The award has been given to the Easy Clean Bedside Cabinet which was designed by Kinneir Dufort for Bristol Maid as part of the Department of Health’s Design Bugs Out Challenge.
The product was one of just 11 to receive recognition from judges at The Furniture Makers Company, which awards the marks for excellence in the design of furniture in volume production in Britain.
The Easy Clean cabinet aims to help hospital cleaners get around the problem of properly sanitising the cabinets, which are heavily used and traditionally have right-angled corners where bacteria can hide.
In contrast, the new design is made from durable, wipe-clean plastic, with smooth curves which help reduce hard-to-reach corners without cutting down on patient storage space.
Other features include:
- Rotationally-moulded plastic is durable, easy to clean and minimises the need for joins and crevices that can harbour bacteria
- Removable drawers with cutaway sides which are easy to clean and can be reached by patients without having to get out of bed
- Four twin-wheel swivel braking castors
- Integrated handles with curved edges to allow for easy cleaning
- A built-in RFID lock which allows patients to secure their belongings without a traditional lock and key mechanism, which is difficult to clean. The lock is activated by a chip which can be housed in the patient's ID bracelet
- A backless design for the cabinet frame, reducing the number of inaccessible surfaces and allowing rapid cleaning
Stuart Davis, managing director of Bristol Maid, said: “The design of the new unit was established through a review process between end users and our designers. This has allowed the development of a piece of furniture that is commonplace in most hospitals and has been designed with the needs of the end user in mind. It also importantly assists in the reduction of healthcare acquired infections.”