HMT Sancta Maria Hospital has been providing affordable healthcare to Swansea and South Wales since 1958.
After 60+ years at their original site in The Uplands, Swansea, the private hospital began construction on a new, state-of-the-art hospital and advanced diagnostics unit in Swansea’s SA1 Waterfront district.
The project, which was coordinated by Kier, was started in 2019, and in 2020, Plexus began work on the installation of:
- IP CCTV System
- Access Control System
- Advanced Fire Safety System
- Intruder Alarm System
IP CCTV System
With over 40 cameras installed as part of the original installation, Plexus also look after the annual maintenance and servicing of the system as a while, and in August 2022, the CCTV team installed new cameras in the under croft car parking facility.
“We fitted High Definition, IP CCTV cameras throughout the site, both internally and externally,” said CCTV Specialist Tom Balfry, “and when they approached us to install 9 new cameras in the underground parking area, we selected units with ColorVU Technology, which offers full colour in all lighting conditions, so a perfect fit for their needs.”
The Network video recorders sit on the site’s data network with the option to be viewed on multiple PC’s on site as well as any location externally, as long as the viewer has the correct log in details.
Access Control System
As a hospital, HMT Sancta Maria required a comprehensive access control and intercom system that combined high-level security with ease of use and stable communication.
With a need for internal and external units, the location of the new hospital meant that the system needed to be watertight and combat the issues of rust caused by the wet weather and maritime environment.
The Plexus team selected vandal-resistant, marine-grade panels for the external locations, and internal panels that sat “flush” with the wall to give a more aesthetic look, whilst also being a practical solution to the issue of being “bumped” as patients are moved through the hospital.
The access control system enabled staff to view and speak to who was requesting access, and not only grant or prevent that person from gaining entry but the system design allowed for a roaming feature – perfect for a hospital environment. With the ability to open doors via touch screen, tablet style handsets at 8 different locations, the system was perfect for patients and visitors.
With nominated staff having SALTO wristbands, another potential issue was overcome. “Working in a clinical environment poses its own set of challenges,” said Tom, “and standard access cards or fobs were not an option due to the contamination and cross-infection risks they posed, so the solution we proposed was the SALTO wristbands.”
With the ability to open doors and other access points by simply presenting the wristband to the access point, it removed the need for people to “hold” a proximity fob or card each time they required access to a ward, corridor or office.
What’s more, the system could be programmed to restrict who had access to specific parts of the hospital.
Advanced Fire Safety System
In a medical environment with multiple floors and the potential for hundreds of people to be on site 24 hours a day, a state-of-the-art fire safety system was required.
The Plexus team installed a large Advanced, multi-zone system with a fire damper control panel situated at the primary entrance to the building.
The system also included Hochiki detection devices, with multiple different types of devices and sounders.
Intruder Alarm System
A Grade 3 Texecom Wired Intruder Alarm System was installed covering multiple zones and all entry and exit points, including fire escapes.
