2005-05-20 - A full service maintenance contract with ABB provides Milton Keynes General Hospital with 24/7 support for the power supplies on which all its expanding services rely
Like its patients and the community it serves the power supply at Milton Keynes General Hospital needs a regular dose of TLC. As the demand for health services grow, so does the need for the power to support them. The same high level of professionalism and reliability is needed to maintain and support the electrical network on which almost all the services on the site rely and for this the hospital looks to ABB.
In order to provide continuity of support and services the Hospital’s facilities management team rely on ABB to provide round-the-clock emergency support as well routine maintenance and necessary upgrades and new installation work.
Continuous expansion
The Hospital was founded in the late 1970s and from modest beginnings has expanded as the communities it serves have grown. Today it provides over 500 beds in 20 wards, eight operating theatres and a total of 1,500 staff.
The latest phase of expansion opened in January 2005. The new £12 million Treatment Centre is a major addition to the resources and capacity of the Hospital. It provides 60-day surgery and extended day surgery, four operating theatres and a central pre-assessment unit.
The natural growth of the hospital, not to mention the addition of major new facilities like the new treatment Centre, certainly keep the in-house facilities team and ABB on their toes. At times the available power supply can be pushed to the limit. On one day last year, before the new Centre came on stream, total demand reached 1,640kW over six separate circuits.
A load survey conducted by ABB in 2004 showed that as demand continues to rise new capacity will be needed. In the next couple of years a number of new facilities are planned and these could well put additional strain on the existing systems.
Damage limitation
Two 11kV feeders bring the power on to the hospital site connecting to a ring main with an open point so the supply can be switched as needed. The incoming cable on the north of the site has recently been upgraded from 95mm to 185mm.
There are six substations around the 60-hectare site. The most recent substation to be installed by ABB supplies the new Treatment Centre. Problems can be identified at any time of the day and night and ABB engineers are on call to provide immediate assistance and work on site if needed.
Recently a problem flagged up by the BMS (building management system) turned out to be caused by damage to a 400ft length of cable which ran beneath one of the hospital roads. It turned out that contractor had caused the damage while working in the area and although relatively minor the cost of repair amounted to £11,000. These are the kinds of problems that occur on such a large and vibrant site causing frustration not just because of the effect on normal operation but also extra costs in a very budget- restricted organisation.
Safety checks
In addition to the main power supply which comes from the local DNO, Central Networks, the hospital has six generators available to kick in and provide backup power in emergencies.
In practise the generators have had little use. However, recently an NHS Safety Bulletin indicated that there were possible problems with Long & Crawford J4 switchgear, as used on the site.
The facilities team turned to ABB to carry out the necessary checks. However, this requires relying on the standby generators as individual switches went off line. The only time that was acceptable to senior medical staff for the routine use of standby power was Sunday afternoon. Therefore a 12 week programme of fortnightly check, on one of each of the six switches, was instituted and carried out by ABB.
No problems were found with any of the equipment but the conscientious conduct of safety checks is an essential part of the hospital culture and protection to staff and patients.
Working partnership
ABB’s relationship with Milton Keynes General Hospital goes back more than 12 years. Over that time the partnership has grown and mutual confidence is very strong. The workload has expanded too, partly in line with the expansion of the facilities and partly with the addition of other services.
Recently ABB was asked to take responsibility for the twice yearly lighting bulb checks and maintenance of the street lights around the site.
According to David Webb, Estates Officer in the facilities department: We continue to find ABB very responsive to our needs. Their thorough knowledge of all the equipment and of our site means that they can and do provide us with a reliable, fast and cost effective services.
As we plan the future expansion of the hospital we are confident that ABB will be able to support us and help find cost effective solutions.
Company background
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 103,000 people.