Goodmayes NHS Hospital: Heat Pump Retrofit of a Grade II Listed Building

Executive Summary

Goodmayes Hospital, a Grade II listed building dating from 1905, had stood derelict for decades before NELFT (North East London Foundation Trust) embarked on an ambitious deep retrofit as part of their estate modernisation programme. The project required a heating solution that could deliver modern healthcare standards within the constraints of a historic building, operate efficiently with Air Source Heat Pumps, and meet stringent NHS infection control requirements.

Working with M&E consultants Donabie Associates, the project team specified ThermaSkirt EasyClean LST after traditional solutions proved unworkable. The result was a system that respected the building's heritage while delivering 21st-century performance in infection control, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency.

The Challenge

Retrofitting a 120-year-old listed building with modern mechanical services presents unique complications. The building's historic fabric, protected status, and decades of deterioration created a perfect storm of technical challenges.

The brief was uncompromising. Deliver a heating solution compatible with Air Source Heat Pumps to meet NHS net zero carbon commitments. Meet modern infection control standards equivalent to new-build healthcare facilities. Work within the constraints of a listed building with limited scope for invasive works. Avoid solutions requiring extensive ceiling or floor disruption in structurally fragile spaces. And provide responsive temperature control for healthcare environments where patient comfort is critical.

Traditional Solutions Fell Short

LST radiators presented the same hygiene challenges that plague modern hospitals. Complex grilles and covers create harbourage points for pathogens, requiring time-intensive cleaning protocols that are difficult to maintain under operational pressures. In a retrofit where infection control credibility was paramount, radiators were a non-starter.

Underfloor heating was technically impossible. The building's original floors, many in poor condition, could not support the structural modifications required. Floor build-up would have affected door heights, architectural details, and accessibility throughout. Even if structurally viable, underfloor heating's slow response times are problematic in healthcare settings where temperature adjustments need to happen quickly.

Overhead radiant panels created a different set of problems. Retrofitting ceiling-mounted panels in a listed building with fragile historic plasterwork required extensive structural interventions. The pipe distribution network needed to serve ceiling-mounted emitters throughout the building would have been prohibitively complex and expensive, requiring major works to protected fabric. From both a technical and cost perspective, radiant panels were unworkable.

The project needed an alternative that could deliver modern performance without requiring the invasive works that other solutions demanded.

The Solution

Donabie Associates specified ThermaSkirt EasyClean LST after evaluating the full range of available technologies. The system replaced existing skirting boards with an aluminium heating profile that circulates low-temperature hot water at perimeter level.

This approach solved multiple problems simultaneously. Installation worked with the existing building fabric rather than against it, requiring minimal structural intervention. Pipework distribution ran at high level in ceiling voids, dropping to skirting level at each room, a far simpler arrangement than the complex networks required for ceiling panels.

Key advantages included minimal building disruption, with installation at skirting level avoiding the floor and ceiling works that made other solutions unviable in a listed building. Simplified pipe distribution, with high-level primary circuits and simple drops to each room rather than complex ceiling-mounted networks. Infection control compliance, through seamless wipe-clean surfaces with no grilles, fins, or hidden cavities where pathogens could harbour. Heat pump compatibility, with a large radiant surface area that works efficiently at the low water temperatures heat pumps deliver. Rapid thermal response, with 15 to 20 minute response times, essential for maintaining patient comfort in variable-occupancy healthcare spaces. And significant cost efficiency over ceiling panels or floor systems, with reduced programme risk.

Voices from the Project

“In a retrofit of this complexity, every other low-temperature heat emitter we evaluated created more problems than it solved. Underfloor heating was structurally impossible. Ceiling panels required pipe distribution that would have been invasively expensive in a listed building. ThermaSkirt was the only solution that could deliver modern healthcare performance while respecting the building's constraints.”

“We evaluated every available technology for this project. LST radiators failed on infection control. Underfloor heating was structurally impossible. Ceiling panels would have required a pipe distribution nightmare in a fragile listed building. ThermaSkirt was the only system that could actually deliver what we needed without creating new problems. The fact that it's also more cost-effective than the alternatives made the decision straightforward.”

The Specification

Profile selection: Deco BM3 (2-pipe water-based system) and Deco BM4 (4-pipe water-based system), both with Torus Capping. The four-pipe BM4 was used in the larger rooms with high ceilings and significant glazing, where the double-stacked profile delivers around 120W per metre at 40°C flow and matches the proportions of the original architectural detail.

Metres of ThermaSkirt installed: 722m. Heat source: Panasonic Air Source Heat Pump, 60kW cascade. Total output at dt20: 38kW, equivalent to 52W/m². Average room heat loss: 90W/m².

Each room incorporated a programmable room thermostat controlling a two-port motorised valve on the branch circuit. All room controls integrated with the building's central BMS, providing both local comfort control and centralised energy management. Balancing valves on return pipework allowed individual room outputs to be fine-tuned during commissioning.

The Results

The ThermaSkirt installation at Goodmayes Hospital delivered measurable improvements across every critical performance metric. Installation progressed faster than any ceiling or floor-based alternative would have allowed, with minimal disruption to parallel works. The project avoided the substantial costs associated with ceiling panel pipe distribution or floor system structural works.

Smooth, sealed surfaces meet the same cleaning protocols as new-build NHS facilities, with no compromise due to retrofit constraints. Rapid response times and precise zoning maintain patient comfort more effectively than slow-responding alternatives. The system operates efficiently at low water temperatures, maximising Air Source Heat Pump coefficient of performance. And the installation respected the building's listed status, avoiding the invasive structural modifications other solutions required.

Conclusion

The Goodmayes Hospital retrofit demonstrates that historic buildings can achieve modern healthcare performance without compromise. ThermaSkirt EasyClean proved to be not just a viable solution, but the only practical solution that could deliver infection control, thermal comfort, and heat pump compatibility within the constraints of a protected Grade II listed building.

For M&E consultants and estates teams facing similar challenges in heritage healthcare buildings, the project provides a clear precedent. When traditional solutions prove unworkable due to structural, cost, or technical constraints, integrated skirting heating offers a credible alternative that meets modern clinical standards.

ThermaSkirt is now established as a proven solution for healthcare retrofits where conventional heat emitters cannot deliver the required combination of performance, buildability, and cost efficiency.