Derriford lifts are having a makeover

A project to refurbish the lifts at Derriford Hospital is underway and already making a significant difference.

The three-year project, which started in January 2013, involves the complete removal of six of the original lift motors and their cars and the installation of brand new ones, which comply with all modern standards.

John Stewart, Service Lead for Quality and Systems for Plymouth Hospitals’ Estates, explains: “The lifts we are replacing are ones from when the hospital was first built in the mid to late 70s so they are very dated and they don’t meet all of the current requirements.

“The new lifts comply with all modern standards. We have the ability to control them if required and can respond to emergency call outs quicker and more efficiently. They will be more suitable for helping to maintain a patient’s dignity when they are moved around the hospital in a bed as our staff will have the ability to control the lift in order to be able to take the patient directly to the floor required.”

So far, three of the lifts have been replaced and between them they’ve already made more than 980,000 trips. The remaining three are now in the process of being replaced and it is anticipated that the project will be completed by 2015.

John added: “Our lifts are in constant use so we’ve only been able to replace one at a time so as to limit the amount of disruption on the hospital and to manage the increased use on the other lifts. The project is on track and we expect our new lifts to last at least 20 years or more.”