The healthcare sector is facing unprecedented pressures as it navigates rising operational costs, workforce shortages, and the need to maintain safe, hygienic environments.
In light of these challenges, healthcare providers are increasingly looking for ways to optimise operational efficiency while ensuring patient safety.
One area under scrutiny for cost-saving potential is water systems, with Pressure-Balanced Valve (PBV) mixers emerging as a practical solution in the NHS and broader UK healthcare settings.
These mixers offer reliable water management, reducing maintenance demands while maintaining the safety and hygiene necessary in these high-stakes environments.
Innovation in the face of regulation
Water is an essential part of healthcare facilities, providing the necessary resources for maintaining hygiene, comfort, and infection control. However, improper management of water systems can pose significant health risks, especially when it comes to controlling water temperature and preventing the spread of pathogens.
Healthcare facilities must adhere to various regulations to ensure water systems are safe for patient use. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 mandate that providers maintain environments that prevent avoidable harm, including mitigating the risk of scalding from hot water. Additionally, the HSE Health and Safety Guidance (HSG274 Part 2) specifies that water outlets must be fitted with thermostatic or pressure balancing controls to prevent temperatures exceeding 46°C.
However, Thermostatic Mixing Valves (TMVs) should be risk assessed in accordance with TMV3 standards, which limit basins and showers to a maximum of 41°C, bidets to 38°C, unassisted bathing to 44 °C, and assisted bathing to 46°C.
Given these standards, PBV mixers offer a valuable solution by regulating water pressure and temperature variations, and there is clear support for the adoption of suitable risk-assessed manual mixers when implemented carefully and with full due diligence.
Healthcare providers must take all the necessary steps to prevent the spread of harmful waterborne pathogens while maintaining patient safety and minimising scalding risks; this is especially important as the sector continues to combat a steady increase in antibiotic resistance.
Addressing this challenge, the British Standards Institution (BSI) recently introduced BS8580-2, a new standard for risk assessments related to Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacteria and other waterborne pathogens.
This standard gives healthcare providers a vital framework for combating bacteria that pose serious health risks in hospitals and other healthcare environments.
Ultimately, tackling Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacteria requires well-designed, specified equipment that enables healthcare providers to maintain a balance between safety, costs, and sustainability.
To navigate these evolving regulations and challenges, manufacturers play a crucial role in helping healthcare settings reduce costs without compromising patient safety.
By working closely with NHS Trusts, they help develop solutions that alleviate budget and staffing pressures.
As new standards are introduced and research advances, continued product development will be essential to optimise patient safety while meeting operational demands.
A more collaborative approach to healthcare is something we’ve already seen work well with the creation of water-saving and hygienic bathroom fixtures such as the PBV mixers.
By collaborating through the development and specification processes, it opens the door for water safety groups and healthcare providers to work more proactively with manufacturers, reducing costs while ensuring new products directly meet the needs of hospitals and healthcare settings.
The advantages of PBVs in healthcare settings
Given the current challenges of rising costs and workforce shortages in healthcare, reducing maintenance demands is essential. Innovative products, such as the Armitage Shanks’ Markwik 21+ Comfort Sequential non-thermostatic tap, with its durable and hygienic ceramic PBV technology and autoclave-ready spouts, enable healthcare providers to do just that.
Pressure balancing valves adjust to variations in water system pressure to maintain a consistent water temperature at the outlet, even though there may be pressure variations.
Thanks to this technology, users can be assured of their quality, performance, and durability in suitably risk-assessed healthcare environments. Armitage Shanks’ Markwik 21 + Comfort SQ mixer tap has the additional benefit of featuring a ceramic sleeve and shuttle, making it physically smoother, reducing any edges in the material where bacteria can grow, as well as making it more durable.
Although all taps and mixers in healthcare environments must be checked periodically, a PBV tap does not need to follow the stringent maintenance plans stipulated for TMVs (as laid down in HTM 04-01: D08 Supplement), while still complying with the changes likely to be proposed in HBN 00-10 Part C1.
