A CUTTING-edge robot system has been installed at Northampton General Hospital by leading health and safety consultancy, Acorn Safety Services.

The Northampton-based company installed the robot, which features a fully automated system to deliver drugs from the hospital’s main pharmacy safely and effectively.

The £490,000 project, which took two months to complete, also included replacing the air conditioning system, installing new storage racking and safely removing asbestos tiles in full accordance with the latest guidelines. Acorn Safety Services were the CDM client consultants, principal designers and principal contractor for the whole project.

Acorn Safety Services’ Health and Safety Manager, John Crockett, said: “It was a huge honour for us to get involved in this complex project to replace the old system with a new robot to securely dispense drugs within the hospital’s pharmacy. The new system allows pharmacists to order the drugs they need via computer which are then delivered quickly and efficiently via a conveyer system, greatly reducing the time it takes to source and deliver medicines to patients.

“Acorn Safety Services was involved in the project from start to finish, working alongside medication management company, Omnicell to create and install the automated system.”

Northampton General Hospital’s Chief Pharmacy Technician, Giovanni Facchiano, described working with Acorn Safety Services as ‘excellent’. He said: “John and his team were very flexible and easy to work with. The building element of our project ran according to schedule and often ahead of schedule.”