One of the challenges the NHS faces is the influx of unscheduled patients.
And this is where managing bed availability and placing patients in appropriate beds can become a logistical problem, especially when capacity is reached.
Hospital staff aren’t able to access all the beds they need, but there are ways to make the wards more flexible in terms of segregation, especially as cross infection can easily occur in hospitals.
Building Additions has helped many healthcare facilities to make the most of their resources by giving them the added benefit of sectioning off the spaces they need.
Over the last 12 months the company has supplied a number of hospitals for both meeting and treatments applications. These include St Peters Hospital, Chertsey; Victoria Hospital, Wallasey; Russell’s Hall Hospital in Dudley; Airedale General Hospital, Keighley; and QMC Hospital in Nottingham.
“Widely used to divide rooms within educational buildings and hospitals; folding fabric partitions can be used in almost any building that needs a cost-effective solution for maximising the way a space is used,” said a spokesman for Building Additions.
“They are also an ideal solution where there is limited wall space available, for example between windows, doors or other fixed furniture.”
He added: “Folding fabric room dividers are a versatile space solution that can provide privacy and segregation in minutes should hospital staff need to cordon off a bed or particular area of a ward. They are economical, convenient, and very easy to operate and can be opened and closed by one person.”
Each fabric divider consists of an internal steel framework covered with robust vinyl-coated fabric that runs on a heavy-duty aluminium track. This system can be hung from a suitable support, negating the need for floor track and is designed as a fully-hinged concertina moveable partition.
The fabric covering is durable, rot proof and water resistant, making it the perfect material for use in hospitals and surgeries, where hygiene is paramount.
The material even resists the growth of mildew, mould, fungi and bacteria and is odourless, as well as being fully washable and stain resistant. Even if in constant use it will not crack or tear and comes with a five-year warranty.
Each fabric folding wall system is specifically manufactured for the exact specification of the ward or room that it will be fitted to. It can be fitted and supplied to a wide range of openings and configurations and can even be curved to create a crescent or arching room divider. These systems are also used to create corridors or to divide an area of a ward into a smaller space.
