Refurbishing any hospital space is never easy but refurbishing a space around complex medical machinery makes it more demanding. Working with Serco and the team at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital we have completed two Linac accelerator and control rooms for the radiotherapy department. Each Linac machine comes with its own specific services and build requirements. Due to the nature of the Linac process, the spaces are surrounded by mass concrete and lead lining which makes access challenging. Our services include new power, control wiring and chilled water to the new Linac machines along with a general refurbishment of the Linac room and control room, ensuring correct air volumes for ventilation and heating along with new dali dimming LED lighting and specialist light panel, Meigan earthing, and safety switching systems interfaced with the Linac machine and Heatherose control panel.
Once the space is completed by the build team and all M&E services are tested and commissioned, the new Linac equipment and computer systems are tested and commissioned by the Radiotherapy Physics staff. Due to the nature of the machines installed and the radiation risk, the commissioning process must be steady and methodical. Clinical scientists are responsible for measuring all the data required at commissioning. This is usually carried out in a large water tank and involves measuring the performance of the machine in all possible modes of use. This data must be processed and checked before being transferred to the treatment planning computer for use in patient dose calculations.
Picture shows a Linac machine nearing the completion of the commissioning process.
