sponsored by HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Bed Tidy addresses bedside storage contamination risks
A nurse and a former hospital engineer’s joint solution to ‘messy storage’ of tubing and cables hung by patients’ beds is now available to buy on the Walters Medical website. The Bedhead Tidy was developed
by nurse, Emma Thomson, and former biomedical engineer, Steve Connew, who were concerned that tubing and cables hung by patients’ beds could cause contamination issues and result in avoidable additional costs. Funding support through the Innovation team at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) – where they worked – enabled it to be developed, tested, and trialled, and it is now available for other health and care providers to buy. Steve Connew, now retired, but
previously an electro-biomedical engineering Operational manager at ESNEFT, said: “The simple and cost-effective Bedhead Tidy was many years in development, so to see it in the marketplace to help improve patient safety felt like a massive achievement.”
‘Challenging’ Royal Free data centre upgrade completed
Secure I.T. Environments, a design and build specialist for modular, containerised, and micro data centres, has completed an air- conditioning upgrade on the main ‘mission-critical’ data centre at London’s Royal Free Hospital. The project was commissioned
Emma Thomson, now ESNEFT’s
head of Resuscitation Services, said: “The Bedhead Tidy seemed such an obvious idea, but it’s great we had the support to develop it, and now we can fit it to all beds across the Trust to help staff, and therefore patients.” The pair also had support from Health Tech Enterprise, which advised on intellectual property rights, led
the negotiations for the licensing agreement to help bring the device to market, and provided strategic advice to enable prototype development and trial testing. The Bedhead Tidy is available in
three designs – for hospital beds, specialist care beds (neonatal and critical care), and beds in the community.
Fire valves first to achieve LPCB accreditation
Keraflo’s ‘innovative’ Fire Valves have become the first to receive ‘important accreditation’ from the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), a division of the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the company says. It explained:
“Keraflo’s Fire Valves have been subjected to exacting tests, demonstrating their robust design, reliability, and efficiency, in critical fire safety applications.” The valves are built to withstand
harsh conditions and maintain functionality over extended periods, ensuring they operate effectively during a fire to manage water flow and pressure. Compatible with a wide range of fire protection systems, they can be ‘seamlessly integrated’ into new
contractors use valves conforming to LPS 2083. However, until recently, LPS 2083 only existed in draft, leading to varying interpretations and use of alternative products. This ambiguity ended on 23 May this year, when LPS 2083 became an integral part of the LPS 1276 standard, prohibiting the use of non-compliant alternatives.” Keraflo says the
integration of LPS 2083 into the LPS 1276 standard is ‘a critical step forward
installations, or retrofitted. Keraflo said: “The rigorous BRE testing process has enabled the Fire Valve range to boast an unprecedented 10-year warranty – 10 times the industry standard.” “The accreditation for Keraflo comes at an important time,” explained Richard Braid, Keraflo’s MD. “The LPS 1276 standard, issued in December 2018, mandates that
22 Health Estate Journal October 2024
for fire safety’. It explained: “The inclusion of LPS 2083 means fire valves used in commercial buildings should now meet these rigorous standards, eliminating the risk posed by alternatives. This change is expected to save lives by ensuring that all fire protection systems are capable of performing their intended functions under real- world conditions.”
to replace ‘end-of-life’ cooling infrastructure and improve energy efficiency. Originally built in 2010 by Secure I.T. Environments, the centre serves the hospital’s thousands of patients receiving acute and specialist services, and supports the training of hundreds of medical students annually. The existing cooling
infrastructure was removed and replaced with four GEA 18D Multi- Denco downflow close control direct expansion air-handling systems and four Denco ambient air-cooled condensers. The new installation achieves PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) values of 1.15 or less, and a sensible heat ratio (SHR) of 1.0, meaning air is cooled without dehumidifying it. Secure I.T. Environments says this combined optimised use of the inverter compressor, electronic expansion valve (EEV), and fans, reduces energy costs, improves energy efficiency, and extends the life of the humidifier cylinder. The data centre’s changing
cooling requirements meant re- locating the external condensing units – requiring considerable effort to ensure compliance with building and planning regulations. Condensers are now outside on a balcony away from existing services, which meant installing and weatherproofing new pipework, and ensuring it would be accessible and safe for maintenance. With the project completed in just nine weeks, Secure I.T. Environments is now implementing cold aisle containment in the data centre, and providing UPS and AC upgrades at another.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132
