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TIMING, FLEXIBILITY AND PLANNING KEY TO SUCCESS OF HOSPITAL THEATRE VENTILATION CLEANING PROJECT
Story
Flexibility and careful planning were key to the successful cleaning of the ventilation system for 10 operating theatres in a Northern NHS Trust hospital. It was essential that theatre closures were kept to an absolute minimum, while still affording engineers full access, so that a total clean and bacteriological test of the ventilation plant and ductwork could be carried out.
The hospital selected Ductbusters, a specialist duct cleaning operator and an approved supplier for the Trust, to carry out the project. Ductbusters held a series of meetings with hospital management, theatre staff and the Hospital Infection Control Department to devise and agree the most efficient and effective procedures.
Minimising theatre downtime and avoiding the cancellation of operations was a key priority, but so too was the necessity to keep disruption to a minimum and not to compromise the safety of patients and staff in any way.
Ductbusters established an innovative set of working hours for its engineers. In order to reduce the effect on the day to day running of the theatres, Ductbusters adjusted its hours of work to fit in with the amended hospital schedules that had been adapted to accommodate the work. The team began work at five in the morning so as to complete work in the theatres’ clean corridors before the hospital staff arrived. Work was finished by 2pm to allow the theatres to be readied for their bacteriological tests.
The project took 10 weeks to complete – only one theatre was closed at any one time and no operations were cancelled.
Each theatre to be cleaned was closed on Thursday morning and reopened on Monday morning. The first two days involved the cleaning of the ventilation systems and during that time the estates staff took the opportunity to carry out any repair works. The theatres themselves were then cleaned and tested for bacterial growth before reopening.
Ian Wall, sales director of Ductbusters, comments:
“This was a challenging project, but we were confident we had the experience and expertise to do a very good job, on time and within budget. Proof that detailed planning and flexibility can be the key to success.”
