A critical internal incident that was declared at Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth following a power outage shows just how important power continuity is in a healthcare setting.
When East Surrey Hospital lost power in February, it evacuated the intensive care and high-dependency units. Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust declared a critical incident and asked the public to consider alternative emergency departments if their condition wasn’t life-threatening.
Although it’s rare for hospitals to shut down critical units because of power outages, this incident highlights the necessity of proper business continuity measures and the growing concern that healthcare organisations have about the risks to their operations.
Solutions start with assessing power needs such as load, voltage, frequency, battery runtime, and recharge times
Back in December 2022, reports revealed that 41 NHS Trusts in England were re-examining their plans for power loss during the winter months after the National Grid had warned of power cuts in extreme circumstances. Having just experienced one of the stormiest winters on record this year, including Storms Jocelyn and Henk, those concerns aren’t diminishing anytime soon.
You don’t need me to tell you how crucial a consistent power supply is to a hospital’s ability to provide continuous patient care.
A sudden power outage or even a fluctuation can disrupt the functioning of vital medical equipment such as ventilators, heart monitors and life-support systems. Then there’s the challenges associated with electronic medical records to maintain patient information, diagnostic reports, and treatment plans. Power loss risks data loss or corruption, compromising patient care and leaving you open to hefty fines.
Power, uninterrupted
The first step must be to invest in uninterruptible power supply (UPS). In layperson’s terms, a UPS system offers backup power for a certain amount of time when the primary power source fails, or the voltage drops below the required level.
Here, it’s worth noting the difference between a UPS system and a back-up generator – and why the former is so crucial in healthcare settings. There’s no guarantee that a back-up generator will always switch on during surges, flickering or power interruptions, meaning it doesn’t provide defence for lifesaving medical equipment alone. A UPS system, on the other hand, powers on automatically, immediately filtering electricity to reduce or eliminate damage during power outages, bridging the gap in those all-important moments.
Back-up generators have a crucial part to play in the broader challenge of power resilience
What’s more, a UPS system can support a backup power generator by converting alternating current from the mains supply into direct current (DC) to charge their internal batteries. During a power outage, the UPS system switches to using the stored DC power and converts it back to AC by using an inverter, providing uninterrupted power to connected devices.
Still, back-up generators have a crucial part to play in the broader challenge of power resilience. Though these units have a longer start-up time, they provide much longer lasting back-up power compared to a UPS system, making them ideal in scenarios requiring lengthy operational times or high capacity.
A matter of life or death
Ventilators are one thing, but what other infrastructure and systems are crucial to patient care? Lifts, for example, play a central role in the smooth running of any multi-storey hospital, where different departments and wards are located on separate floors.
Nobody wants to be stuck in a lift, least of all stressed patients or staff transporting vital medical equipment. UPS systems specifically for lifts are, therefore, always designed with several important factors in mind, including the duration of a common power cut, the capacity of a lift motor, and the type of lift in operation.
All life safety systems are required by law to have continuous emergency power provision
Another fundamental element is the ability to see. Emergency lighting is considered a life safety system, and all life safety systems are required by law to have continuous emergency power provision. BS 5266-1 (Emergency lighting - Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises) states that emergency lighting must operate for three hours following a mains power failure, or one hour if the building can be immediately evacuated. Adequate lighting in these moments helps reduce panic by providing visibility and illuminated signs, ensuring the hospital is following health & safety guidelines rigorously.
It’s a similar story for fire suppression systems. Although these are not legally required in the UK, they must be interlinked with a central emergency power system to activate automatically when a fire starts, which means a UPS system must be installed to comply with BS EN 50171 (Central safety power supply systems).
Choosing the right UPS
UPS systems range in size and all boast unique features. As such, healthcare organisations will need to determine which is right for their site and specific requirements.
As a rule, the system should have an output watt capacity 20-25 per cent higher than the total power drawn by any attached equipment.
Likewise, the lifespan of a UPS system depends on several factors, including working environment, quality of maintenance, and the size of the unit.
NHS trusts have older estates where a lack of space and disrepair often present issues
A large floor standing UPS system has an estimated lifespan of 10-15 years, whereas a small low voltage unit may only last five. In addition, individual components such as fans and batteries will need to be replaced more frequently.
Facilities teams should develop maintenance schedules based on a combination of the manufacturer’s recommendations and the specific needs of their UPS system.
As part of this maintenance, it’s important to inspect and document the condition of cables, connection, batteries, fans, capacitors, and other components. Identifying signs of wear, corrosion, loose connections or leaks not only helps prevents failures but also extends the life of the UPS itself.
Getting site-specific
Through every step of the way, from procurement and installation to maintenance, healthcare organisations need to identify the challenges specific to their site, including the quality of their legacy systems, restricted access, and time constraints. Hospitals can’t afford lengthy periods of downtime across their facilities and many NHS trusts have older estates where a lack of space and disrepair often present issues.
A comprehensive site survey will determine the solutions to these challenges. This typically includes assessing power needs such as load, voltage, frequency, battery runtime, and recharge times.
It also considerations regarding the location and physical environment, such as dimensions, room temperature, risks of leaks or ingress, and the specific floor for UPS installation.
It’s worth noting the difference between a UPS system and a back-up generator
A survey can address logistics details such as delivery restrictions required loading equipment, and the availability of lifts. It can help you develop accurate project timescales that cover preferred installation timing, ongoing maintenance needs, and requirements for monitoring and technical support.
Lastly, you must consider the necessary collaboration with various stakeholders, including electricians, engineers, local council workers, security netting contractors, employees, patients, visitors and more. Each of these groups have an important say in your ability to keep the lights on the vital equipment running, from installing UPS systems to the broader business continuity plan.
In one recent project London-based Richmond Pharmacology , needed to increase the amount of ward space on-site, and their existing standby generator did not offer adequate protection for their power requirements. The existing generator was on the roof so we worked with the local council to arrange for the removal of barrier controls on the same day the existing generator was replaced, and a new one was positioned, minimising disruption.
The last word
Swift decision-making, clear communication and cooperation with local authorities and utility providers can ensure the recovery of power as quickly as possible if the worst happens.
Establishing a relationship with local utility providers, for example, will help you better understand the potential risks to power supply and explore the options to mitigate them, including participating and demand response programmes or investing in grid infrastructure.
It's not exaggeration to say that power resilience in hospitals is often a matter of life or death. Investing in UPS systems and ongoing maintenance plans ensures uninterrupted operations of life-saving equipment and critical services, especially during emergencies or blackouts. This resilience is essential for maintaining patient care, safety, and the overall functioning of healthcare facilities.
