As part of a multi-million pound regeneration programme, a new state-of-the-art health centre has been built in Flint to serve the local and wider community. The £5million health centre includes a specialist heart clinic, dental care and audiology department and will serve 11,000 constituents.

NHS Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Carpenter Davies Partnership (CDP), one of the leading building services and BREEAM consultants in Wales and the North West and Read Construction, principle contractor for the project, were concerned with demonstrating environmental best practice in every aspect of the project from design to procurement.

The Health Board and appointed consultants chose Dextra Lighting amongst a list of competitors due to their successful track-record in the healthcare sector for providing purpose-built, sustainable lighting solutions of the highest quality without stretching budgets and staying within stringent delivery times. The collaboration saw the creation of a lighting scheme that brought value to every Welsh pound, offering modern, bright and energy-efficient LED lighting that will keep the centre’s overheads and carbon emissions to a minimum in the longterm.

Over the years, Dextra Lighting has developed a wide range of products aimed specifically for the healthcare sector. These luminaires are designed to offer task appropriate illumination in all areas of medical buildings, from treatment rooms to receptions. Manufactured with the latest Lumileds 3535 LED sources, these products are featured in the government’s Energy Technology List (ETL), allowing the Health Board to benefit from the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme offering 100% tax allowance for the first year of purchase, as well as performing highly in the national Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme for further financial gains.

Following the successful open day this summer, the centre’s project manager James Duckers commented that, “The facility is purpose-built, and when you walk around it you can see the level of specification put into it. All patients seem to be pleased with the space.”

THE BRIEF

The 2,600 sq ft building contains two GP surgeries, a dental surgery and mental health facilities. As required on public sector projects of this kind, the aim of the design was to reach an “Excellent” BREEAM rating (particularly with regards to energy credits) in the most cost-effective manner.

With lighting being recognised as a key factor affecting patient well-being and staff performance, the new system would need to keep glare levels to a minimum, provide a uniform light coverage in a colour temperature that is most comfortable for patients and staff without reducing visibility.

The installation was to abide to relevant Health Technical Memoranda criteria which includes UGR, CIBSE and SLL Lighting Guide 2: Hospitals and Health Care Building (2008) guidelines which are also endorsed by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. The aim of these healthcare-specific standards, policies and up-to-date established best practice is to guide designers to create comfortable, safe and reassuring environments for patients, improve service and boost staff productivity in the most sustainable way possible.

Lighting was required for all the GP, Health Board and Social Services accommodations including: consulting and meeting rooms, administrative offices, treatment rooms, dental suites. Circulation and waiting areas, amenities as well as the building’s external perimeter were to be effectively and efficiently lit.

Sensor and dimming controls needed to be incorporated in the design to maximise energy savings and allow the lighting to be adjusted for medical tasks and patient comfort.

A self-test emergency lighting system was also requested to accurately monitor, test and maintain emergency luminaires according to stringent BS 5266 hospital safety regulations.

THE SOLUTION

Offices, Consulting & Meeting Rooms – MODLED Office

The MODLED Office provided ideal lighting conditions for consultations, administrative tasks, patient interviews and meetings at minimal energy and maintenance costs.

Treatment Rooms – IMPR LED

The IMPR LED was installed in areas requiring a higher degree of protection and hygiene such as the surgery’s treatment rooms and dental suites.

Waiting Room / Circulation Areas / WC / Stairwells – Protec LED & AMED

Over 70 Protec LED downlighters were installed to provide full coverage for the centre’s large waiting room and corridors. With its attractive modern design and wide range of customisable options such as, three output packages, colour temperatures and CRI (Colour Rendering Index), interchangeable colour attachments and reflectors, covers and bezels, the ultra-versatile luminaire is adaptable to a variety of interior designs and colour schemes.

For the WC facilities, the luminaire was provided with IP44 covers that can be sealed in-situ for full IP65 protect to water, dust and dirt ingress. White bezels were provided to match the interior’s colour scheme and décor.

The Amenity Decorative LED bulkhead was selected for the building’s stairwells.
To achieve the required 100lux minimum for stairways, a 2370llm version of the AMED LED was wall-mounted in the stairwells with an attractive angled white ring (brass and chrome finishes also available) for a stylistic touch. A semi-recessing kit allows the luminaire to be less obtrusive on walls or ceilings for a less cluttered interior.

Medical Records Room – Graduate LED

The Graduate LED’s premium performance, versatility and low-maintenance paired with its compact and appealing design, have made it the luminaire of choice for a wide range of public sector projects across the UK.

To provide the L2 recommended 300lux for filing rooms, 3052llm and 2267llm versions of the luminaire were installed in both 1200mm and 1500mm sizes respectively to adapt to the room layout.

Plant Rooms – Hydra

For the plant room, the IP65-sealed Hydra LED provided a robust and maintenance-free solution with LORs in excess of 90%. The luminaire’s durable stainless steel, tamper-resistant screws and diffuser clips allow for tooled access for maintenance in compliance with statutory regulations.

External – AMEX LED

The Amenity Exterior LED was installed around the perimeter of the building in compliance to ULOR and SLL Lighting Guide 6: The Exterior Environment Requirements. The AMEX’s silver “Eyelid” body offers an attractive, contemporary look and is used to prevent light pollution from light cast upward.

“The facility is purpose-built, and when you walk around it you can see the level of specification put into it. All patients seem to be pleased with the space”

Dexsor’s Reacta Sensors & Helvar Controls

All the luminaries featured in this project are compatible with a wide selection of dimming options which can be used with integral and standalone sensors from Dexsor’s comprehensive Reacta range.

The luminaires across the premises have been connected to standalone passive infrared sensors (PIR) and microwave sensors. DALI dimmable luminaires were placed near the windows in the offices, meeting rooms and consulting rooms, working with a Reacta 7 sensors to offer daylight regulation and presence detection via photocell sensing. Fixed-output luminaries in circulation areas offered bright-out function by using carefully positioned Reacta 6 PIR sensors, whilst the Reacta 3 microwave mid-range sensor was used to provide the appropriate detection range and functions in the corridors.

The sensors were powered using a high-quality and reliable Helvar DALI 401 DIGIDIM power supply, and controlled by 7-button wall switches installed at convenient locations, offering preset light scenes and precise manual dimming to suit different tasks in the treatment rooms. The system’s sensor and dimming functions can now be commissioned using Dextra’s user-friendly REA DPA Advanced LCD digital programmer, offering staff full control of the lighting without having to employ specialised technicians to make any changes in the future.

Emergency

The LED4 standalone emergency module was surface-mounted in strategic locations in the building to ensure the installation was fully compliant with both BS 5266 part 1 emergency lighting and HTM safety requirements. The LED4 now provides a self-test function which signals any fault and prompts repairs or by means of an LED indicator, saving the NHS the time, cost and disruption of laborious manual maintenance routines.

Other emergency lighting units included, the efficient and low-maintenance 4w LED self-contained surface HBE Hanging Blade and EXI LED, which provided clear emergency exit signage throughout the building. The luminaire is manufactured in high-quality aluminium with screen-printed legends on flame retardant acrylic panels.