A new more efficient medical vacuum and medical air and filter system, has been fitted at Eastbourne DGH, replacing the original system installed when the hospital was built, in the 1970’s.
Colin Goddard, Estates Officer with new medial air system
The new system, costing £150,000, is situated behind the scenes, deep inside a cavernous area of the hospital, underneath the operating theatres. It comprises of six units and is designed to create a suction system to remove unwanted fluids or gases from the patient bedside. The medical air and filter system provides clean breathable air to sensitive areas such as the operating theatres, critical care and coronary care unit, and through existing medical air pipes to units within the wards.
These works are part of an ongoing investment of some £3 million per year to improve buildings and engineering infrastructure at Eastbourne DGH. Colin Goddard, from the Estates Project Team said: “These new systems are more energy efficient than the original 40 year old systems. Although they had given reliable service over their lifetime, they didn’t conform to the more modern standards and regulations. With these new systems, we now have far more resilience, and provide air and vacuum to current pharmaceutical standards.”