DRAINAGE SYSTEMS


Understanding the benefits of vacuum drainage


Kris Wojcik, Strategy and Construction at Otter Vacuum, sole UK distributor of JETS vacuum sanitary systems, explains how the technology was used successfully to replace an existing problematic drainage system in an 18-bedded Haematology and Oncology ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, and the resulting benefits. The installation’s success has seen a further JETS vacuum drainage system specified for a new MRI suite at the hospital site.


A BBC story headlined ‘NHS battles sewage leaks as repair backlog grows’ that appeared online on 17 February 2023, resulting from a Freedom of Information request which drew responses from 55 hospitals, saw over 50% reporting problems from sewage leaks in the preceding year. Fast forward to the May 2023 HEJ (Vol. 77, No. 5), and the content in the article by Peter Orendecki, Senior Contracts manager and Water AP at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, echoed the BBC message, further illustrated by NHS data on drain blockages, the added twist being the view that technical rigour in all aspects of gravity drainage network design and maintenance are declining. In the HEJ article, Peter Orendecki additionally asked: ‘Is there the opportunity for the UK to lead in the control of hazardous bacteria and infection control in hospital waste systems?’ The answer to both articles could potentially be found in the recently completed vacuum drainage installation at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.


Historic inspection A historic independent inspection at the hospital listed concerns directly related to drainage and sanitation, and these elements clearly needed to be


addressed. Instead of embarking on the usual solution, involving open excavation drainage renewal with all the consequential upheaval and disruption, the hospital contacted Otter Vacuum to advise on the suitability of replacing the existing problematic drainage installation with a vacuum drainage system. Following a series of meetings and site inspections with BAM and TClarke, the installation of a vacuum drainage system from JETS, at a budget cost less than a traditional drainage replacement scheme, was agreed. Additionally, the vacuum option would allow phased installation, minimal disruption to normal hospital activities, and result in enhanced post- completion system flexibility.


Award shortlisting The initial installation in the Lowen Ward at the Royal Cornwall Hospital – an 18-bedded ward for Haematology and Oncology patients – completed in October 2017, saw Otter shortlisted for the 2018 Lord Carter Award. As a result of this very successful initial installation, and its proven operational robustness, together with lowered maintenance costs, vacuum drainage was subsequently considered a natural option for the hospital’s new purpose-built MRI suite,


the Trelawny Scanning Suite, and 24- bed haematology / oncology ward and associated facilities, which became operational at the hospital in Treliske in June this year. BAM, the main contractor on the project, alongside TClarke, the mechanical and electrical contractor responsible for the vacuum drainage installation, have just completed the project, and – post-commissioning – the hospital is now welcoming patients through the doors of the new facility. Otter Vacuum director, Andrew Hay,


said: “Collaborating with the Royal Cornwall Hospital, BAM, and TClarke, on this current project, and adding value at multiple levels, has been interesting and rewarding – watching all those involved gain a better understanding of what vacuum drainage can offer each organisation individually, and realising that it adds up to more than the sum of its parts, not only in project delivery terms, but in longer-term operational benefits.” Roberta Fuller, head of Hospital


Reconfiguration at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Understanding, and then realising, the benefits of a vacuum drainage installation in our new MRI and Oncology Unit has led my team to include vacuum drainage as an option when designing drainage solutions for


The Lowen Unit at the Royal Cornwall Hospital features a day assessment area. October 2023 Health Estate Journal 67


All photos used courtesy of Tim Pestridge, BAM Construction


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