Medical Air Technology (MAT) has completed another successful theatre refurbishment, this time at the Countess of Chester Hospital. This 600-bed large district general hospital, operated by the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust, serves patients from Western Cheshire, Ellesmere Port, Neston and North Wales.
In order to meet the growing number of referrals it receives for orthopaedic surgery, the hospital brought MAT in to completely refit and upgrade Theatre 9 and bring it up to the standard required for orthopaedic procedures with the installation of an ECO-flow™ ultraclean ventilation (UCV) canopy.
MAT was awarded the contract for the work after tendering a winning bid that demonstrated it had the expertise and capacity to deliver the project within the required time and budget. MAT has carried out previous theatre upgrades at the site and has developed an excellent working relationship with the estates department and project teams, with all parties working closely together to ensure the best outcome.
Work on Theatre 9 was carried out between October and December 2018. It included a full stripout of all existing services and replacement of the air handling unit (AHU), building management system (BMS), ductwork, domestic water services, medical gas system and fire alarm modification. The theatre features new general lighting, a theatre control panel and an IPS/UPS system. At its heart lies the MAT ECO-flow™ Dynamic UCV canopy, the latest generation of MAT canopy, which dilutes air so it contains not more than 10 CFU/m3, the level required for ultraclean air in HTM 03-01. Creating a “clean zone” around the patient that is effectively free of bacteria-carrying airborne particles while the operation is in progress reduces contaminants at the wound site and dramatically reduces the risk of post-operative infection, meaning less requirement for antibiotics, less chance of costly remedial surgery and less ensuing pressure on already busy operating theatres. MAT also carried out commissioning of the new theatre prior to its opening.
MAT offers a wide range of services so is able to respond flexibly and quickly to the specific needs of each client, providing all the benefits that come from working with a specialist contractor. With its own in-house UK manufacturing facility and dedicated team of highly skilled engineers, MAT manufactures and supplies bespoke equipment for demanding clinical arenas. Clients can choose from several options, ranging from UCV canopy only right through to a total turnkey package, ensuring they get exactly the solution they need. In addition, MAT FM can provide a range of competitively priced and highly effective service and maintenance packages for all core products and turnkey solutions offered by MAT or other suppliers, ensuring that equipment is maintained, serviced and validated correctly for optimum performance.
