Leaderflush Shapland Laidlaw has supplied 5,131 doorsets and 7,330 doors to Bristol’s ground-breaking Southmead Hospital, which has the largest number of single en-suite rooms of any NHS hospital in the country.
By working closely with construction firm Carillion and architects BDP, Leaderflush Shapland Laidlaw ensured it manufactured and installed products that meet the needs of patients and staff, while also contributing to the building’s design goals.
“We attended co-ordination meetings at BDP in Sheffield with the project architect and Carillion design team manager on a weekly basis for a year. At these meetings we checked that the details on each doorset were suitable for its intended use and that all the ironmongery we were supplying was also compatible,” said contract manager Alan Vanstone.
This included specifying its engineered performance core EnduraCor in areas of the hospital that are frequently used by heavy trolleys and beds, such as corridors and the single bedrooms that account for 75% of the hospital’s 800 beds. EnduraCor has fire retardant facings and flaxboard and its severe duty rating ensures it meets Health Technical Memorandum 69 guidance that states damage to a doorset must not impair its fire resistant qualities.
In theatre areas Leaderflush Shapland Laidlaw’s Plasform doorset was specified. Plasform is particularly suited to healthcare situations because its rounded post-formed edges minimise the build up of airborne particles and can be easily wiped clean. Since all doorset veneers are treated with Leaderflush Shapland Laidlaw’s anti-bacterial finish, Hygienilac, which kills 99.9% of bacteria, they provide vital protection against the spread of infections such as MRSA, C.diff, Salmonella and E.coli.
As well as providing state-of-the-art facilities the hospital was designed to create an uplifting sense of space and light – exemplified by the 300m, eight-storey, glass-roofed atrium that welcomes patients and visitors – while providing patients with valuable privacy.
This led to Leaderflush Shapland Laidlaw manufacturing doorsets with a height of 2,600mm and specifying American White Oak frames and American White Oak veneers. “These give the impression of a high class hotel rather than a healthcare institution,” added Vanstone. “We also developed a bespoke blind system that integrated blinds into bedroom doors and side screens, which enhanced patient privacy.”
The benefits of single-occupancy rooms are already being felt by patients, says chief executive of North Bristol NHS Trust Andrea Young: “The biggest response from patients has been the benefits of being able to close the door, to rest and sleep well in their single rooms.”