During Lord Markham’s visit in September, he discussed the opportunities available for suppliers within the New Hospital Programme, which promises over £20 bn for the construction of at least 40 new hospitals across England, providing substantial business opportunities for those involved. He also stressed the importance of a robust supply base for the success of the Programme, and encouraged specifiers to consider the lifecycle cost when deciding which items to buy, rather than just the upfront cost.
During my visit to SDS, I had the opportunity to meet the company’s directors, Russell James, and Darren Blake. I discovered that the company’s manufacturing and business ethos align closely with the themes of reliability, safety, and quality. Specialist Door Solutions has a 40-year track record of successful collaboration with architects, contractors, NHS Trusts, and private hospitals, which it says has made it ‘the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of specialist doorsets for healthcare environments’. The company’s primary focus is on designing and manufacturing for demanding healthcare environments, where doors can get a particularly hard time. SDS supplies its doorsets exclusively to the acute and primary healthcare sectors, which differentiates it from its competitors. The doors in high-traffic healthcare settings need to be hard-wearing and strong to withstand repeated impacts from hospital trolleys, other equipment, and hospital users, and still maintain their integrity. SDS prides itself on offering an extensive range of colours and finishes to provide attractive aesthetics, which its says contribute to the wellbeing of patients, staff, and visitors.
Minister impressed during visit
During his visit to the SDS factory, Lord Markham CBE was impressed by the company’s innovative approach and commitment to quality. SDS says it is known both for the high quality of its doorsets, and its ability to customise them according to the requirements of the environment. However, the company is also aware of the Hospital 2.0 model’s emphasis on standardisation to reduce costs and time in building new hospitals.
SDS recently launched Refinedoor, ‘a range of hospital doorsets that offers tried and tested products of the highest quality’, all fully backed by the relevant Fire Test evidence and certification. The Refinedoor range aims to simplify the specification process for healthcare architects and Estate teams, making it more efficient, and helping them get it right the first time. SDS said: “These doors contribute to cost savings over the entire lifecycle, and reduce the risk of infections, prioritising patient safety. Specifiers can choose from eight types and 24 colours, and the doorsets come with a 10-year warranty.
SDS manufactures doors that are robust and help hospitals maintain compliance with fire safety and infection control regulations. The company says its doors can also help hospitals achieve significant lifecycle cost savings and save money in the long run due to their ability to withstand the repeated abuse that occurs in hospitals without needing frequent repair or replacement. The company said: “Unlike other door manufacturers who use global certifications, we at SDS test our doorsets in a ‘burn-to-death’ scenario. This means that all the components of the door have been tested together to ensure they can withstand a fire, which is known in the industry as Primary Test Evidence.”
X-ray and warning light vision panel
SDS invests heavily in research and development, and another recent resulting innovation is its new Priviglaze +, a combined X-ray and warning light vision panel designed for doors used in hospital theatres, X-ray rooms, and laser treatment rooms. SDS explained: “This panel is fixed on the face of the door, which looks neater, and is a more commercially viable solution.” Additionally, SDS has launched a lead-lined door range called Shieldoor. This range is reportedly ‘incredibly resilient, hard-wearing, and hygienic, and ideal for high-traffic, high-wear hospital environments’. Shieldoor can be customised with items such as edge protectors and kickplates, and comes with a comprehensive range of glazing options, colour options, and door leaf sizes. It also requires minimal maintenance compared with timber and laminate products, and comes with a 10-year warranty.
While touring SDS’s facility, I encountered a cutting-edge factory with state-of-the-art machinery and an efficient single-flow conveyor belt system. The staff, visibly dedicated and proud of their work, highlighted a remarkable commitment to their roles. Alex Motley, the Procurement manager, guided me through the gradual addition, affixing, and assembly, of various components for each doorset. This meticulous process included the integration of elements such as the timber core, vision panels, warning lights, intumescent sealing, lead panels, and high-quality ironmongery. Despite a significant degree of automation in the factory’s production, there was also a noticeable presence of skilled factory staff diligently handling some of the more intricate manual processes.
