Innova revolutionises accessibility at new “super hospital” in the West Midlands
Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust have partnered with healthcare equipment specialists, Innova Care Concepts, for the supply and installation of 353 ceiling track hoists in their new-build “super hospital” in Smethwick.
The new £750m Midland Metropolitan University Hospital officially opened to the public on 6 October, providing healthcare for people in the Black Country and Birmingham.
Replacing Sandwell General Hospital and City Hospital A&E department, the hospital is run by 4,500 NHS staff and features the very latest innovations in patient handling equipment.
The hoists have been fitted throughout the hospital in a combination of single rooms and 4/6 bed bays, ensuring that every ward in the hospital is totally accessible and will deliver a suitable space for patients.
One of the main aims of the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital was to ensure their hoisting equipment allows their medical team to move patients more independently and safely, without putting additional pressure on any members of staff.
To cater for different healthcare needs, including bariatric care, Innova have installed a variety of hoist units, including the AirRise200, with a 200kg safe working load, and a number of dual hoists enabling patients of up to 500kg. All the hoists have an advanced battery protection system which prevents downtime due to insufficient charge.
Emma Loosley, Senior Commissioning Manager for the Midland Met Project Team at Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust said: “Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust is pleased to have partnered with Innova Care Concepts for supply and installation of the ceiling track hoists in our new-build Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
“The package consists of 353 hoists which have been installed throughout the hospital with a combination of single rooms and 4/6 bed bays. Before choosing to partner with Innova, we did some extensive research into the different options available in the market and found Innova’s proposal provided us a perfect solution to our requirements.”
Innova Care Concepts have also provided Midland Metropolitan University Hospital with an innovative system that enables a hoist to ‘jump over’ curtain tracks, enabling seamless use across multi-bed bays to improve efficiency.
Removing the need for mobile or detachable hoists that take time to setup, the ‘curtain hopper’ is made up of Innova’s versatile AirGlide360 Ceiling Track & AirRise Ceiling Hoist in a H-frame configuration. T
his setup covers two bed bays, which are divided by the privacy hospital/cubicle curtain. The hoist is operated in a manual traverse in the individual bed bay, giving the nursing staff greater ease and flexibility to move the hoist around the bay to suit patient needs.
The electric traverse trolley in the hoist unit is then controlled by a central switch in between the bays, enabling it to be powered over the curtain track as and when required by the nursing staff.
By using an H frame, it accommodates the need for individual privacy cubicle curtains in each ward whilst still offering quick and safe patient transfers.
Approximately 353 ceiling track hoist systems have been installed at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital with 2.8 miles worth of hoist tracks fitted.
Over 9,800 fixings have been installed into the ceilings and 610m of electrical cabling has been installed for the hoisting systems – an equivalent length of six football pitches. The combined safe working load of all the fitted hoist units is 65.68 tonnes, the same weight as a British army tank.
Bob Oliver, Sales and Marketing Director at Innova Care Concepts, added: “It has been our pleasure to be part of the very first hospital build of the HIP scheme, helping share our expertise to deliver the latest innovations in healthcare for Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
“Having listened to the requirements and challenges put forward by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, we have been able to implement a range of innovative solutions.
“From providing different hoist units to creating a unique system to facilitate smoother patient transfers, our bespoke hoist system package will enhance the quality of care that the new hospital will be able to provide.”
In July, Innova Care Concepts reached a major milestone for accessibility in the UK by helping Moto to become the first motorway services provider to install 30 Changing Places toilets.
