Old Boiler House chimney makes way for a greener Whittington Health

Today colleagues at Whittington Health gathered to mark the start of demolition works at the Old Boiler House. The structure is being carefully dismantled and removed as part of the enabling works of the Power Infrastructure Project.

The event highlighted the vital role power infrastructure plays in supporting safe patient care. Modernising the hospital’s energy systems will strengthen the resilience of essential services and ensure the estate can meet the needs of patients and staff long into the future.

Estates teams often say they have done their job well when nobody notices them – so it was important that our colleagues were front and centre today as this milestone was reached.

 

The Old Boiler House has been part of the hospital landscape for many years. During its lifetime the building has served a number of purposes, including as the hospital’s original energy centre, as well as temporarily housing a mortuary, body store and medical records. It has served us well, but it’s time for it to enjoy a well-earned retirement.

 

Speaking at the event, Power Infrastructure Project Director, Ahmed Hassan and Estate Development Lead, Nick Woellwarth, explained how the project forms part of the Trust’s wider Estate Strategy, enabling major clinical improvements across the site including the Maternity and Neonatal Transformation Programme and the delivery of Start Well services.

 

The new energy centre will also significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The Trust is moving towards electric heat pumps powered by green electricity, with an estimated 80% reduction in carbon emissions expected once the project is complete.

 

The milestone was marked by Tom Keating removing the first brick from the Old Boiler House. Tom joined the Trust in 1980 as an apprentice carpenter and has worked in a variety of roles over more than 40 years of service. Colleagues then got a chance to head inside the chimney for one last look.