This alleviates the burden of frequent maintenance and inspections on hospitals and staff, allowing healthcare providers to allocate their time and budgets more effectively.
However, these mixers do still need to be maintained, and the temperature and pressure of the mixers should be monitored to account for seasonal variations in water supplies.
With the ongoing funding and labour shortage in the healthcare sector, reducing maintenance demands can free up valuable time for in-demand maintenance staff and budget for healthcare facilities that will allow them to focus on patient care in other areas.
With fewer skilled professionals available to maintain complex plumbing and heating systems, solutions that reduce maintenance demands are becoming increasingly valuable.
PBVs offer a practical advantage by simplifying routine checks and reducing the need for specialist intervention.
When specifying PBVs or replacing parts, providers should opt for products that have been factory tested using air only, such as Armitage Shanks’ Comfort SQ mixer.
By testing products using air only, they are free from any potential bacterial infection, as recommended in the latest healthcare bulletin for HTM 04-01.
Reducing energy costs and improving sustainability
Energy efficiency is another key consideration for healthcare providers, particularly as they work to reduce costs and improve sustainability. By maintaining a consistent temperature, these taps enable the prevention of excessive hot water use and reduce energy consumption and water waste.
Efficient water and energy use results in direct cost savings for healthcare providers, aligning with BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) sustainable building standards and frameworks.
In addition to reducing energy consumption, PBVs contribute to the longevity of water heaters and plumbing systems. By maintaining stable water temperatures, these systems place less strain on water heaters, reducing the likelihood of breakdowns and extending the lifespan of critical infrastructure.
This leads to long-term savings in maintenance and replacement costs, which is essential in an environment where budgets are often tight.
Switching safely and putting patient care first
While TMVs remain the gold standard for ensuring precise temperature control in high-risk areas, PBVs offer a safe and efficient alternative in appropriately risk-assessed environments.
They are designed to deliver consistent water temperatures even when there are fluctuations in pressure due to simultaneous use elsewhere in the system, such as when toilets are flushed or taps are turned on.
For healthcare providers looking to replace TMVs, PBVs can be integrated into existing systems with minimal disruption. Products like the Markwik 21+ Comfort SQ mixer tap feature a “plug and play” design, allowing them to be easily retrofitted into existing Markwik 21 + or 21 TMV taps without the need for major modifications.
Existing handles and detachable spouts can be reused, so healthcare providers only need to invest in the required components rather than paying for a whole new tap.
Armitage Shanks Markwik 21+ PBV taps have the unique advantage of being sequential mixers – dispensing water from ambient cold to hot using a single lever – which helps keep both supplies flowing and prevents water stagnation, making them the ideal alternative to thermostatic taps in suitably risk-assessed healthcare settings.
Specifying for the future
As healthcare providers continue to face mounting challenges related to cost, staffing, and patient safety, the adoption of innovative solutions like PBV mixers offer a practical way to ease operational burdens without compromising care quality.
The benefits of specifying PBV mixers extend beyond the short term. As demand for healthcare services grows, many providers are expanding facilities or upgrading infrastructure to accommodate an ageing population.
Future-proofing these spaces requires adaptable solutions that can evolve with changing regulations and operational needs. PBVs offer a scalable option that can be incorporated into new builds and refurbishments alike.
The need for greater investment and more staff for the healthcare sector is contrasted by limited funding, with the potential for an already stretched sector being spread even thinner.
It is vital, then, that healthcare providers are given new solutions that help meet these demands and look beyond the immediate future. Those looking to invest in long-term efficiency can benefit from PBVs as part of a broader strategy that includes smart water meters, heat recovery systems, and advanced filtration technologies.
By integrating these elements, healthcare providers can create resilient, energy-efficient environments that support both staff and patients.
Top image: Markwik 21+ Comfort SQ mixer tap