RMD keeps power running round the clock to NHS Lothian’s clinical systems

Feb. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- RMD has completed a major installation of data centre power and cooling to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.  This project is part of a three year strategy to host all NHS Lothian IT services across four key sites, keeping data storage in house and so avoiding the rising costs of renting rack space in data centres.

Today, less and less paper is used in hospitals and reliance on IT has increased with the introduction of electronic patient records and doctors’ increasing use of handheld tablet computers.

Added to that, the health board’s IT strategy and investment is no longer focused primarily on administration systems but on clinical systems, including digital x-rays, oncology, urology and theatres.

These two factors have combined to create an ever growing demand for data processing space and capacity. And so NHS Lothian commissioned RMD Power and Cooling to expand the existing server room at Western General Hospital and create a brand new computer room.

As part of the project RMD (http://www.rmduk.com) has installed a new APC Symmetra PX 80KW UPS and three APC in row cooling units at the Western General Hospital.  The system is designed to allow 60 KW of redundant cooling with the ability to be increased as demand changes. Additionally, RMD installed all the new electrical distribution within the computer room down to rack level and allowing for additional racks to be added at a later stage with no disruption to the data centre.

Iain Scott Robertson, NHS Lothian’s Head of eHealth Operations and Infrastructure explains:

“This is a major project for NHS Lothian and RMD have supported us throughout. The increasing dependence of clinical on IT means that an uninterrupted power supply is vital to ensure immediate access to clinical information.”

RMD has worked with NHS Lothian for 10 years and now manages equipment at all NHS Lothian sites.  It has installed major systems at the new Royal Infirmary and was heavily involved in the recent IT investment programme at St John’s.

John Smykala, RMD’s Managing Director comments:  “We understand the importance of the work we are involved in and take our responsibility very seriously.  Having worked with the NHS for over a decade we are ideally placed to help them create a robust power and cooling system that guarantees the power supply today and can be evolved and grown for tomorrow.”

RMD is a leading force in the provision of innovative, integrated power and cooling solutions for data centres in the UK and Europe. The company has a powerful reputation in the industry and is one of only a handful of UK companies that can design, supply, install and maintain power and cooling.  

Working in the public and private sector, for global brands as well as the SME, RMD’s clients include the, Cairn Energy, Amazon and National Air Traffic Services.

http://www.rmduk.com