Gradus has supplied and installed a range of wall protection solutions at the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre, helping to create an engaging, child-friendly atmosphere while making the building interior more hygienic, easier to clean and cheaper to maintain.
The relocation of the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre forms the first stage of a two-phase construction project to create a dedicated Children’s Hospital on the Leicester Royal Infirmary site. The Children’s Hospital is one of a series of flagship projects in the £450 million transformation of Leicester’s health services and the completion of the second phase of building works will mean that Leicester’s paediatric services are based under one roof for the first time.
Mitch Dean, National Sales Manager at Gradus, comments: “As this was a children’s hospital setting, a fun and colourful design was needed to create a tone that would engage children in a way that standard clinical environments do not. As with any hospital, the customer also needed a variety of more subtle wall protection solutions that would help to keep the building presentable and reduce maintenance costs in the long term.”
The Gradus products installed include the company’s SureProtect Design wall cladding, finished with a bespoke printed design that shows a cartoon solar system. As well as lending the corridors a diverting feel that contrasts with the wider hospital environment, the bespoke design is printed onto the back of a clear textured sheet. This means the cladding is easy to clean and features a textured surface to conceal the effects of impact and abrasion.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Gradus installed its SureProtect Endure protective wall cladding, an especially durable layer of wall protection that is through-coloured and textured so surface damage does not show. Standard corner guards have also been installed, offering a cost-effective solution to protect vulnerable corners, as well as door frame protectors also made from SureProtect Endure. All have been carefully positioned to provide maximum protection against the constant stream of pedestrian and wheeled traffic that hospitals experience.
“We are very pleased with the wall protection that Gradus installed – especially the wall cladding, which looks fantastic and is exactly what we were after,” says Gillian Cairns, Capital Projects Manager at Leicester Royal Infirmary. “It’s so important that the children who use our facility feel happy and at ease. The use of the cladding has been a key element in the interior design and creating our fun space theme.
“The Gradus products provide an easy, clean solution and good protection to our walls and doors, and will reduce damage and save us time and money on future maintenance. The products help to keep the building looking good, which is vital as wear and tear can impact patients’ confidence in the quality of care.
“Gradus were excellent to work with throughout. They were receptive to our ideas, provided us with great advice based on their extensive experience, and guided us towards an efficient solution that does exactly what we wanted. I would certainly recommend them to other healthcare facility managers looking to fit out their buildings.”
Gradus provided Leicester Royal Infirmary with its supply and fit service, which sees the dedicated Gradus Contracts Team take the project from initial survey to design, manufacture and through to installation. To find out more about the Gradus supply and fit service, please visit https://www.gradus.com/supply-fit.
For more information on the Gradus’s range of wall protection solutions, visit: https://www.gradus.com/wall-protection-systems