The hospital, which is scheduled for completion in the Spring of 2001, is a purpose-built, state of the art facility costing £22 million, half of which has been provided by charitable donations, grants and a public appeal. It will have seven floors providing 162 in-patient beds and day care beds, including a paediatric intensive care unit with capacity for 22 beds.

The Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children is the only dedicated children's hospital in the South West. It has an international reputation for specialised medical treatment, surgery and research, including heart surgery, and is the base for an internationally renowned bone marrow transplant unit.

Mechanical and Electrical services contractor, Haden Young, chose MEM for the main low voltage switchboard, sub-distribution and final distribution boards together with switches, socket-outlets and other wiring accessories.

The electricity supply for the new hospital is taken from an 11 kV Midlands Electricity ring main which also serves the Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol Eye Hospital and the University of Bristol Dental Hospital. A 1,000kVA 11kV/400V transformer feeds the main L.V. switchboard. Emergency power is provided by an 850kVA generator which is capable of supplying the entire load so that the hospital can function autonomously, or even export power.

The specification called for 26% spare capacity in the electrical Installation system. Switchboards have spare ways to allow for this and there is provision for a second transformer.

The main LV switchboard was designed and built specially for the hospital by Eaton MEM Circuit Protection & Control. It is an 80kA Memform Form 4 Type 6 cubicle switchboard. The majority of the switchgear and other components are from the MEM range including three 1600A auto air circuit-breakers, one for the supply from the transformer, one for the generator supply and one in reserve for a second transformer. There is no bus-section switch because all critical services in the hospital have uninterruptible power supplies which will allow time for switching to generator supply.

MEM fuse combination switches feed risers to each floor of the building and supplies to lifts, chillers, compressed air plant and pressurisation/smoke extract systems. A 550kVAR MEM power factor correction system and MEM surge protection system are also incorporated in the switchboard.

At each floor, a Memshield 2 triple-pole and neutral (TPN) MCCB panelboard provides sub-distribution. These are either 125A 12-way or 400A 18-way boards, depending on load, and all have three or more spare ways. SPN and TPN Memshield 2 Type B MCB distribution boards provide final distribution.

Lighting switches, socket-outlets, plug-in lighting systems and other wiring accessories have all been supplied by MEM 250.

Consulting engineers for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children are Hoare Lee and Partners. Mechanical and Electrical Services engineers are Haden Young. The main contractor is Laing Limited. The MEM supplies have been provided through the Bristol branch of Walsall Limited.