NIGHTINGALE HOSPITALS
worked alongside Eugene Conroy and the Eta project team for 12 – 14 hour days, seven days a week, to meet the programme. There was a great rapport among the design teams of BDP, the RSP Group, Eta, and our Hoare Lea team, all of whom supported each other throughout the project, which was a critical success factor.”
ISS Facility Services
On a chance one-to-one encounter on the last week, Catherine Horne of ISS recalled some emotional moments during the occupation of the hospital, which we were spared by working below ground at sub-station level. She said: “One poignant moment was witnessing a medical team receiving a patient from an ambulance, with a supporting ISS staff member offering the safe level of care and attention as the medical staff. The staff member worked previously as a general worker – very clearly a recruit to the future of healthcare. All class barriers and unnecessary reporting lines had been removed, with the authority to make decisions left to those who know best.”
Electrical sub-contractors This project would not have been realised without the dedication and commitment of the electrical contractors and their individual teams, who shared many long hours with us. Special thanks are due to Turnstone Electrical and Alpine Works.
Principal Contractor’s view John Davies of Principal Contractor, CFES, said of our involvement: “The role and early engagement of the Eta HV/LV engineers was crucial, and brought a level of specialism and skill required to ensure the success of the project. This was in the context of patient safety, security of electrical supply, and establishing immediate sound management practices for the works to be embarked upon. Within twenty-four hours, Eugene’s team had an intimate knowledge of the exhibition centre’s extensive electrical systems, and produced a documented set of parameters with the ExCeL team for the extensive electrical modifications the project was to embark upon to transform an exhibition centre into a field hospital.
The knowledge, dedication, and professionalism of the Eta team brought immediate confidence to the ExCeL Engineering Management team, and enhanced the wider Nightingale project team.” Meanwhile, Stephen Endersby, Mechanical director (at Eta), who was novated to CFES as MEP co-ordinator for the Construction team, said: “The commitments made by everyone were second to none. I am still reeling from the fact that we turned an exhibition centre into a world-renowned hospital.”
56 Health Estate Journal August 2020
The Eta Projects HV/LV Infrastructure Team (left to right): Bill Reeves, Kim Shelley, Rick Seymour, and Eugene Conroy.
Long periods away from home Rick Seymour, director of AE Services at Eta Projects, reports: “We remained part of the project, working long hours and spending long periods away from home and loved ones, but I forged long- standing relationships with colleagues that I think will endure the test of time, and which I will cherish dearly. One day, when we all reflect on our contribution to what is an amazing project, we will do so with a feeling of immense pride.” For my part, Eta Projects was incorporated 22 years ago with the vision and mission statement: ‘To build a nationally recognised and accredited M&E design engineering team with specialist knowledge of HV/LV infrastructures which would be developed around training staff and knowledge sharing’. The realisation of a vision and mission
Eugene Conroy
Eugene Conroy, managing director of independent consulting engineers, Eta Projects, served a full electrical apprenticeship, and developed his career in London by completing both an HNC in Electrical Engineering and the Continued Education Diploma. He gained his Master’s Degree at Brunel University in 1995, on the University’s Building Services programme.
Earlier in his career he held senior Electrical engineer positions at consultancy companies including Ove Arup, Mott MacDonald, and Meit Associates. He represented the British Airports Authority as senior High Voltage engineer on the Heathrow Express project, before setting up Eta Projects in 1996. An independent consultant electrical engineer with specialist technical experience in the design and operational management of electrical infrastructure within NHS hospitals, he currently advises a wide range of management personnel – from Estates mangers to Estates and Facilities directors, primarily within the NHS environment. He has extensive experience in troubleshooting power quality problems; his Master’s degree dissertation was based on power problems in the modern building.
As an independent electrical Authorising Engineer (AE), he provides direct reporting to the governing board for each NHS healthcare organisation for which he currently holds the appointment as AE, and has undertaken several investigations into clinical incidents – including electric shock incidents, equipment failure, and loss of essential supplies to critical patent care areas. He also provides independent Authorising Engineer duties to Spire Healthcare, reporting directly to its Technical director.
He gained his CEng status through the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and is also an active member of IHEEM. He personally mentors all Eta staff, and encourages them to join the IET and IHEEM.
statement is hard to quantify at the best of times. However, the Nightingale project has provided clear evidence that the goal has been achieved. I have spent the last 10 weeks bedded with our specialist HV/LV infrastructure team, at times with limited provisions and complete lack of sleep.
Team spirit shone through The team spirit of coming to work to do a good job shone through, and I personally feel privileged to have worked with my colleagues and the wider project team to deliver a world-renowned healthcare project for the betterment of society in which we all play a part. The team was cemented with our in-house IT and CAD specialist, Jack Gardiner. Without him we could not have delivered the project drawings and documentation, with Kim Shelley providing constant support. Our special thanks too to Andrew Panniker (of the Royal Free) and Frank Randall (of Mace). This project has set up for the future the next Nightingale Hospital team. My sincere thanks for the memorable experience, and long may our collective experience serve future generations of engineers.
A special thanks too to the friendly security staff, who always greeted us with a smile, and to all the facilities staff who worked tirelessly to keep the facilities operational. Finally our utmost thanks and respect to the medical frontline staff. It was a privilege to stand among you for the minute’s silence for your colleagues who lost their lives in this battle. May they never be forgotten.
hej
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