Croydon University Hospital

Croydon University Hospital is the main CHS hospital site, based just north of Croydon town centre. The hospital has a 24-hour Accident & Emergency Department, Maternity Unit with both a consultant-led service and a midwife-led Birth Centre, Special care baby unit (SCBU), Intensive care and high dependency units. Operating theatres including four theatres dedicated to day surgery procedures. The hospital has more than 500 beds and provides the following care: around 27,000 people as elective (planned) in-patients a year; 41,000 people are admitted for emergency hospital care; 350,000 are treated as out-patients and nearly 120,000 people attend the Accident and Emergency department each year. 

Our Challenge was to replace a switchboard within the original space. Our Orion switchgear panel and breaker has integral earthing for both Busbars and Cable which meant – unlike alternative fixed pattern products – there was no requirement for an additional switch for the busbar earth. This reduced the width of the overall footprint required to meet customer requirements.  

Our involvement included: – electrical design drawings with new modern relays, incorporating synchronised control to check for synchronism with hospital generation; delivery and offloading; onsite installation and build through to onsite commissioning of the product within the complex

The Orion Arc contained Panels use the latest advanced technology and manufacturing process utilising an environmentally friendly approach with the use of Vacuum interrupters, replacing the need for oil or SF6. It also uses the time-proven method of vertical isolation with the facility to earth the cable circuit and the busbar circuit maintaining the existing philosophy that is well known within the hospital distribution systems. 

The Orion also compliments our new retrofit range that can also be utilised to enhance the life of the existing switchgear and replace the oil circuit breakers, OCB roll out VCB roll in. These are also being used at other NHS sites.