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AIR PRODUCTS' INSTALLATION MAKES ST GEORGE'S
DAY
11th April 2002 - Air Products - Medical
Group, the innovative medical gases supplier, has helped
its oldest client improve services for patients with the
installation of its largest ever liquid oxygen facility
in a UK hospital. The new primary tank at St George's Hospital
in Tooting, south London, has the capacity to hold more
than 45 tonnes of liquid oxygen with a back-up supply of
over six tonnes.
Air Products has supplied St George's with liquid oxygen
for 14 years, in which time the hospital has expanded to
provide beds for 940 patients. Considerable growth in the
last few years has seen the need for oxygen also increase,
particularly with a modernisation process that has included
connecting the majority of beds to a mains supply of oxygen,
thereby reducing the need for heavy bedside cylinders. In
addition, an increase in supply was required to cope with
high levels of demand from services such as the Intensive
Treatment and Coronary Care units, and plans for a major
trauma centre.
The problem for a major redesign of the supply system,
however, was the land-locked nature of the site, common
to many hospitals, particularly those in urban areas. Previous
upgrades had been short-term solutions, making the most
of available space but at the same time leaving health and
safety problems such as handling issues associated with
the movement of heavy gas cylinders. In addition there were
further concerns surrounding the existing liquid medical
oxygen storage facility which was located in the waste management
area, making security difficult.
Douglas Ward, Director of Facilities & Site Services
at St George's Hospital, said, "Oxygen provision at
the hospital has always been a problem due to the lack of
space for an increased capacity installation. However, with
our plans to modernise and expand services, it was increasingly
clear that we needed to address the issue once and for all."
Ironically it was the increase in demand and usage at the
hospital that made a solution possible. With the reduced
reliance on bedside cylinders and the installation in 1999
of a new back-up liquid tank, increasing reserve supply,
the stock of bulky cylinders was considerably reduced. The
space created by this stock reduction could be converted
into an area suitable for a major new liquid medical oxygen
facility, with good access for semi-trailer tankers. After
initial planning work was carried out by Air Products in
early 2000, the new tanks were finally installed in March
2002. The new tank, when operational in late April, will
provide 20 days supply with three days back-up at current
usage rates, also allowing for future growth.
Douglas Ward continued, "We were delighted with the
solution that Air Products proposed and the speed with which
they turned it round. We've no doubt that the new supply
will help deliver, and allow us to build on, vital services."
David Haines, Air Products Medical Country Manager, UK
and Ireland, commented, "What this installation at
St George's demonstrates is the benefits of a state-of-the-art
medical oxygen supply system over conventional cylinder
provision. As in so many cases, the lack of space was seen
as an obstacle but we have shown that, even with increasing
demand, there are ways to tackle this common problem.
"Air Products prides itself on innovation and problem
solving and we are delighted to be able to provide new solutions
to help busy hospitals such as St George's continue to improve
services for patients. We look forward to working with them
for a long time to come."
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