Healthcare LED Lighting | Princess Elizabeth Hospital

Tamlite LED lighting delivers “dramatic improvements” to Guernsey Hospital

LED-based solutions have been installed in Princess Elizabeth Hospital, with lighting designed for staff, patients and visitors.

Part of Healthcare Group Guernsey, Princess Elizabeth Hospital is a mainstay of healthcare provision in the Channel Islands. The hospital keeps a close watch on new technological developments that could bring benefits to its patients and staff, and it was in this spirit that it recently initiated a lighting upgrade in the canteen, laboratories, car park, staff workshops, and selected plant rooms.

Legacy issues

There were a number of issues with the legacy fluorescent lighting that needed to be addressed with the new system. . The old system had begun to generate increasing costs in terms of replacements and maintenance, while the absence of occupancy sensors also meant that there was an element of unnecessary lighting in some areas not in constant use. In order for the hospital to benefit fully the new lighting system not only needed to be LED but also needed to be responsive.

Improved lighting & reduced maintenance

“Above all we wanted to improve the lighting levels and reduce maintenance in our canteen, workshops and plant rooms,” confirms hospital technical representative Justin Gallienne.

“So we began the search for a specialist lighting supplier which was capable of providing the latest, most efficient LED-based systems, and the expertise to ensure the new lighting was supplied for the project with the minimum of fuss.”

After careful research Gallienne’s team determined that Redditch-based Tamlite Lighting – which has an extensive history of facilitating projects in the UK healthcare sector – was best placed to supply the new lighting. “We knew that they had the knowledge and experience to be able to specify an infrastructure that would also meet the expectations of doctors, nurses and patients, given that it is well established that better lighting can aid patients’ recovery,” says Gallienne.

Tamlite delivered a lighting solution, designed to enhance wellbeing for both patients and staff, in order to provide a better standard of care. With a more even light distribution than the previous system, shadowing can be reduced, minimising eye strain, and as a result, headaches and discomfort.

Rapid turnaround

The ability of Tamlite to provide an aesthetically-pleasing solution – “we really liked the look of” – and to comply with a demanding deadline also worked in the company’s favour. “This project had a short timeline and Tamlite was in a position to provide a fast turnaround from request of design to timeframe for delivery,” says Gallienne.

Equipment was supplied to schedule, and the installation took place without incident. Residential spaces such as the hospital entrance and walkways were fitted with ASTRO, which provides a comfortable space for visitors and patients. Occupancy sensors were fitted to help ensure that lighting is only provided where it is required.

The laboratory areas were fitted with MODLED solutions, designed to increase productivity and comfort during long working hours. The car park was supplied with PHOENIX lanterns, to provide enough illuminance to keep people safe outdoors, without causing glare to drivers. 2020 I5 and ULTRA downlights were installed in walkways and corridors, giving comfortable yet high output lighting, ideal for both patients and staff.

The entire project went ahead as planned with minimal disruption to normal operations, and avoidance of any special shut-down periods. The improvement in the lighting quality has been commented upon by both staff and patients, and there is a general feeling that it is now much more consistent throughout the areas involved. That has obvious benefits not just for patient wellbeing and navigation around the site, but also for day-to-day tasks undertaken by doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.

Further upgrade

The impact of the installation has been such that further upgrades are in prospect both at Princess Elizabeth Hospital and other Healthcare Group Guernsey sites. “We intend to carry on with our transition from fluorescent to LED lighting throughout our sites,” confirms Gallienne.

Colin Lawson is Head of Sales, Marketing & Product Development at Tamlite, and comments: “We have worked on many healthcare-related projects over the last few years, as hospitals and other centres continue to be alerted to the benefits of switching from traditional fluorescent lighting to LED. In some cases, the energy savings can be as much as 65% in the first year after the transition, and ROI periods of just 2-3 years are by no means uncommon. Then there is the potentially huge boost to the overall quality of illumination for patients and staff.

Princess Elizabeth Hospital definitely falls into this category of project, and we are delighted to hear about the improvements brought by our current range of LED lighting to multiple areas of the site. We look forward to working with the technical team on further installations at the hospital, and at other sites within the same healthcare group.”