In a word (or two) ... Patient Safety!

Sorry, Mark ... best get your people to try thinking inside the box first!

The company in which I work has both a biomed and and facilities (or estate) group. The senior manager of the facilities group has the office next to mine. I no more understand the detail of his work than he does of mine. We discuss, we cross reference but we both know where our particular understandings and knowledge stop. These are not the same things.

Again I would say, yes, some electricians could tranfer skills to the biomed environment just as some biomeds could transfer the other way (if they were interested in doing so) but these are not the same skill sets.

More to the point, I think, beware the dilution of the "professional" status of your work.

Dave, I'm sure we all take your point ... but I would venture to suggest that you're being a bit modest there, Mate.

Personally speaking, I've always been able to keep up with what Senior Facilities Management (Estates, or whichever terminology is preferred) were saying, and I'm no Einstein (as I would be the first to admit). Especially that is, as in one case I could actually cite, where the guy was an ex-chef!

Sorry Geoff, no examples, just brain-storming with an eye on the future.

Cheers
Mark

What I was going to add was what I have advocated before. And that is a combined Technical Services Department, containing all aspects of tech support for the hospital:-

Biomed
Building services
IT
M&E

... and anything else "technical" we can think of. Maybe that's the sort of thing you should be looking at.

By the way, I also favour putting "Support Services" under one umbrella as well (but not, I should make clear, the TSD one).

That is:-

Catering
Housekeeping
Laundry ... et al