Work has begun to upgrade the air handling systems at the Women’s Centre at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) is investing around £8 million in the project, which will overhaul ventilation infrastructure serving clinical areas, much of which was installed when the Women’s Centre opened in 1972.
The six new air handling units will serve the gynaecology theatres and recovery, the delivery suites and the neonatal high and low dependency units. Alongside them, there will be a new UPS system in the neonatal unit, and a section of the maternity roof is also being replaced.
The capital investment is supported by the Government's national Estates Safety Programme, with Public Dividend Capital awarded by the Department of Health and Social Care and allocated by NHS England. A further £437,500 from OUH's capital programme is funding the maternity roof replacement.
Work started on site in June 2026 and completion is forecast for summer 2027.
Project detail
The air handling units will be placed on the roof of the neonatal department. The new air handling system will serve six clinical areas across two floors; on Level 1, the gynaecology theatres and the gynaecology recovery area and on Level 2, the delivery suites, and neonatal low dependency and high dependency units.
The air handling units draw fresh air in from outside, filter it, heat or cool it to the right temperature, and deliver it into clinical spaces at a controlled and appropriate rate and pressure.
Each unit will recover at least 75% of the heat from the air it exhausts and has heating and cooling coils to temper the incoming air, high-grade filtration and standby fans so that a single failure does not take a clinical area out of use.
The heat recovery is expected to reduce gas use and carbon emission. An early scoping estimate put the potential saving in the region of 1,100 megawatt hours of gas, calculated for a wider scheme than the one now being delivered.
The neonatal unit will also have an isolated power supply to protect against electrical faults in areas where equipment is connected directly to patients, and an uninterruptible power supply.
The roof works are the third element. Around 536 square metres of roof covering are being stripped off and replaced, together with the insulation beneath it, the parapet detailing and the weatherproofing around vents and pipework.
Long-term benefits
The benefits to patients and staff of the new air handling system will be quickly felt and, beyond patients and staff, there are some further benefits:
• Infection prevention: Enhanced filtration and pressure control help maintain sterile and clean environments.
• Resilience: Reduced risk of breakdowns and unplanned downtime in theatres and delivery suites, alongside uninterrupted power supplies for neonatal care.
• Sustainability: Heat recovery technology will reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Estate protection: The roof replacement will help safeguard the fabric of the building and the clinical facilities beneath it.
Lisa Hofen, Chief Estates and Facilities Officer, says “The Women's Centre is the oldest clinical building on the John Radcliffe Hospital site, and this work is essential to maintaining a safe, comfortable, and resilient environment for our patients, many of whom are in their first few hours of life. The project also supports the Trust's commitment to reducing carbon emissions and achieving Net Zero.
“Most of the infrastructure being upgraded is hidden from view, but its impact will be felt for decades, supporting the care of women and babies well into the future.”
