Hillingdon Hospital, Middlesex
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Knightsbridge Furniture Specified for Innovative Pilot Project
Chairs, lockers and tables developed by Knightsbridge Furniture have been specified for an innovative pilot scheme in Middlesex which is exploring the viability of accommodating hospital in-patients within single bedrooms rather than on conventional wards.
The healthcare sector is watching with interest the outcome of the Bevan Ward trial by Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust in Uxbridge, where the aim is to establish an operational 24-bed unit of single bedrooms, each with en-suite facilities. The layout of the pilot ward has been designed to take a range of factors into consideration, including increased visual observation of patients, heightened privacy, improved staff/patient communication and a reduction in walking distances for the nursing staff. Once fully functional, the unit will be the subject of an evidence-based research programme to assess clinical and economic outcomes, patient and staff satisfaction and the effective use of available space.
Six bedrooms within the Bevan Ward complex have already been fitted out using furniture from the specialist Knightsbridge Healthcare portfolio. Included within each is a Stratford adjustable over-bed table and both high-back armchairs and upright armless chairs from the company’s versatile Hamilton range. Designed to meet the demands of a diversity of healthcare environments, the Hamilton incorporates essential practical features like supportive upholstery and a hygiene gap between back and seat, yet its contemporary lines enable it to harmonise with modern hospital décor schemes.
To complement the seating and tables, each room has also been equipped with a bedside locker from the Knightsbridge Wallace collection: featuring a lockable medicine storage area plus side-access to an additional upper storage area, the locker enables medication to be kept securely yet discreetly out of sight but always within easy reach of both patient and staff.
It is envisaged that the research outcomes gleaned from monitoring the Bevan Ward project alongside conventional wards will enable Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust to make informed decisions on single room provision in the future development of its in-patient facilities. In addition, the results will be also used as evidence to support the Department of Health’s policy direction and best practice guidelines on single room accommodation, thereby enabling other trusts to plan for changes to working practices.
