Endoscope Decontamination Unit protects patient services during hospital redevelopment

With construction schedules tight, Tilbury Douglas required a solution that would allow estate redevelopment while safe, compliant endoscope reprocessing continued.

Side view of Mobile Endoscope Decontamination Unit at Prince Charles Hospital

The need:

Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil is undergoing a major redevelopment as part of a £130 million investment to modernise healthcare facilities across Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board. The programme includes extensive refurbishment and new construction designed to create modern, sustainable clinical environments that will serve patients for decades to come.

As part of the redevelopment, Tilbury Douglas needed to refurbish the hospital's existing endoscope decontamination department. The work could not begin until the Health Board had vacated the building but taking the department out of service risked disrupting endoscopy activity and reducing diagnostic capacity at a time when demand for endoscopy services remains high.

With construction schedules becoming increasingly tight, Tilbury Douglas required a solution that would allow the redevelopment to continue while ensuring the Health Board could maintain safe, compliant endoscope reprocessing throughout the project.

“We were very impressed with the Vanguard team from the outset. Their detailed presentation and clear understanding of the client’s requirements were evident from our very first discussion.
We selected Vanguard based on the comprehensive approach they proposed and their collaborative commitment to delivering, commissioning and bringing the mobile decontamination unit into operation within what were very challenging timescales. ”

Cyril Glennon, Project Director, Tilbury Douglas

The plan:

Following an evaluation of several potential providers, Tilbury Douglas selected Vanguard Healthcare Solutions to provide a Mobile Endoscope Decontamination Unit.

The decision was based on several factors:

confidence that Vanguard could meet the demanding programme
clear and comprehensive technical information
a collaborative and flexible approach throughout the planning process
the quality and experience of the Vanguard team
Vanguard’s proven track record with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board for the rapid deployment of a four-theatre surgical facility and an endoscopy complex comprising two treatment room, endoscope reprocessing and a five-bay patient area, at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital

Working closely with Tilbury Douglas and the Health Board's clinical and estates teams, Vanguard planned, delivered and commissioned the facility at the Prince Charles Hospital within weeks of the initial discussions, allowing refurbishment work to begin without delaying the wider redevelopment programme.

The mobile unit will remain at Prince Charles Hospital until May 2028, providing resilient decontamination capacity throughout the construction period.

To minimise disruption to the local community, pre-manufactured modules would be delivered to site and installed over two days.

The solution:

Vanguard supplied a fully HTM-compliant mobile Endoscope Decontamination Unit, purpose-designed to maintain hospital services during refurbishment and infrastructure projects.

Floor plan of the Vanguard Endoscope Decontamination Unit

Configured following consultation with the Health Board's clinical teams, the facility provides a spacious, climate-controlled working environment with natural daylight and includes:

capacity to process up to 120 endoscopes during a ten-hour day
double endoscope sinks
up to four Automated Endoscope Reprocessors (AERs)
drying cabinets
scope transport trolleys
clean and dirty reprocessing areas
technical room
staff changing and welfare facilities
staff WC.

The unit was installed in a matter of hours before undergoing commissioning, enabling the Health Board to transfer operations quickly and safely, with minimal disruption.

“I would also like to compliment the installation and commissioning team for their hard work, professionalism and excellent collaboration, not only with Tilbury Douglas but also with the end users. Their commitment and teamwork were instrumental in getting the unit successfully operational.”

Cyril Glennon, Project Director, Tilbury Douglas

By locating the facility on the hospital site, staff retained convenient access to endoscopy services while maintaining compliant workflows and patient care standards throughout the redevelopment.

“The transition into the Vanguard Mobile Endoscope Decontamination Unit was extremely smooth. The unit was fully operational from the day we went live, which meant there was no disruption to our service or impact on patient care. All required training was provided to our staff before and during the implementation, ensuring everyone was confident in using the facility and equipment from the outset.

" The Vanguard team were also on hand throughout the process, providing ongoing support and responding quickly to any questions or issues that arose.”

Richard Jones, Operational Decontamination Manager, Prince Charles Hospital

The outcome:

The rapid deployment of Vanguard's mobile Endoscope Decontamination Unit enabled Tilbury Douglas to keep the Prince Charles Hospital redevelopment programme on schedule while ensuring the Health Board maintained uninterrupted endoscopy services.

The solution removed a potentially critical programme constraint, allowing refurbishment of the permanent decontamination facility to begin without compromising clinical operations.

“The unit was supplied with everything we needed to continue delivering a safe, compliant and efficient decontamination service, this allowed us to maintain service capacity and continue meeting the needs of our customers and patients while the redevelopment works progress.”

Richard Jones, Operational Decontamination Manager, Prince Charles Hospital

For the Health Board, the facility provides resilient, compliant endoscope reprocessing capacity throughout the redevelopment, ensuring patients continue to benefit from local diagnostic services while major improvements to the hospital estate are completed.

The project also demonstrates the value of established partnerships. Having previously delivered emergency surgical and endoscopy facilities for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board within exceptionally short timescales, Vanguard was able to build on an existing relationship founded on trust, collaboration and proven delivery.