Milton Mouse children’s unit Milton Keynes Hospital

Parias Construction & Interiors (PCI) asked SJD to work with them recently on a full refurbishment project at Milton Keynes University Hospital. The team was asked to design and install the electrical infrastructure for Milton Mouse, the children’s outpatient unit.

The project marked the 76th the companies have worked on together, during a decade-long relationship, with the projects totalling £2.5m in value. 

The hospital wanted to refresh and upgrade the unit, making it a modern and user-friendly space so the SJD team was asked, at short notice, to meet with PCI and the NHS Trust to survey the site and was given a wish list of their basic requirements.

With only six weeks to produce the designs from concept and calculations to approval, the team then had just eight weeks to undertake the containment and full installation work.

The design incorporated a new power supply and lighting scheme, all in line with the health technical memoranda (HTM) medical regulations and hospital standards.

Included in the project was installation of the nurse call system, fire alarm and ventilation systems, and medical installations including bespoke bedhead trunking systems to deliver the specialist medical gasses, lighting and suction required for each bed space. All aspects had to comply with the high standards required for healthcare settings including comprehensive earthing.

SJD’s electrical supervisor on the project was Tara Warner. She explains that involvement from start to finish provided a very satisfying result: “Despite very little preparation time, we had rough ideas from the client and took it from concept to final design and installation. We got it right first time, so there were minimal changes necessary to the original design and the end result is aesthetically very pleasing.”

The project was challenging because existing power was fed from the main hospital and this had to be maintained at all times to supply the car park lighting and the charging points for ambulance equipment. It was vital that the team formed a close working relationship with the hospital’s onsite electrical and maintenance staff to enable smooth coordination of all activities.

Detailed planning was needed to organise shut down and mains connections, whilst maintaining fail-safe power for critical services such as life support, complex treatment, and emergency lighting.

Liam Hynes, PCI’s Project Manager said: “SJD did a brilliant job. There wasn’t lots of information to work from and we had some unforeseen issues, but the team was brilliant. SJD often worked very early in the morning or late at night to get things done without disturbing the hospital’s activities. They were very accommodating and reactive to last minute requests and had the flexibility and right attitude to deal with the required shutdowns well, making it all very straight forward so the project ran smoother.

“With specialist lighting needed for treatment areas, corridors and emergency lighting, SJD used their knowledge of the hospital to help the client get the appropriate specification. The team ensured everything went smoothly making it easier for other contractors to take over.”

 Marcus Parias, Operations Director at PCI said: “SJD are an integral part of our supply chain and a contractor that we have worked alongside for over 10 years. We are in no doubt that this relationship will last for another 10 years and beyond.

“Their communication and quality of work is never in doubt, as a company from management level down to site teams, they are the partner that we feel most in sync with as we continue to deliver great projects together.”

During the 10-year relationship SJD has worked with PCI on variety of projects including the installation of a new CT Scanner and associated control room, with a new office, reporting room and trolley bays at Bedford hospital.  At the Chiltern Hospital in Buckinghamshire SJD worked with PCI to provide power, containment and lighting along with the electrical infrastructure for their mammography unit in line with HTM standards, and at Meriden Hospital in Coventry, SJD provided the power distribution, containment, small power, lighting and emergency lighting for the refurbishment of an x-ray room in preparation for the installation of a new Fujifilm FDR visionary imaging system.