Royal Stoke University Hospital (UHNM) Emergency Lighting Upgrade

Royal Stoke University Hospital is one of the UK's largest acute hospitals and a major trauma centre, operating around the clock to provide critical healthcare services to the midlands and beyond. The Trust required a complete upgrade of its ageing emergency lighting infrastructure while ensuring the hospital remained fully operational throughout the programme.

The scale of the project presented significant logistical challenges. More than 5,000 emergency luminaires required replacement across wards, clinical departments, public areas, stairwells and circulation spaces, all without impacting patient care or disrupting day-to-day hospital operations.

Working within a live healthcare environment demanded meticulous planning, close collaboration with clinical teams and a flexible delivery programme capable of adapting to the changing operational needs of the hospital.

RD Jukes – Part of Ventro was appointed as Principal Contractor to deliver the site-wide emergency lighting upgrade in full accordance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015).

The project involved replacing and commissioning over 5,000 addressable emergency luminaires, all connected to a central monitoring platform capable of reporting luminaire status to dual control panels whilst providing secure off-site backup and web-based monitoring.

Alongside the lighting replacement, the project included upgrades to the hospital's modular wiring systems, control equipment and communications infrastructure, delivering a modern, future-ready emergency lighting solution.

Throughout the programme, our project team worked closely with estates personnel, departmental managers and clinical staff to develop phased installation plans that maintained access to critical hospital services while enabling works to progress safely and efficiently.

To ensure programme continuity, contingency work areas were identified in advance, allowing engineers to continue installations whenever operational priorities temporarily restricted access to particular departments.

The emergency lighting upgrade was successfully delivered over a phased 36-month programme, allowing Royal Stoke University Hospital to remain fully operational throughout the works. Despite the complexity of working within one of the UK's largest acute healthcare environments, RD Jukes – Part of Ventro completed the programme without disrupting critical clinical services or impacting patient care.

More than 5,000 addressable emergency luminaires were replaced and integrated into a modern central monitoring system, providing enhanced visibility, improved reliability and a future-proof emergency lighting solution for the Trust. The programme also delivered upgrades to the hospital's modular wiring infrastructure, control systems and communications network, ensuring the wider emergency lighting system met the operational demands of the estate.

The quality of delivery was reflected in the client's 100% score across all eight categories of its Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire, recognising the team's workmanship, communication, project management and overall service throughout the programme.

RD Jukes - Part of Ventro combines over 50 years of specialist electrical engineering expertise with the wider capabilities of one of the UK's leading building compliance providers. From emergency lighting and life safety systems through to complex electrical infrastructure projects, we help NHS Trusts and public sector organisations deliver critical works safely, efficiently and with minimal disruption to essential services.