Birmingham 'Super Hospital'

Birmingham 'Super Hospital'

Client: Birmingham New Hospitals Joint Venture
Contractors: Balfour Beatty Construction and Haden Young
Type of works: supply of Maxi Sky 600 patient ceiling hoists and Primo bathing systems.

ArjoHuntleigh has recently been successful in securing the order for supplying the Maxi Sky 600 patient ceiling hoist and the Primo recumbent bathing system to the new Birmingham ‘Super Hospital’, one of the country’s largest ever PFI projects.

The Primo bath is specifically designed to meet the safety and comfort needs of both patients and carers. Bathing offers a number of benefits and promotes a feeling of well being by naturally stimulating the circulation system, and soothing away the stress allowing the patient to relax.

Maxi Sky 600 is the most technologically advanced ceiling lift on the market; it is an easy-to-operate system that allows a single carer to perform transfers under handset control, without stress or strain and with no manual lifting. This versatile ceiling track system is quick and easy to install, and the modular track layout can be optimised to the working space and requirements with the care facility in mind.

Health Minister Rosie Winterton commenting on the ‘Super Hospital’ said: “These developments are just part of our commitment to the biggest hospital building programme in the history of the NHS. The new facilities will not only be the best in terms of design and quality, but they will be affordable well into the future”.

In a selection process under the PFI agreement, ArjoHuntleigh was awarded the contract against six hoist suppliers and five bathing system suppliers. ArjoHuntleigh was reviewed by an evaluation team from the University Hospital of Birmingham NHS Trust, Consort Healthcare and the Birmingham New Hospitals Joint Venture. The selection process consisted of a tender submission and demonstration of the equipment to the evaluation team at the ArjoHuntleigh showroom at Gloucester.

Steve Hartley, Equipment Manager for the Birmingham New Hospitals Joint Venture commented, “We’re creating a new, world-class super hospital and for that we require the very best equipment available in today’s market.”

In total, twenty five bathing systems will be supplied together with Maxi Sky ceiling lift systems serving sixty-nine single bedrooms and twenty-two four bed bays. Additional Maxi Sky ceiling lift systems are currently being considered which would serve other areas, including therapies and the mortuary.

The £560 million hospital is being constructed by a Joint Venture between Balfour Beatty Construction and Haden Young and will be operated through the term of the contract by Consort Healthcare. Haden Building Management will also provide facilities management services to the new hospital. The ArjoHuntleigh equipment will be provided over the next 18 months, with the first phase of the hospital due to open during 2010, the rest will follow in three further phases with completion planned for October 2011.

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