Two recent case studies — see below — highlight SDS’s ability to tailor their doorset supply to a healthcare facility’s specific needs.
New children’s day treatment centre at London’s Evelina Hospital
Designed by ADP Architecture, and built by Morgan Sindall Construction, the new six-storey Children’s Day Treatment Centre at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital is located on the ground and first floors, and strategically sited next to the Hospital building on Lambeth Palace Road. The new building, which incorporates SDS’s Dfendoor — in finishes including Aqua, Cobble, Denim, Flint, Gunpowder, Lupin, Mandarin, Peppermint, Primrose, Midnight, and Verdure — provides ‘state-of-the-art’ day surgery facilities for children, and is designed to enhance the patient experience for young people and their families. One of the key design considerations was patient flow, and the interior layout was meticulously planned as a one-way system, to ensure that patients undergoing preparation and entering the operating theatres do not intersect with those in post-operative recovery or same-day discharge areas.
Specialist Door Solutions says that ‘a vital component of this streamlined patient flow’ was the selection of appropriate doorsets. The company explained: “In addition, being a Children’s Treatment Centre, it was crucial to create a bright and vibrant environment. For this, the doors were identified as a key element of the colour strategy, and our Dfendoor was chosen for this purpose. We take immense pride in our contribution to the successful completion of the Treatment Centre, and specifically, in the use of our Dfendoor doorsets. These have not only improved patient flow and wayfinding, but have also helped create a warm and welcoming environment for young patients and their families.
“Dfendoor doorsets are incredibly resilient, hard-wearing, and hygienic, making them the ideal choice for high-traffic, high-wear hospital environments,” SDS continued. “They not only boast exceptional durability, but also require minimal maintenance compared with traditional timber and laminate products. Moreover, the doorsets are visually appealing, and blend seamlessly with the overall aesthetic of the Treatment Centre.
“The new Treatment Centre, which was engineered by Mott MacDonald, has both expanded the hospital’s capacity, with the ability to treat an additional 2,300 children annually, and significantly improved the patient journey and created a child-friendly environment.”
Funded by Evelina London Children’s Charity, Japanese manga artist Kiriko Kubo — who previously designed the award-winning artwork in Evelina London Children’s Hospital, reimagined some of the children’s ideas in designs featured throughout the building. Kiriko worked in association with London-based art and design studio, Art in Site, a specialist in designing for healthcare environments.
‘Cutting edge’ doorsets for Hull Royal Infirmary refurb project
In another recent project involving SDS doorsets, Hull Royal Infirmary, a leading tertiary teaching hospital in Kingston upon Hull, partnered with Johnson Construction for a comprehensive refurbishment project, where among the key requirements was the need for ‘advanced healthcare doorsets to enhance safety, hygiene, and operational efficiency’.
In collaboration with Johnson Construction, the hospital opted for ‘cutting-edge’ door solutions, specifically SDS’s Dfendoor and Shieldoor, which are designed to meet the stringent requirements of hospital environments. Specialist Door Solutions said: “These healthcare doorsets — here specified with a Cobble door and Gunpowder frame — are recognised for their resilience, durability, and hygienic efficiency, making them ideal for high-traffic areas like hospital operating theatres.
“The selection process considered various hospital door types to cater to the setting’s unique needs. The chosen door solutions included Priviglaze vision panels, crucial for maintaining visibility while ensuring fire integrity, safety, and user privacy.”
Hull Royal Infirmary incorporated lead-lined doors for X-ray rooms. SDS said: “These doors play a pivotal role in shielding radiation and maintaining the safety of both patients and healthcare professionals. The successful collaboration between Hull Royal Infirmary, Johnson Construction, and SDS, highlights the importance of selecting the right healthcare doorsets for hospital refurbishment projects.” The architect on the project was Morgan Lloyd Jones.