CASE STUDY
St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing
Ardent Lift Consultancy working on another successfull multi-lift project on behalf of NHS Property Services at St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing.
A brief history of the property…
The foundation stone for the hospital was laid in 1879 and it was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales as the St Marylebone Union Infirmary in 1881.
A nurses’ home was opened by Princess Christian in 1884.
The facility became the St Marylebone Hospital in 1923 and was renamed St Charles’ Hospital in 1930.
It joined the National Health Service in 1948 and continues to operate as the St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing.
Lift Condition Report
Ardent Lift Consultancy were appointed to undertake condition surveys of the nine lifts serving St Charles Hospital, London in October 2021.
The report identified that the property was served by varying designs of lift (with traction, hydraulic and platform lifts), due to the age of the building, with different lifts having been installed at differing stages of the building’s construction/usage.
It meant the survey report recommended a number of varying approaches to be undertaken on the respective lift systems, which aligns with our company ethos of offering every client a bespoke approach to their needs, making sure meet their requirements, whilst tailoring services to suit budgets and needs.
Consultation
After meeting with the client and discussing the long-term plans for the hospital, we agreed on a level of specification for the works.
Of the nine lifts, seven were identified for immediate action/attention and two were put back to be attended to over the medium term (as these were in good operational condition and it enabled funds to be utilised elsewhere).
Lift Specification
The hydraulic lifts were identified as being suitable for further refurbishment (they were mainly of robust design and suitable for extended service after key component renewal).
The same approach was adopted for the traction lifts, though these were of differing ages/designs, we agreed to harmonise control systems and bring all the equipment into alignment for long term maintenance and technical support (vital to Hospitals where lift service is critical).
The platform lift was identified, and a replacement scheme was agreed, due to the original system never being fully compliant or operating correctly.
Contractor Appointment
We tendered the project to five contractors and within the tender submissions, we saw a full spread of the marketplace in terms of price and equipment proposed.
We appointed a contractor following post tender interviews and all parties agreeing on the quality of their tender submission.
Hydraulic Ram Investigation
Prior to commencement of works, one of the lifts had not moved for 5+ years and was a direct acting hydraulic, with a sunken ram within a subterranean bore hole.
These are prone to water ingress and subsequent corrosion, so we met with contractors and had camera investigations undertaken.
This meant the ‘unknown’ factor of the ram condition would become a ‘known’ element (as we had specified a price from the contractor for replacement at the tender phase).
Fortunately, the investigations also proved the existing ram to be suitable for continued use and this meant the project contingency was left untapped.
Site Logisitcs &
Project Management
Pre-start meetings were held on site with the management team and their experiences of the building were utilised to plot works to ensure all areas of the Hospital were fully supported by lift service for the duration of the works.
This meant that in areas where two lifts could serve similar floors, we would keep one lift in whilst the other was modernised, giving ample cover to areas with high demand.
Programme of Works
The project was undertaken in three distinct phases with two passenger lift refurbishments and the platform lift replacement being undertaken in phase one, with phases two and three being undertaken two lifts at a time.
This enabled a minimum of two teams of engineers on site, to aid with the movement of materials around a busy hospital environment, always ensuring segregation from the public.
1
PHASE ONE
West Pavillion Lift 1
West Pavillion Lift 3
Platform Lift
2
PHASE TWO
East Pavillion Lift 2
Tower Lift
3
PHASE THREE
East Pavillion 1
West Pavillion 2
Urgent Care Lift
Client Testimonial
The project was completed on time and budget, in December 2022, with the client saying the following:
We contacted Ardent Lift Consultancy to undertake a survey of the 8 lifts serving the estate at St Charles Hospital. Their survey report identified the different designs, ages, and condition of the lifts at the property, and they produced different recommendations for each lift on this basis.
Ardent were instructed to specify, tender and project manage this complex and varied contract. They delivered a well-managed project, which came in on time and under budget
Martin Meltzer, MAPM
Senior Capital Manager / London Region / NHS Property Services
