July 5th, 2018 marks 70 years of the National Health Service (NHS), a national celebration day to appreciate the vital role that the health service plays in citizens’ lives and to recognize the NHS staff, those everyday heroes who are there for everyone 24/7.
Partnership with National Health Service
Adcock Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Ltd. (Adcock) is extremely proud to play a part in the delivery of NHS services. Adcock’s cooling, heating, and ventilation can be found in over 100 hospitals, health centers, dental /GP surgeries, hospices, mortuaries, laboratories, blood banks, and research buildings in the United Kingdom.
They have formed long and successful partnerships with healthcare and pharmaceutical customers and some of their projects date back several decades.
Upgraded heating, ventilation, and cooling systems
New systems from Adcock can cut energy costs by up to 70%, which is of vital importance to the NHS
A lot has changed since the launch of the National Health Service in 1948, including the modernization of buildings to upgrade outdated heating, ventilation, and cooling systems to attain optimum environments and improve energy efficiency. New systems from Adcock can cut energy costs by up to 70%, which is of vital importance to the NHS and also helps reduce carbon emissions to meet environmental targets.
The NHS deals with every medical scenario, from routine appointments to major surgery, to emergency care like A&E. Adcock engineers always strive to be tidy, safe, and professional and this is even more important on medical sites. There are specific factors to consider such as:
- Extra care with cleanliness and hygiene
- Minimizing noise and disruption
- Working unusual hours, around busy or critical times
- Respecting patients and their loved ones
- Discretion and confidentiality
- Keeping to strict schedules
- Working in and around constantly occupied buildings
- Close control cooling
- Maintaining access for emergency vehicles
- Responding rapidly to call-outs
- Value engineering to maximize budgets and energy efficiency
- Intensive procurement and clearance
To mark NHS70, Adcock has summarized some of their best work below:
Air handling units
Hospital air handling units and A&E door heaters
At Southend Hospital, Essex, Adcock replaced five air handling units and associated services that supply the hospital’s eye clinic, theatre 8, pathology, minor ops, and mortuary.
The new air handling units needed to be energy efficient and monitored by meters
The new air handling units needed to be energy efficient and monitored by meters. All works had to be carried out in the occupied building, which required close liaison with staff and contractors and the need to keep noise and disruptions to a minimum. The energy-efficient units required no maintenance, using a recuperator that is 60% efficient with a summer bypass for free cooling.
The A&E department in the same hospital is a vital local resource, treating around 30,000 people a year. After securing Department of Health funding to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, Southend Hospital A&E identified the need to replace very inadequate door heaters. They advised Biddle standard air curtains connected to Daikin ERQ heat pump inverter condensing units.
Wall sensors for enhanced control accuracy
Additional wall sensors were also installed within the lobbies to increase control accuracy. The installation only took around 4-5 hours, during the quietest part of the day which happened to be 5 am. The public were diverted through the Ambulance entrance while the work was carried out and vice versa for the second door curtain installation.
Close control cold rooms for medical research
Based in Norfolk, the Norwich Medical Research University is part of a new £19 million building managed by the University of East Anglia. The facility focuses on finding treatments for diseases affecting aging populations.
Design and installation of close control cold rooms
Adcock was appointed to manage, design, and install two close control cold rooms
Adcock was appointed to manage, design, and install two close control cold rooms that maintain a temperature of +4 +/- 0.5-degree differential and one close control heated cold room +37 +/- 0.5 degrees. They employed a specialist contractor who interpreted requirements carefully. Each cold room has a bespoke control panel and includes energy-saving Searle EC evaporators.
Cold rooms are typically designed to operate at a 1-2 degree differential and in this case, the cold rooms used thyristors to operate within a +/- 0.5 degree differential around the target set point. These are connected to Danfoss refrigeration condensing units and the lighting in all rooms are energy-saving LED fixtures.
Positive feedback for Adcock’s HVAC services
Adcock prides themselves on their service and are pleased to receive positive feedback from NHS clients, such as:
- David Frisby, Operation Manager, Eyre Group, for Norwich Medical Research, University of East Anglia, said “Adcock were selected for the design capabilities and professional approach. When it came to the installation of the constant temperature room, their installation engineers were able to work around a very busy construction site by starting early and working late. We have selected Adcock for two other projects in the Cambridge area based on their delivery at the Norwich Medical Research Building.”
- Graham Brown, The Clerk of Works, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, stated “I must write to commend the Adcock engineers who worked in the Oncology department over the weekend. Their time keeping was spot on and we saw clean and precise working practices, all-in-all a very professional job. Too often these days I have to write complaining about contractors and their work. It is a welcome change to write expressing thanks.”
- Manoj Chohan, Energy Manager, Southend Hospital A&E Department, stated “There are two main [Adcock] engineers that are very familiar with the site and for this installation, they were able to identify the best system based on the size of the entrance roof and site knowledge. The installation was seamless and they knew all of the people involved, who to contact, and where to isolate the power.”
NHS enters 71st year of service
As the NHS enters its 71st year, Adcock looks forward to many more years working in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, helping medical and research teams deliver excellence to ordinary people like us.
The right (or wrong) temperature can sometimes mean the difference between life and death, and Adcock is proud to provide the intelligence, diligence, and engineering services that health services rely upon.
