Just what the doctor ordered – a unique lighting solution for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s Neonatal and Intensive Care Units

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top ranked and performing hospital trusts in the UK, employing more than 6,000 staff over two main hospital sites. The new Critical Care Unit (ICU) is an improved space in the same location as the current unit but expanded by 45%. The facility includes private bed areas, in-built space for a patient’s partner or relative to rest, and technology to connect patients to loved ones. The Neonatal Care Unit (NICU) remains in its existing location, expanded and transformed internally to increase the number of cots, providing additional space and privacy around each cot, whilst creating enhanced facilities for parents and families.

Zumtobel Group, with its lighting brands Zumtobel, Thorn and acdc Lighting have organised and supplied the concept, design and provision of the lighting and controls for the newly improved facilities. The brief was to provide a solution that caused no disruption to the usual day to day running of the hospital with a phased handover and sectional completion of these areas. The scheme also required a modern, energy efficient lighting solution and the ability for a dynamically controlled environment through the usage of a sophisticated lighting management system.

Zumtobel’s tunableWhite SLOTLIGHT infinity offered the perfect solution, particularly in providing the optimum conditions required for patient’s recovery. Zumtobel is the only lighting company that could offer a continuous light line in varying angles without breaking the line of light or producing shadow gaps, with the added benefit of the ability to change the colour temperature. The unique recessed installation within plasterboard combined with the continuous diffuser, means that the luminaire also has a high degree of ingress protection (IP54) to help with cleaning and maintenance.

The provision of the SLOTLIGHT infinity system with tunableWhite technology in various lengths and custom angles, has been installed throughout the wards and around the bays. These areas were a complex challenge for the Zumtobel team and considerable time had to be given to planning and mapping the SLOTLIGHT infinity. SLOTLIGHT infinity tunableWhite is a modular, but fully integrated system, with consistent lighting quality in virtually end-to-end illumination. tunableWhite luminaires create different atmospheres and change the ambience of a space throughout the day, which can also bring health benefits by supporting circadian rhythm. Circadian light improves sleep quality and daytime wakefulness, whilst making nursing and care a more positive experience for both patients and staff.

SLOTLIGHT infinity RGBW (incorporating red, green, blue, and white chips) illuminates the cot areas in the NICU and bay areas in ICU. Apart from providing perfect natural white light, RGBW offers a variety of new possibilities such as the generation of pastel colours and various additional mixed colours for different atmospheres.

SLOTLIGHT infinity RGBW also illuminates the handwashing areas before entering a ward, turning blue to indicate an essential handwashing stop.

SLOTLIGHT infinity offers a continuous line of light throughout the corridors in the NICU and ICU departments.

Zumtobel’s highly efficient PANOS infinity downlights illuminate the circulation and reception areas, and KAVA recessed wall lights provide indirect nightlight in the bays.

Thorn’s Omega Pro illuminates the offices, utility areas, cleaner’s rooms and circulation areas and Katona, a cutting-edge surface-mounted luminaire is installed in the patient’s rest room and waiting areas. Cetus recessed LED downlights with low height illuminate the general circulation areas, whilst the IT hub and offices have been lit using Thorn’s College LED range of curved profile linear fluorescent luminaires.

Other Thorn luminaires installed include Aquaforce Pro, a dust and moisture resistant LED luminaire, which has been installed in the store cupboards and Chalice LED downlights for the shower rooms.

acdc supplied Vista, a compact linear LED marker luminaire, which is recessed into the walls in the bay areas providing a homogenous lit effect, a full wash of colour with no shadowing due to the tight 20mm LED pitch and clean acdc opal diffuser.

Zumtobel’s sophisticated LITECOM lighting controls allow both patients and staff to control the colour temperature and light levels throughout these departments. The project was turned around and commissioned within the tight timescale and to the total satisfaction of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

For more information on Zumtobel please visit the website https://z.lighting/en/zumtobel/ and for Thorn www.thornlighting.co.uk, and for acdc www.acdclighting.com.