Member Article

How a small blinds manufacturer is helping reopen critical beds in the NHS

North West based blinds and screen manufacturer Tritonpeak has rallied to the aid of the NHS by pivoting the use of a plastic retractable screen to improve patient safety and increase much needed ward capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greg Sunderland was previously a small blind manufacturer until he hit upon use of his range of retractable plastic screens as room dividers and modified the construction to help the NHS to reduce the viral load of COVID-19 in wards.

His Tritonpeak clear plastic screen concept is now enabling several NHS trusts in the North West to provide of a ‘barrier’ between the bed spaces allowing us to utilise all available bed spaces whilst reducing risk of COVID-19 infection.

Greg has manufactured and fitted over 400 screens into a number of North West based trusts and is speaking to many others to enable them to reopen wards at almost full capacity again. One NHS trust using his solution is Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust.

Trust Estates and Facilities Matron, Claire Beck comments: “From a patient experience perspective the screens provide the necessary barrier between patients’ bed spaces whilst allowing visibility and protection. The screens also allow staff to fully observe patients at all times.”

The screens are enabling the Trust to utilise all of the available bed spaces (which had previously been greatly reduced due to the 2-metre infection control COVID ruling) by providing a formal barrier between the beds - reducing risk of Covid-19 transmission.

Greg O’Neill, Head of Programmes, Elective care for Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust adds: “Screens allow the clinical staff to manage and reduce risk whilst at the same time providing reassurance for patients and their families - helping them to feel as safe as possible whilst in the hospital.”

The screens are now making a real impact on the patient experience during the current pandemic pressures experienced by the NHS. Greg compares his retractable screens to the concept of introducing seatbelts in cars. “When I was younger, we didn’t have seatbelts in cars but nobody today would dare take the risk of not having a seatbelt to stay safe. It’s the same concept with the screens, as we head towards the incidence of more potential pandemics why would you not put in place a fixed safety device which reduces the risk of infection and keeps patients and frontline NHS healthcare workers safe?”

The retractable Tritonpeak screens are a fixed installation that provide a clear, physical yet flexible barrier between hospital beds and other patient treatment facilities. The ceiling to floor screens fit within the existing curtain track to allow ease of installation, operate with a wand operation headrail system and are easy to remove for deep clean and replacement.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sara Wheater .