How ILECS helped University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust restore a long-out-of-service hospital lift, improving capacity and supporting smoother hospital logistics.
Executive Summary
When a lift has been out of service for several years, replacement can seem like the only realistic option. However, ageing or obsolete equipment does not necessarily mean an asset has reached the end of the road.
At Poole Hospital, part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD), a hospital lift dating back to the 1960s had been switched off for several years. Its condition had deteriorated significantly, components were obsolete and the loss of the lift was placing additional pressure on other lifts and routes around the hospital.
ILECS was initially appointed to undertake a lift condition survey, before developing a wider lifecycle programme for the hospital. From this evidence-led starting point, we established a route forward for the dormant lift and subsequently oversaw its comprehensive modernisation.
The result was simple but significant: a lift that had been out of action for years was returned to operational service, restoring valuable capacity and helping to improve internal logistics across the hospital.
OUT OF SERVICE FOR YEARS > SURVEYED > MODERNISED > RETURNED TO SERVICE
The Challenge: A Dormant Hospital Lift Affecting Internal Logistics
In a busy hospital environment, every operational lift contributes to the movement of people, equipment and services around the estate.
At Poole Hospital, one lift had been unavailable for several years. Dating back to the 1960s, the installation was in very poor condition and much of its equipment had become obsolete.
Its prolonged absence had consequences beyond the lift itself. With one less lift available, the hospital had reduced lift capacity and greater reliance on alternative routes and other lifts across the building.
The Trust wanted to understand whether there was a viable way to bring this ageing asset back into use.
Simply getting the lift moving again wasn’t enough. Any solution needed to provide a reliable operational service, address relevant compliance considerations, reduce future maintenance risk and ensure the equipment could be effectively supported throughout its remaining service life.
The Solution: From Lift Condition Survey to Comprehensive Modernisation
Establishing the True Condition of the Asset
ILECS began by carrying out a detailed lift condition survey of the dormant lift, alongside surveys of the hospital’s other lifting equipment.
As independent lift consultants, our role was to give the Trust a clear understanding of the condition of its assets and the work required to plan effectively for the future.
Our condition surveys assess areas including the age and condition of equipment, performance, safety and compliance considerations, estimated working life and future requirements, supported by clear recommendations and budgetary information.
Rather than looking at the dormant lift in isolation, the surveys provided the foundations for a wider lift lifecycle programme across the hospital estate.
This gave UHD a more informed view of its lift portfolio and provided the context needed to determine how the out-of-service lift should fit into the estate’s longer-term plans.
Finding a Route Back Into Service
The age and condition of the installation meant that returning it to operation required much more than straightforward repairs.
ILECS developed the route forward and subsequently oversaw a comprehensive lift modernisation programme.
Our objective throughout the project was clear:
Restore a reliable operational lift service while addressing compliance considerations, reducing future maintenance risk and ensuring the equipment could be effectively supported throughout its remaining service life.
Through Navigate by ILECS, we help clients manage lift modernisation, refurbishment, replacement and installation projects through the technical, regulatory and commercial considerations involved.
For Poole Hospital, this meant combining the initial assessment with longer-term lifecycle planning and professional project oversight, giving the Trust independent guidance from identifying the problem through to implementing the solution.
The Results: Valuable Hospital Lift Capacity Restored
Following the comprehensive lift modernisation works, the lift was successfully returned to operational service after several years out of use.
For Poole Hospital, that meant recovering an asset that had previously been unavailable for the building’s day-to-day operations.
The project delivered:
- Restored lift capacity – a previously dormant hospital lift was brought back into operational use.
- Improved hospital logistics – reinstating the lift reduced reliance on alternative routes and other lifts.
- Compliance considerations addressed – the modernisation programme addressed issues associated with the ageing installation.
- Reduced maintenance risk – obsolete and deteriorated equipment was addressed as part of the comprehensive works.
- Greater long-term visibility – the wider condition surveys and lifecycle programme gave the hospital a clearer basis for planning future lift investment.
Most importantly, the project demonstrates why an ageing or long-out-of-service lift shouldn’t automatically be considered beyond recovery.
A detailed assessment can help establish whether lift modernisation could extend the useful life of an existing installation or whether lift replacement represents the more appropriate long-term solution.
Client Testimonial
“Having this lift back in service has restored valuable capacity within the hospital and reduced pressure on other lifts and routes around the building. ILECS gave us a clear understanding of the condition of the equipment, identified a practical way forward and supported the project through to the lift’s successful return to service.”
Don’t Give Up on Your Lift
A lift that has been switched off for years can look like a lost cause. It doesn’t necessarily have to be.
The first step is understanding what you have, what condition it’s really in and what options are available.
Whether you’re responsible for a hospital estate, residential development, commercial property or wider lift portfolio, ILECS can provide the independent advice needed to establish the right way forward, from a lift condition survey and lifecycle planning through to managing lift modernisation or lift replacement.
Have a lift that’s been out of service for months or even years?
Don’t give up on it. Talk to ILECS. There may be a route back into service.