It was the culmination of three years of hard work by Siemens and the other partners in the consortium and the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust (formerly Wellhouse NHS Trust) under the government’s Private Finance Initiative.
The new hospital is concentrated into two compact blocks, with relevant departments located adjacent to each other – x-ray to A&E, for example – and considerably more parking space than was previously the case.
As part of the 33-year PFI contract, Siemens is responsible for providing, installing and maintaining the hospital’s IT system and medical equipment. This includes telecommunications facilities, electronic patient records, state-of-the-art MRI and CT scanners, an intensive therapy unit and several operating theatres.
To date, more than £3 million has been spent on medical and imaging equipment, with three ultrasound systems, four electrocardiographs and a camera stack replaced in a 12-month period. In addition, the Trust has adjusted the contract so that it can more than double the volume of MRI scans required to meet waiting list targets.
| “Previously we used machines until they wore out. Now we have a rolling programme for replacing equipment at predetermined intervals, and as a result we are very well equipped for a general district hospital.” |
| Dr Andy Nicol |
| Clinical Director of Surgery and Anaesthetics |
| Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust |