With Covid-19 solutions being sought around the country, a new NHS Nightingale Hospital opened in Exeter, with the rapid new development having the capacity to provide 200 extra beds for coronavirus patients. Bristol Maid, in the neighbouring county of Dorset, were called upon to assist with the project, and were able to supply a crucial order of the company’s signature Caretray Trolleys.
The NHS Nightingale Hospital Exeter – which opened in June 2020 – is one of seven confirmed Nightingale hospitals commissioned to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The facility is hosted by the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, and supported by the other five hospitals in Devon and Cornwall. The other hospitals have continued to primarily focus on providing care for the critically ill, and plans are in place to expand both counties’ critical care capacity to a combined 500 beds.
Chief Executive for the Devon Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, Philippa Slinger, was tasked with overseeing the set-up of the new facility. She said: “Our new NHS Nightingale Hospital will ensure we have the right critical care capacity in place to help us manage the expected upsurge in cases. Getting our new facility open is a huge task and will be a real collaborative partnership between all NHS providers, commissioners, partner agencies, the armed forces and contractors.”
Bristol Maid, a Dorset-based supplier and manufacturer of medical equipment & furniture, have been one of the approved NHS providers tasked with delivering critical apparatus for the Nightingale Hospitals. Despite being in the throes of several months of unprecedented demand, Bristol Maid endeavoured to accelerate and streamline their manufacturing processes, and were able to fulfil the order of Caretray Trolleys ahead of schedule. The manufacturer’s signature Caretray Trolleys are a spearmint-coloured staple in hospital wards around the globe, and have been a crucial resource relied upon by healthcare staff for decades. The trolleys are designed to be quickly and easily disassembled for thorough deep-cleaning; an invaluable necessity for equipment being used to battle an infectious disease transmitted via surfaces.
Ian Farnfield, Sales Director for Bristol Maid, said: “We were glad to be able to assist the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust with this project, in such a vital time in our nation’s history. The Bristol Maid team have been working diligently to ensure that our frontline healthcare professionals have the equipment they need during these trying months. It is a testament to our team’s hard work and a continued source of pride to see Bristol Maid products being used to combat this pandemic.”
