Bristol Maid supporting 65 years of the NHS
Company has established itself to be at the forefront of the design and innovation of hospital furniture
Marking the 65th anniversary since the National Health Service first began, Bristol Maid has proudly supported and worked in partnership with the NHS for many years to help encapsulate a healthier United Kingdom.
Having recently celebrated its own 60 year anniversary, Bristol Maid has established itself to be at the forefront of the design and innovation of hospital furniture and look to continue working closely with the NHS to improve patient care for many years to come.
With the rise of healthcare associated infections such as MRSA, Clostridium. difficile and influenza causing thousands of patient illnesses and even death during a hospital stay, it is essential to eradicate the so-called hospital ‘superbugs’. Not only do they cause a great deal of extra stress for patients, but it is believed to cost The NHS up to £2m a year.
The standard approach to fighting these superbugs involves intensive hygiene, handwashing and cleanliness routines. But with rates still unacceptably high, The Department of Health launched a Design Bugs Out challenge backed by The Design Council in 2008 to find more practically-designed hospital furniture that would be easier to clean and leave fewer places for the bugs to hide.
Entries to the challenge were of a very high standard and Bristol Maid was one of the successful companies, producing a bedside cabinet that was not only much easier to clean, but also aesthetically pleasing to look at. After receiving outstanding feedback, Bristol Maid used the same design principles to manufacture an overbed table, and a variety of drip stands.
Hospital staff have praised the products because they take much less time to clean leaving more time to focus on patient care. All have been put into commercial production and evaluated in eight ‘showcase’ hospital trusts including those in Huddersfield, Wolverhampton and Southampton. More than 9,000 bedside cabinets and overbed tables have been purchased by the NHS alone.
Mat Hunter of the Design Council was involved in the project from the outset. He said: “This was a great initiative that generated a great deal of interest. It resulted in innovations such as making these products out of a very wipeable plastic, avoiding materials such as chipboard which flakes and gives bacteria a hiding place, and removing grooves and runners wherever possible.”
“In short, both the outcome and the process has been improved, and various time and motion studies clearly illustrate patient benefits not only because nurses have more time to care, but simple things like the furniture being more aesthetically pleasing.”
And Bristol Maid has not stopped there. The new eClean range has continued to develop adding the new Design Bugs Out Commode launched at the start of this year and a new patient chair due to be released shortly. Hospital furniture innovation is heading in the right direction with Bristol Maid at the forefront supporting the NHS to help reduce healthcare-acquired infections and improve patient experiences within the hospital.