Northwick Park Hospital, based in the London Borough of Brent, is part of London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, one of the largest integrated care trusts in the country, employing more than 8,000 staff and serving a diverse population of around 850,000 people.
In 2014, to support the trust’s wider plans to improve patient care in North West London, the hospital opened a new £21m A&E department, featuring cutting-edge facilities and a new GP-led Urgent Care Centre.
The new department, which opened in early December, incorporates 40 individual bays to allow patients greater privacy, and improved waiting areas within a new, state-of-the-art design.
The contractor, Balfour Beatty Engineering Services, had a long-term relationship with Luxonic, and was quick to specify the company as the preferred lighting supplier for this high-profile project.
As with any NHS setting, the premises presented a number of challenges when it came to lighting, which had to satisfy the requirements of staff and service users. It needed to be discreet and appropriate to meet the needs of patients with varying physical abilities, but at the same time providing support for high-intensity medical treatment. It also needed to be as efficient as possible, without compromising on the department’s commitment to providing outstanding care.
Specified to light the entire £21m wing, Luxonic introduced a suite of LED solutions – including Alterlux, Corrilux and V-LED – to cover everything from downlighting to evacuation signage. Complying with the stringent infection control measures required by any healthcare environment, each product was chosen with robust, 24-hour efficiency in mind.
With Luxonic ensuring the delivery of a low maintenance, unobtrusive lighting system, Northwick Park Hospital was able to open its state-of-the-art A&E department knowing it had a modern healthcare facility for the long term.
Martyn Wherry, director at Luxonic, said: “In healthcare, we know that every aspect of the brief is critically important – there can be no compromise on sustainability and efficiency, patient experience or clinical requirements. This was a vital development in terms of supporting the Trust’s commitment to improving patient care, and we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a role in the project.”
