Bender UK has won the Patient Safety Award at the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2026 for upgrading critical electrical infrastructure at Northampton General Hospital, enhancing power resilience and patient safety.
The award was received on 4 November by Sam Parry, Mark Wells and Alison Cassells from the Bender UK healthcare team.
The project modernised systems serving orthopaedic operating theatres, recovery areas and the Gosset Ward neonatal unit.
Bender UK delivered lifecycle replacement of medical IT system components, upgraded insulation monitoring, touchscreen remote alarm panels, gateway devices and remote diagnostic capability.
The wider scheme also incorporated uninterruptible power supplies, expanded backup capacity and equipotential bonding to provide layered electrical protection.
Working within live clinical environments, the team carefully phased installation, commissioning and replacement activity around patient care. In the neonatal unit, circuits were replaced sequentially so that individual channels could be isolated while essential power remained available to support vulnerable and premature babies.
The upgraded infrastructure gives clinical and estates teams clearer, real-time visibility of system status, helping faults to be identified earlier and supporting a more proactive approach to maintenance and risk reduction.
Sam Parry, Head of Healthcare at Bender UK, said: “This award recognises the hospitals clear commitment to resilient, modern clinical environments and the collaboration required to deliver complex upgrades without compromising patient care.
“By combining proven technology with specialist healthcare electrical design, the project supports today’s surgical procedures and life-dependent medical equipment while helping to future-proof the hospital’s infrastructure. We are proud to have helped create safer, more resilient environments where medical teams can deliver care with confidence.” This award reinforces the importance of resilient critical power infrastructure and how this supports patient safety.
