BMI’s ‘flagship’ Alexandra Hospital in Manchester, the UK’s largest private hospital outside London, has recently undergone a major refurbishment, which included the upgrading of the hospital’s medical gas pipeline system by BeaconMedaes.
While a challenging project – due both to a lack of plantroom space, and the need to minimise downtime – close cooperation between the teams at BMI The Alexandra Hospital and BeaconMedaes saw the work completed on time and handed over successfully.
BeaconMedaes has a long-standing relationship with BMI The Alexandra Hospital, having held its MGPS maintenance contract for many years. When the tender for the project to replace the existing medical air plant was issued, BeaconMedaes submitted a strong winning bid. The company said: “The scope of works covered the bespoke design and manufacture of medical air plant equipment incorporating the latest technology, ensuring the system would be future-proofed for expansion further down the line.”
At the heart of the upgrade are three Atlas Copco variable speed drive (VSD+) medical air compressors. A VSD compressor automatically adjusts its motor speed to air demand, whereas a fixed speed compressor is either ‘on full throttle’, or off. BeaconMedaes said: “Energy typically represents over 80% of a compressor’s overall lifecycle cost. However, as it only runs at the required speed, the Atlas Copco VSD+ compressor allows for energy savings of on average 50% compared with a fixed speed compressor.”
To fit the VSD compressors within the plantroom’s limited space, BeaconMedaes’s engineers had to work around the existing vacuum plant equipment, requiring them to turn the equipment significantly to allow access. To ensure patient safety, the final switchover from the existing MGPS needed to undertaken as quickly and smoothly as possible. Before the medical gases were turned off, key stakeholders attended regular coordination meetings to identify the best time to disconnect the old plant and effect the necessary arrangements. BeaconMedaes engineers worked through the night to complete the transfer, and the new pipeline system was installed ‘with virtually no disruption to patient care, theatre lists, or the hospital’s day-to-day running’.
Stephen Seddon, Regional engineering manager at BMI Healthcare, said: “I acted as project manager for BMI, working closely with the hospital’s site management team and BeaconMedaes’ account manager and project manager to ensure a smooth transition from the old plant to the new. I found the BeaconMedaes team extremely engaging, and was impressed by the way the team worked around any problems that arose. I would certainly recommend the company for any future projects I am asked to manage for BMI.”
