When Harrogate District Hospital, managed by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, wanted to completely refurbish and upgrade another of its operating theatres for orthopaedic surgery, Medical Air Technology (MAT) presented a total turnkey solution that it says ‘combined competitive pricing with a world-class ultraclean ventilation (UCV) system and accompanying equipment package’.
MAT has a long relationship with the hospital, having installed earlier UCV canopies, and holding the service contract for its other ultraclean theatres. With other projects also underway, the work required a short, efficient programme, and the new theatre was handed over successfully just four weeks after work began.
MAT supplied its ECO-flow UCV canopy, steelwork, ductwork, insulation, electrics, general lights, a new ceiling, theatre lights, a surgeon’s panel with Bluetooth speakers, a PACS unit, data points, medical gas pendants, and an IPS/UPS circuit. All electrical panels were installed in an engineering cupboard located on the theatre dirty corridor to facilitate future maintenance and commissioning. MAT says ‘outstanding teamwork’ was the key to the project’s success. The company worked closely with the hospital’s Estates Department and theatre manager, Steve Burns. Effective liaison between MAT and Starkstrom resulted in timely approvals, manufacturing times, and delivery dates. Harrogate District Hospital used knowledge and expertise from a highly skilled estates department, with the scheme managed by project managers, Helen Sturdy and Maddie Bowles.
To achieve the four-week turnaround, daily co-ordination of the personnel working in the theatre had to be closely managed, and critical path work prioritised each day. Early project planning, ‘constant evaluation’, and weekly meetings between all stakeholders, ensured timely project delivery. MAT says clinicians have praised the quality and ease of use of the equipment installed.
MAT’s ECO-flow UCV canopy is designed to significantly reduce energy usage and cost, without any reduction in performance. The newest version allows for integration with the latest imaging equipment. Harrogate District Hospital wished the theatre to offer this flexibility, so MAT installed a split screen picture archiving and communication system with X-ray viewing facilities. The Starkstrom PACS unit features front ventilation, so can be flush-mounted on the wall with no other connecting services, and is the UK’s first of its kind installed. Surgeons also stipulated that the new theatre should be suitable for training: to facilitate this, MAT installed theatre lights with integral cameras, enabling surgery to be broadcast live to students in the training rooms. IT systems throughout were upgraded to include wall-mounted computer workstations.
