AT installers didn't take flight when working around nesting seagulls at Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.

On this #ThrowbackThursday, we are looking back to a Containment Level 3 (CL3) laboratory we installed in 2022 for Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. All work was carried out and completed over the course of the pandemic, but the main challenge we faced was nothing to do with COVID - it was nesting seagulls! The seagulls had chosen to nest on the roof where the new mechanical plant was to be located. They were understandably very aggressive towards anyone attempting to access the area, so works had to be postponed until the new fledglings had flown the nest.

However, all delays were managed with minimal overall impact, and Matthew Allen, Laboratory Manager, was very pleased with how everything went, saying: "We would recommend this team for any laboratory development. They were brilliant - knowledgeable, accurate and efficient. We couldn't be more pleased with how MAT managed the build, and ultimately delivered the finished product."